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.
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News tagged with marijuana
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 ...
Marijuana ingredients show promise in battling superbugs
Sep 08, 2008 |
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Substances in marijuana show promise for fighting deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections, including so-called "superbugs," without causing the drug's mood-altering effects, scientists in Italy and the United Kingdom are ...
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.
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 ...
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 ...
Growing evidence of marijuana smoke's potential dangers
Aug 05, 2009 |
2.3 / 5 (29) |
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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 ...
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 ...
The body's own 'marijuana' is good for the skin
Jul 02, 2008 |
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Scientists from Hungary, Germany and the U.K. have discovered that our own body not only makes chemical compounds similar to the active ingredient in marijuana (THC), but these play an important part in maintaining healthy ...
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.
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 ...
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.
A severe vomiting sickness with chronic cannabis abuse
Mar 20, 2009 |
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Marijuana, a commonly abused drug among high school and college students is linked to a severe form of vomiting syndrome and compulsive bathing behavior. This form of severe vomiting sickness is increasingly recognized with ...
Is cannabis the answer to Booze Britain's problems?
Dec 01, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (7) |
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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 ...
Black girls who use marijuana engage in riskier sex, have higher STD rate
Aug 05, 2008 |
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Black girls who use marijuana are more likely to engage in risky sexual acts and contract a sexually transmitted disease, a new study finds.
Research finds that marijuana use takes toll on adolescent brain function
Oct 14, 2008 |
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Brain imaging shows that the brains of teens that use marijuana are working harder than the brains of their peers who abstain from the drug. At the 2008 annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston, Mass., ...
