Cannabis (drug)
hideC. sativa L. subsp. sativa C. sativa L. subsp. indica
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, marihuana, and ganja (from Sanskrit: गांजा gañjā, hemp)a[›], refers to any number of preparations of psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant. The most common form is the natural herbal form.
The herbal form of the drug consists of mature female flowers and sub-tending leaves of pistillate (female) plants. The resinous form, known as hashish, consists primarily of glandular trichomes collected from the same plant material. The major psychoactive chemical compound in Cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), commonly referred to as THC. At least 66 other cannabinoids are present in Cannabis, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). Many of these cause some psychoactive interactions.
Marijuana is seen in strains of either pure breeds or intra-specific hybrids of Cannabis, typically of the subspecies indica or sativa. Strains are developed to highlight a specific combination of properties of the plant or to establish marketing differentiation.
The human consumption of Cannabis smoke is found as long ago as the 3rd millennium BC. In modern times, the drug has been used for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. The United Nations estimates that about four percent of the world's adult population (162 million) use cannabis annually and about 0.6 percent (22.5 million) daily. The possession, use, or sale of psychoactive Cannabis products became illegal in most parts of the world in the early 20th century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of cannabis prohibition while others have reduced the priority of enforcement.
For more information about Cannabis (drug), read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with marijuana
Is cannabis the answer to Booze Britain's problems?
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Substituting cannabis in place of more harmful drugs may be a winning strategy in the fight against substance misuse. Research published in BioMed Central' open access Harm Reduction Journal features a poll of 350 cannab ...
Brain's endocannabinoid signaling pathway kept in check by two enzymes
Nov 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A research team has shown that blocking the degradation of two naturally occurring cannabinoids in the endocannabinoid signaling pathway of the brain produces marijuana-like behavioral effects in mice, according ...
The straight dope: Studies link parental monitoring with decreased teen marijuana usage
Nov 16, 2009 |
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Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug by adolescents, with almost 42% of high school seniors admitting to having experimented with it. Continued marijuana use may result in a number of serious consequences including ...
Marijuana rivals mainstream drugs for HIV/AIDS symptoms
May 29, 2009 |
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Those in the United States living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to use marijuana than those in Kenya, South Africa or Puerto Rica to alleviate their symptoms, according to a new study published in Clinical Nursing Research, publis ...
Developing Brains: Alcohol Worse than Marijuana
Mar 26, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- It appears that when it comes to teen brain development, parents should be more worried about alcohol abuse than marijuana abuse. Two recent studies have been published showing that alcohol ...
The herbal remedy: Teens use cannabis for relief, not recreation
Apr 22, 2009 |
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When legal therapies let them down, some teens turn to cannabis. A new study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention and Policy suggests that around a third of teens who sm ...
Feds to stop prosecuting medical marijuana users (Update)
Medicine & Health / Medications
Oct 19, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers should not be targeted for federal prosecution in states that allow medical marijuana, prosecutors were told Monday in a new policy memo issued by ...
Growing evidence of marijuana smoke's potential dangers
Aug 05, 2009 |
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In a finding that challenges the increasingly popular belief that smoking marijuana is less harmful to health than smoking tobacco, researchers in Canada are reporting that smoking marijuana, like smoking ...
Pot shot: Scientists find cannabis trigger for forgetfulness
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Aug 02, 2009 |
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Researchers on Sunday said they had pinpointed the biochemical pathway by which cannabis causes memory loss in mice.
Active ingredients in marijuana found to spread and prolong pain
Aug 13, 2009 |
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Imagine that you're working on your back porch, hammering in a nail. Suddenly you slip and hit your thumb instead — hard. The pain is incredibly intense, but it only lasts a moment. After a few seconds (and a few unprintable ...
California sprouts marijuana 'green rush'
Jul 18, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A drug deal plays out, California-style: A conservatively dressed courier drives a company-leased Smart Car to an apartment on a weekday afternoon. Erick Alvaro hands over a white paper bag to his ...
Weeding out marijuana: Researchers close in on engineering recognizable, drug-free Cannabis plant
Sep 15, 2009 |
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In a first step toward engineering a drug-free Cannabis plant for hemp fiber and oil, University of Minnesota researchers have identified genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in marijuana. ...
Legalize it? Medical evidence on marijuana blows both ways
May 25, 2009 |
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Sparked anew by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's call for the state to study the legalization of marijuana, both sides in the smoldering pot debate point to research to bolster their positions.
Marijuana use linked to increased risk of testicular cancer
Feb 09, 2009 |
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Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The ...
Marijuana helps in battle against cancer: study
Apr 02, 2009 |
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The main chemical in marijuana appears to aid in the destruction of brain cancer cells, offering hope for future anti-cancer therapies, researchers in Spain wrote in a study released Thursday.
