Cannabis (Marijuana)

Cannabis has been used for medical purposes for many centuries. The history of medicinal marijuana use dates back to the earliest eras of medicine and pharmacology, when humans first began to deliberately use plants for their effects on the body rather than simply as a source of nutrition.

Cannabis, also known as marijuana and by numerous other names, is a preparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or medicine. The main psychoactive part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV).

Cannabis is often consumed for its mental and physical effects, such as heightened mood, relaxation, and an increase in appetite. Possible side effects include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, red eyes, and feelings of paranoia or anxiety. Onset of effects is within minutes when smoked and about 30 minutes when eaten. They last for between two and six hours.

Cannabis is mostly used recreationally or as a medicinal drug. It may also be used as part of religious or spiritual rites. In 2013, between 128 and 232 million people used cannabis (2.7% to 4.9% of the global population between the ages of 15 and 65). In 2015, about half of the people in the United States have tried marijuana, 12% have used it in the past year, and 7.3% have used it in the past month. Usage has increased since 2013.

The earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC. Since the early 20th century, cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions, with the possession, use, and sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids currently illegal in most countries of the world; the United Nations deems it the most-used illicit drug in the world. Medical cannabis refers to the physician-recommended use of cannabis, which is taking place in Canada, Belgium, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and 23 U.S. states. Cannabis use, as well as support for legalization, has been increasing in the United States in recent years.

What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a drug that comes from Indian hemp plants such as Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. The main active chemical in cannabis is THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol). Cannabis is a depressant drug. Depressant drugs do not necessarily make you feel depressed. Rather, they slow down the activity of the central nervous system and the messages going between the brain and the body. When large doses of cannabis are taken it may also produce hallucinogenic effects. Cannabis is also known as grass, pot, hash, weed, reefer, dope, herb, mull, buddha, ganja, joint, stick, buckets, cones, skunk, hydro, yarndi, smoke and hooch.

What does cannabis look like?

Leaves from the cannabis plant are bright green and have a distinctive shape with five or seven leaflets. The flowering tops and upper leaves are covered in a sticky resin. Cannabis is used for the psychoactive (mind and mood-altering) effects of THC and other active ingredients. THC is the chemical in cannabis that makes you feel “high”.

There are three main forms of psychoactive cannabis: marijuana, hashish and hash oil.

·         Marijuana is the most common and least potent form of cannabis. Marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the plant.

·         Hashish (“hash”) is dried cannabis resin, usually in the form of a small block. The concentration of THC in hashish is higher than in marijuana, producing stronger effects.

·         Hash oil is a thick, oily liquid, golden brown to black in colour, which is extracted from cannabis. Hash oil is the strongest form of cannabis.

How and why is it used?

The different forms of cannabis are used in different ways:

·         Marijuana is smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes (joints), or in a pipe (a bong).

·         Hashish is usually added to tobacco and smoked, or baked and eaten in foods such as hash cookies.

·         Hash oil is usually spread on the tip or paper of a cigarette and then smoked.

Cannabis and hash can also be smoked in a vaporiser. Vaporisers heat cannabis to temperatures that release its active ingredients while minimising the toxins associated with burning.

The THC in cannabis is absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the lungs (if smoked), or through the walls of the stomach and intestines (if eaten). The bloodstream carries the THC to the brain, producing the “high” effects. Drugs inhaled get into the bloodstream quicker than those eaten. This means that the effects of cannabis when smoked occur more rapidly than when eaten.

Paper and textiles

Some species of cannabis have few psychoactive effects. These plants are used to produce hemp fibre for use in paper, textiles and clothing.

Medical uses

Cannabis has been used for medical purposes for many centuries. The history of medicinal marijuana use dates back to the earliest eras of medicine and pharmacology, when humans first began to deliberately use plants for their effects on the body rather than simply as a source of nutrition. The first recorded mention of cannabis used in a medical context comes from the Shennong pên Ts’ao ching (the Great Herbal encyclopedia of the Emperor Shennong),one of the earliest texts on herbal medicine, which dates back to 2700 BCE.

Cannabis continued to be an essential part of countless medicines, from cough syrup to digestive aids, from painkillers to corn plasters. After opiates, cannabis was the world’s most widely prescribed medicinal plant extract, until it was abruptly prohibited in many parts of the world during the 1930s.

