Marijuana is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant. The main ingredient that gets you “high” is THC. Tetra Hydra Cannabinol or “THC” is a chemical responsible for the euphoria and psychoactive effects. There are 3 types of Cannabis plants and they all server their different purposes. Indica is described by marijuana users to be very relaxing and produces sedative effects. The Indica Cannabis plant leaves are short and stubby. Sativa on the other hand produces opposite effects. Marijuana users described it as a uplifting and creative buzz. A good sativa should feel as stimulating as a strong cup of coffee. The Sativa Cannabis plant leaves are long and thin opposed to the Indica plant. Lastly the ruderalis plant is what scientists call Hemp. Ruderalis or “hemp” is the non psycho active plant. Although it still has THC, it has very low amounts to be useful for psycho active effects. Hemp is used more for nutrients, and serves as a sustainable source for paper products and fuel and much more. As of 2017 there are more than 800 known strains but scientists continue to cross breed new strains every year. Cross breeding is getting two different strains of marijuana genetics from both plants to create a different strain. When you cross breed an Indica with sativa, you get what is called a “Hybrid”. …show more content…
Hybrids are known to have very high THC. It’s earliest known discoveries can date back to 2,000 BC in China.
Coastal farmers brought marijuana to Korea from 2,000 BC to 1,000 BC. From here an Indian group called the Aryans invaded the region and took some back home to Asia. Throughout this time marijuana began to spread to Europe and all over the world. Now marijuana is found almost anywhere in the world and very easy to find. This doesn’t stop it from being an illegal substance though. In 1930, marijuana became illegal as well as many other recreational drugs. Although still illegal under federal law, 29 states as if 2017 have legalized marijuana for either recreational use, medicinal or
both. Marijuana views have changed a lot throughout the recent decades. Back then people perceived it as a very dangerous drug. Surprisingly marijuana has not been linked to any deaths from direct use. Opposed to other dangerous drugs, alcohol is responsible for many deaths and is legal for anyone over the age of 21. There are many advantages and disadvantages of consuming marijuana. One of the many pros is medical use. Physicians prescribe this drug to patients with anxiety, depression, seizures, and a major health disease that is cancer. Cannabidiol has significant health advantages and do not require the psycho active effects of THC. This means scientists can extract the CBD from marijuana to use it for its medicinal purposes. Marijuana consumption also has its cons. One of the major cons is dependency or addiction. Statistically, one in ten marijuana users develop an addiction or dependency. Long term use of marijuana has been said to cause bad memory. Users claimed they couldn’t remember like they used to. Also another long term use effect is depression and dis motivation. Quitting marijuana can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is when you discontinue the use of a drug and feel symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most users who go through withdrawal symptoms without care give in to their withdrawal and begin to use again. There are many drug programs out there to help marijuana addicts to get back on their feet. Places like narcotics anonymous meetings allow addicts to have meetings and talk about how they feel and share their stories and testimonies of their drug use. In conclusion I think Marijuana should be legalized. Considering the many different strains it can have many useful advantages. The advantages outweigh the cons. It should be legalized with restrictions. Some of which are already in practice today like age restriction and how much you can possess. It should also be made clear that weed can be dangerous when doing certain things like driving heavy machinery or a car. Marijuana can be a great prescription or recreational drug, as long as consumed safely and with limits.
Although there are numerous deaths, at least 100,000, from prescription drugs each year, there has never been a death attributed to marijuana. The late Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a former administrator of the US government’s marijuana research programs, stated that after he had treated about 10,000 patients in 15 years, he felt that there are about 200 different medical conditions that respond favorably to medical marijuana.
This article is very useful for people who need to understand why people use the drug and where there may be problems. There are some parts of this piece that are hard to follow as he uses jargon that is used in research on cannabis. This is a great starting point to my paper as I can discuss what users are doing with this plant and the pros and cons, they will help me make a strong argument. This story talks about something that I am against, which is synthetic marijuana and the problems that consumers are having with it. This article is written in simple language, but it contains some parts where a simple knowledge of cannabis would be useful.
According to Grinspoon (2005) marijuana, may have been a crop farmed as many as 10,000 years ago. The first evidence discovered that attests to the use of medicinal cannabis dates back to the Chinese Emperor, Chen Nung, who lived five-thousand years ago when this plant was recommended for malaria, constipation, and rheumatic pains, as well as, the inability to concentrate and pains in relation to the female body (Grinspoon, 2005; Guterman 2000). Even Queen Victoria had a physician recommend that she use marijuana as medicine for ailments such as “insomnia, migraines, menstrual cramps, and muscle spasms” (Guterman, 2000, p. A21). Evidence of the power of marijuana as a medicine can be found in almost any culture on Earth. For example, some tribes in Africa use marijuana to treat snake bites and to reduced the intense pain of child-birth and in India, cannabis is used to “quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, cure dysentery, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, relieve headaches, and cure venereal disease” (Grinspoon, 2005, p. 1). Marijuana has been proven as a powerful medicine by people of many ethnic backgrounds and countries over the entire world, time and time again.
