What is cannabis?
Marijuana…hemp…Mary Jane…reefer…pot…weed…ganja, Pacololo…All of these and many more are colloquial names for cannabis sativa.Cannabis is an annual herb that has been used throughout human history as sacrament and for medicine, oil, food and fiber. In fact, the term sativa means cultivated or useful, as opposed to wild. The oldest confirmed use of cannabis was in China in 3750 B.C. Over time, many different strains of cannabis have been developed to meet its wide variety of uses. Medicinal or therapeutic applications are multiple and include asthma, glaucoma, Crohn’s Disease, tumors, cancer chemotherapy, migraine, chronic pain, epilepsy, arthritis, insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, AIDS and Alzheimer’s Disease. Recently, research has focused on the newly-discovered endocannabinoid system, which includes cannabinoid receptor sites within our own bodies and brains.
Cannabis is the most durable of the hemp plants, and it produces the toughest cloth, called `canvass.’ (Canvass was widely used as sails in the early shipping industry, as it was the only cloth which would not rot on contact with sea spray.) The cannabis plant also produces three other very important products which the other hemp plants do not (in usable form, that is): seed, pulp, and medicine. The pulp is used as fuel, and to make paper. The seed is suitable for both human and animal foods. The oil from the seed can be used in as a base for paints and varnishes. The medicine is a tincture or admixture of the sticky resin in the blossoms and leaves of the hemp plant, and is used for a variety of purposes. 1c) Where did the word `marijuana’ come from? The word `marijuana’ is a Mexican slang term which became popular in the late 1930’s in America, during a series of media and government programs which we now refer to as the `Reefer Madness Movement.’ It refers specifically to the medici
Cannabis Sativa, also known as the hemp plant, is a hardy annual that can grow just about anywhere. Cannabis has been cultivated for many centuries for industrial and medical use, and for its “psychoactive,” or mind-altering effects. Marijuana, hashish and hashish oil all come from the cannabis plant. There are more than 61 chemicals called “cannabinoids” that are specific to Cannabis. THC is the main psychoactive cannabinoid, and is most responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana smoke. For more information, click here.
A plant native to Central Asia that is considered to be the most widely used illegal drug in the world, and is the third most commonly consumed drug after alcohol and tobacco. Proof of its widespread use is the fact that a large percentage of drug offenses are cannabis-related. Despite a growing relaxation in the enforcement of cannabis laws, cannabis-related offenses make up more than 70% of drug arrests.