Thankfully, a rediscovery in recent decades of the natural advantages of marijuana as a medicine has led to a resurgence in its use. In modern times, most patients opt to medicate using cannabis in its natural form, as opposed to concentrated or synthetic versions. Herbal cannabis and its extracts can enable more control and better judgment of dosage and can also impart fuller range of cannabinoids, many of which seem to have beneficial interactions when taken together.

It has been reported that cannabis may be useful to help conditions such as:

·         nausea and vomiting, particularly when associated with chemotherapy

·         wasting and severe weight loss, in people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or anorexia nervosa, as it may be used as an appetite stimulant

·         pain relief, for example in people with cancer and arthritis

·         relief from symptoms of some neurological disorders that involve muscle spasms, including multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury

·         glaucoma

·         epilepsy

·         asthma.

Legal and medical status of cannabis

Cannabis is in Schedule IV of the 1961 international treaty the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it subject to special restrictions. Article 2 provides for the following, in reference to Schedule IV drugs:

·         A Party shall, if in its opinion the prevailing conditions in its country render it the most appropriate means of protecting the public health and welfare, prohibit the production, manufacture, export and import of, trade in, possession or use of any such drug except for amounts which may be necessary for medical and scientific research only, including clinical trials therewith to be conducted under or subject to the direct supervision and control of the Party.

This provision, while apparently providing for the limitation of cannabis to research purposes only, also seems to allow some latitude for nations to make their own judgments. The official Commentary on the Single Convention indicates that Parties are expected to make that judgment in good faith.

Important information

·         Do not drive, operate machinery, or perform other hazardous activities while using cannabis. It may cause dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired judgment.

·         Do not drink alcohol while using cannabis. Alcohol will increase dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired judgment.

·         Cannabis may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, antihistamines, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, anxiety medicines, seizure medicines, and muscle relaxants.

·         Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

What are the effects of cannabis?

·         The effects experienced by the cannabis user are variable and will depend upon the dose, method of administration, prior experience, any concurrent drug use, personal expectations, mood state and the social environment in which the drug is used.

·         Effects of cannabis include:

o   an altered state of consciousness. The user may feel "high", very happy, euphoric, relaxed, sociable and uninhibited.

o   distorted perceptions of time and space. The user may feel more sensitive to things around them, and may also experience a more vivid sense of taste, sight, smell and hearing.

o   increased pulse and heart rate, bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils, and often increased appetite.

o   impaired coordination and concentration, making activities such as driving a car or operating machinery difficult and dangerous.

o   negative experiences, such as anxiousness, panic, self-consciousness and paranoid thoughts.

·         People who use large quantities of cannabis may become sedated or disoriented and may experience toxic psychosis - not knowing who they are, where they are, or what time it is. High doses may also cause fluctuating emotions, fragmentary thoughts, paranoia, panic attacks, hallucinations and feelings of unreality.

·         The effects of cannabis are felt within minutes, reach their peak in 10 to 30 minutes, and may linger for two or three hours. THC is highly lipid soluble and can be stored in fat cells potentially for several months. The stored THC is released very slowly, and unevenly, back into the bloodstream.

Cannabis side effects

Long term effects of heavy use can include:

·         irritation to the lungs, risk of developing chronic bronchitis and an increased risk of developing cancer of the respiratory tract (more likely to do with smoking).

·         exacerbation of pre-existing cardiovascular disease, as cannabis use significantly raises the heart rate.

·         decreased concentration levels, reduced short-term memory and difficulties with thinking and learning (resolved if cannabis use stops).

·         decreased sex drive in some people. Chronic use can lower sperm count in males and lead to irregular periods in females (resolved if cannabis use stops).

·         dependence on cannabis - compulsive need to use the drug, coupled with problems associated with chronic drug use.

What should I avoid?

·         Do not drive, operate machinery, or perform other hazardous activities while using cannabis. Cannabis may cause dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired judgment.

·         Do not drink alcohol while using cannabis. Alcohol will increase dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired judgment.

·         Cannabis may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, antihistamines, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, anxiety medicines, seizure medicines, and muscle relaxants.

·         Do not use cannabis if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. There is some evidence that women who smoke cannabis during the time of conception or while pregnant may increase the risk of their child being born with birth defects. Pregnant women who continue to smoke cannabis are probably at greater risk of giving birth to low birthweight babies.

·         Do not use cannabis if you are breast-feeding a baby.

What happens if I overdose?

·         Seek emergency medical attention.

·         Symptoms of overdose include fatigue, lack of coordination, paranoia and psychosis.

What other drugs will affect cannabis?

Cannabis may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, antihistamines, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, anxiety medicines, seizure medicines, and muscle relaxants.