Drug Effects (1969)

We have now covered the general information about the effects of drugs. Here is a summary of what you know. One, how is the drug taken? Two, how does the drug change behavior? Three, what are the different behavioral effects of the specific type of drug? Four, does the drug create psychological and or physical dependence or tolerance? Later on, you will be given information on different types of drugs. To give you an idea of how this outline works, I will describe the effects of marijuana with the help of my assistant. Marijuana is usually inhaled from a kind of cigarette. Marijuana changes behavior by briefly stimulating and then depressing activity. It can also change behavior by creating mild hallucinations. Different people taking marijuana may see different things. Assistant one might have this reaction. Whereas marijuana might cause assistant two to see this. Some people do not hallucinate. Marijuana may make the same person hallucinate one time and hungry the next. Marijuana creates a psychological dependence. No tolerance is developed. Knowing how a drug is taken, how it affects behavior, and what kind of a dependence it creates will help you decision makers identify the type of drug disaster. You people are the decision makers. The data on the effects of drugs which you now have is only one area which you must consider in trying to figure out the nature of a drug disaster. There are other clues which you must consider. The diagram that you see is a summary of the different areas you must cover. In other words, for each type of drug, for example, LSD, narcotics, barbiturates, etc., you will be given information about need, source, use, effects, and medical treatment. Only when you have all this data, will you be able to make an accurate decision about the type of drug being used. We can cross out drug effects since you already know about these.