said Pope François on 7th May 2014 when he received members of the Italian community “San Patrignano”, a non fee charging centre for withdrawal and rehabilitation, and their families.
"40 to 50% of pupils who repeat 8th or 9th grade do so because of having used cannabis the previous year." "Let us not forget either that cannabis and alcohol used together are very damaging."
"Amongst the perils that threaten youth and the entire society today, drugs are in the first place, which is more dangerous as it is less visible ...They spread like an oil stain, they slowly stretch their tentacles from the major cities to the smaller centers, from the richest and most industrialized countries to the Third World."
"A rat which is given cannabis will start drinking alcohol, whereas without cannabis, he will not drink."
"I consider that parents are able to educate their children. [...] Any one is able, most of time, to take responsibility for a child.[...]Parents call upon psychologists for years and pay a lot of money, whereas they usually have the ability within themselves to help their children. I often say to parents: "You have everything in your hands, just look for it. But simply take the time to look at your child."
"Adolescence is a "season in hell" in itself. It is the age of doubt, of self-deprecation, of anxiety, but also the age of authenticity, of the absolute. What is normal is the exaggeration of behavior, of words, of feelings, the outbursts of joy and sadness. The teenager is very susceptible and sensitive to how others perceive him and what they say about him, especially his friends."
"If there was a government that was interested in corrupting its citizens, it would only have to encourage the use of hashish ... hashish belongs to the class of solitary joy, it is for the miserable idler ... You are incapable of work and lack energy for action .. You throw your personality to the four winds of heaven and now you are unable to reassemble and concentrate them ... Hashish is a weapon for suicide".
"Balzac thought, without doubt, that there was no bigger shame nor suffering in life for man than the abdication of his will. I saw him one time at a meeting where there was a question on the prodigious effects of hashish. He listened and questioned with an amusing attention and vivacity ... The way of thinking shocked him greatly, inspite of himself. He was presented with dawamesk, he examined it, smelled it and returned it without touching it. The struggle between his almost childish curiosity and his repugnance at the abdication betrayed itself on his expressive face in a striking manner. The love of dignity prevailed."
AEROSOLS Nitrous oxide and other pressurized gases such as those contained in whipped cream canisters or computer anti-dust sprays also have hallucinogenic effects. In a few seconds they produce excitement, dizziness, euphoria, loss of consciousness and affect the central nervous system through lack of oxygen. Moreover they are inhaled under pressure and can provoke lung frostbite and vocal chords injuries, (eg. immediately after taking this drug the voice becomes lower.)
POPPERS Volatile nitrites have similar effects to nitrous oxide. Moreover they can provoke panic attacks, heart palpitations and headaches. They are also responsible for deaths by anoxia. They are vasodilators frequently used to relax sphincter muscles. They are carcinogenic and provoke serious immune deficiencies – such as AIDS.
STAIN REMOVER Stain removers are derived from ethylene. They are hallucinogenic but their effect is more calming, unlike poppers and aerosols, which are more stimulating. They cause damage that is neurological (deafness, tremor) and intellectual (dementia).
When you consume alcohol and cannabis simultaneously, these products mutually increase their effects. The current practice is to use alcohol and cannabis at the same time. Many young people nowadays use this common method to try to get “stoned”.
Yes, Alcohol is a sedative drug. In drinking regularly a large amount of alcohol, one becomes an alcoholic within a few years. Alcohol is characteristically able to potentialize the effect of all other drugs it is mixed with. If one mixes alcohol with another or others drugs, one can very rapidly become a drug-addict.
A drug-addict is someone who takes drugs in order to solve problems created by taking drugs. S/he thinks that s/he can stop taking them whenever s/he wants, however, in spite of the harmful consequences caused by consuming drugs, s/he cannot. If the drug-addict experiences withdrawal symptoms he will think only about providing himself with drugs even if it means acting against his morals. The demand is so strong that anything linked with will, effort, love or morals gradually disappears completely. Lies, violence, aggressiveness, moral or physical suffering, self-harm, being afraid to take part in everyday life become the norm. Because of these evil acts, the drug-addict looses his/her self-esteem and goes deeper into loneliness and suicidal urges.
The half-life of an active substance is the time required by a healthy body, with no previous drug use, to eliminate 50% of the absorbed substance. In the case of cannabis, the half-life is 96 hours or 4 days. This means that within 4 days the body has eliminated 50% of the initial dose. 4 days later, there will be 25% of the product left… Within 28 days, cannabis will be totally eliminated from the body of a person who has not consumed it regularly. Traces of decayed THC may be found in a regular consumer’s body up to 40 days after the last take. According to Dr Chamayou’s thesis, 18 months are needed to be completely cleared of cannabis.
Member Organization of Make Mothers Matter, granted General Consultative Status by the United Nations.