Doesn cannabis contain hundreds of compounds?
It’s true that the cannabis plant contains about 400 compounds; however, many of these same compounds are also found in other herbs and vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain about 360 compounds. In cannabis, approximately 60 unique compounds called cannabinoids are primarily responsible for its medicinal qualities. Cannabinoids and our body’s endocannabinoid system are still under study, but antimicrobial and antiinflammatory properties have already been demonstrated. (For example, an old and effective folk remedy for arthritis or joint pain uses the cannabis root, which contains no THC at all.) It is cannabis’ inherent complexity that has made it so useful and valuable throughout the history of the human race. And don’t forget that tobacco cigarettes contain over 700 chemicals, of which almost all are non-beneficial (Hemp for Health, pg. 146), but our government finds tobacco use eminently acceptable and profitable!
