Research exercise on cannabis
With my CPC class, we watched a documentary on cannabis use, the students answered some questions on the programme and then we had a discussion afterwards. From that discussion, a short research exercise was put together and the students unearthed the following points.
Twenty facts we found out about cannabis (10th October 2011)
1. In a small minority of people, cannabis can trigger serious mental illness. It is best to avoid cannabis if the user has a family history of mental illness.
2. The maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is five years in prison.
3. Supplying cannabis can lead to the supplier getting a jail sentence of up to fourteen years and an unlimited fine.
4. Cannabis is a class B drug.
5. Cannabis is the most used drug in the U.K.
6. It is said that 20-24 year olds is the most likely age group to use cannabis in the last year.
7. Research states that 2 million people in the UK smoke cannabis.
8. If young people are found to be in possession of cannabis the police are able to do the following: arrest them, take them to a police station, give them a reprimand, give them a final warning or charge them (depending on the seriousness of the offence.)
9. Long term use of cannabis can cause lung cancer, bronchitis and respiratory disorders associated with smoking.
10. If you start smoking cannabis before 15 years of age, you are four times more likely to develop psychotic illness or any mental illness.
11. Claims have been made for its use in treating: migraines, asthma, strokes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Disease, alcoholism and insomnia.
12. In 19th century Nepal, naked men would run through fields of flowering cannabis plants and then had the sticky resin scraped off their bodies.
13. Bill Clinton famously said that he had smoked marijuana but didn’t inhale.
14. Cannabis contains a high dose of tar.
15. The compound that gives cannabis its mind-altering properties is known as THC.
16. Approximately 4% of the world’s adults (some 162 million people) use cannabis at least once in the course of a year, making it the world’s most widely-used illicit drug.
17. Cannabis may impair short-term memory and affects body co-ordination.
18. First time users may feel confused and distressed. Anxiety, panic and suspicion are not uncommon side effects.
19. The Home Office has published a guide on cutting down and stopping. It suggests that users: write down their reasons for wanting to change, plan how they will change, plan how to cope with withdrawal symptoms and have a back-up plan.
20. Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and cannabis often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices. Thus, marijuana can inhibit maturity.
The students consulted a wide variety of websites to glean their information including BBC Health, Know UK, Issues online, FRANK, Royal College of Psychiatrists and NHS.
The students found the exercise interesting and informative and some learners had preconceived ideas about cannabis. In most cases their research disproved their thoughts. This was not an exercise in glamourising cannabis use, but rather, a meaningful research project with an end product.
Watching documentaries followed by discussion and short research projects helps to enhance the learner's writing, speaking and listening skills.
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