Evidence based on research shows that marijuana has been used since the beginning of recorded history or longer. The first known record of its use was from Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. (Deamuseum.org, N.D.). There is also evidence that the ancient Greeks and Romans were familiar with and used marijuana as well (Deamuseum.org, N.D.). According to historical information on Narcon International’s website, marijuana was used to treat various medical issues as well as for recreational purposes (Narconon.org, 2010-2014). From there, marijuana spread throughout the Middle East, then into Africa and northward to Europe. The Spanish brought it to the New World in 1545 and the Engli...
O'Shaughnessy introduced medicinal marijuana to the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria used marijuana for dysmenorrhoea during the same time period (Carter et. al., 2003). Smoking marijuana recreationally began to spread in the United States in the 1920's. It began to spread from Mexico and New Orleans up the Mississippi river.
There are three species of Marijuana. The most common and most psychoactive is a prepared mixture of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. Cannabis indica is known to be less potent and Cannabis ruderalis has virtually no psychoactive ingredients. Cannabis sativa will be analyzed in detail since it is the most commonly used species. This plant grows wild but it can be cultivated in temperate as well as tropical areas. Cannabis products can be smoked in pipes or cigarettes. They can also be ingested with food. Manufactured products range from paper to ink (WWW 2).
Exactly what is marijuana? Marijuana is made of the dried leaves and flowers of the female cannabis sativa plant, and looks like oregano. There are many different marijuana preparations that are widely used to obtain effects. It can be either smoked or taken by mouth. Marijuana can be smoked in the form of a hand-rolled cigarette ("joint" or "reefer") it is also smoked in a variety of pipes. Hashish (hash) is a dried-caked resin from the flowers and leaves of the plant. It is sold in chunks and cubes, and its color range from light brown to black. Hashish is often blended with tobacco and smoked. It is more potent than marijuana because it contains a higher concentration of THC. THC is the main ingredient in all cannabis preparations. The more THC cannabis contains, the stronger it is. The effects of marijuana are similar to alcohol intoxication. Small amounts can make you relaxed and generally less inhibited yet some users say that it enhances the experiences of music, food and sex. After hearing all about how college students feel about marijuana I wanted to find out for myself, so...
Marijuana was used since 8,000 BCE as hemp cord in what is now modern day Taiwan. Seeds were used as hemp oil in China during the BCE times. The first person recorded ever using marijuana was Emporer Shen Neng of China in 2,737 BCE and he used it medicinally. Shortly after, cannabis cultivated for food and for fibers such as hemp cloth and hemp rope. Between 2000 BCE to the year 570 the use of cannabis spread to Russia, modern day Khazakstan, Persia, England, and in European countries such as Greece. The first hemp paper was created in China and in the years 850 to 1532 cannabis was taken to Iceland by the Vikings and also spread to Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Africa and
Marijuana comes from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Its discovery could have been as early as 2700 BC in China. Despite the Cannabis Sativa plant producing Marijuana it also produces hemp, which is a very usefu...
Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. In ancient China, there are writings praising the plant for its medicinal uses. Additionally
History of Marijuana Prohibition Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it’s been in use (Guither, 2014). Going back to 1619, the Virginia Assembly passed legislation requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Hemp was allowed to be exchanged as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland (Block, 2014). It was actually a crime in some states to refuse to grow hemp in the 1700's. In the late 19th century, marijuana was a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was sold openly in public pharmacies (PBS, 2014).
Marijuana also known as weed is a preparation of leafy material from the Cannabis plant that is smoked. There are different types of Cannabis from the sativa to the indica. A high grade of Marijuana is called sinsemilla. The main psychoactive agent is the delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol also known as THC. When the cannabinoid particles are smoked, THC is absorbed very fast into the blood and distrusted first to the brain and then emptied into the rest of the body. Within thirty minutes of absorption much has left the brain. Within five to ten minutes the peak mood- altering and cardiovascular effects will occur together.
Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been used as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of
Marijuana is an extremely popular drug, not only in America, but in every other country in the world as well. However, there are many people who do not know exactly what it is or where it comes from. Marijuana is a blend of flowers, seeds, leaves, and stems from the Indian hemp planted called Cannabis. This plant contains a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes the “high” feeling that users experience when smoking it (“Marijuana: Effects, Medical Uses & Legalization”). The THC in marijuana is analogous to the nicotine in tobacco, but it is not as harmful. They both have many similarities, but they also have significant differences.
A considerable amount of literature has been published on cannabis specifically marijuana. These studies classify marijuana into three species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and cannabis ruderalis. In fact, Cannabis sativa is the most widely used and recognized among the other species due to its ability to produce more fiber and oil. For many years, the plant has been used for making clothes as well as lighting and soap. Nevertheless, cannabis is widely used at the present time for intoxication and medical treatments. Marijuana is usually extracted from the flowers of the female plant (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1993). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is well-defined as the “dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds. This plant material can also be concentrated in a resin called hashish” (NIDA, 2014).