Cannabis is having different names. Marijuana is one of the names it is known by. It is a psychoactive drug which is derived from the cannabis plant. It is mostly used for medical and recreational purposes. Cannabis is containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in more content.
It is used in different ways like smoking, vaporizing, making food. Cannabis can show various mental and physical effects like the sense of time, difficulty in concentration, short-term memory loss, body movement, relaxation, and an increase in appetite.
The onset of effects can be felt or seen within minutes and 30-60 minutes would be taken when eaten or cooked. It will remain for 2 to 6 hours and it also depends on the amount of cannabis you have taken. The higher dose can result in anxiety, panic attacks, and many more.
As causality is a concern, there is a huge relation between cannabis use and the risk of psychosis. Physical effects may include an increase in the pulse rate, difficulty in breathing, nausea, and women who are pregnant may give birth to the behavior problem children. Short-term side effects include red eyes, dry mouth. The long-term side effects may include addiction, decreased mental ability, respiratory infections, and many more.
What is cannabis?
Cannabis is mainly used for medical and recreational purposes but it may be used for spiritual purposes also. Around 2013, most people are using cannabis. In some cities, states or even it is illegal to use. But it is legal in some states like Nigeria, Canada, the united states of America, and many more countries. Most adults are using this. In 2013, Uruguay was one of the countries that make cannabis legal. It is very important to discuss with the physician then the country will allow you to use it.
History of cannabis
Ancient history:
It is found in the Indian subcontinent and central Asia. It was used in the ropes and the fabrics in china and japan as they are not knowing about the psychoactive properties at that time. It was firstly used for the ritual or the spiritual ceremony by the Proto-Indo-European tribes and they spread this ritual throughout western Eurasia during the Indo-European migrations.
The Vedas declare that the people at that time were consuming cannabis. Ancient Assyrians, the person who declared the psychoactive properties of cannabis through Iranians. As at that time people are using cannabis in their ritual celebrations so they called it qunubu. Then the Iranians declare it to the Scythians, who usually burn cannabis to obtain trance.
This cannabis is used in china before 2800 BC. Then India came to know about this in 1000 BC and it is used in the food and drinks which is known as bhang. It is having a ritual use in the history and the pharma logical cults in the various countries.
Modern history:
In 1842, William Brooke, the Irish physician who has studied cannabis when he was a medical officer in Bengal with the East India Company and he brought a large quantity of cannabis to Britain when he returned. In 1840, the colonial government of the maturities ban cannabis in the country because of the effects on the Indian indentured workers.
In 1870, Singapore has also banned this in the country. The restrictions on cannabis in the united states come in the year 1906. In 1923, Canada also do ban cannabis under the “opium and narcotic drug act”. But in 2018, Canada allows people to use cannabis for recreational and medical purposes.
For normal use, people can buy cannabis in the local coffee shops. Uruguay was the first country in the modern era that allow the people to use Canada.
Uses of cannabis
1. Medical use
Medical has approved to use of cannabis to treat various problems and symptoms. But some countries are not allowing it to use even in medical treatment also. As there is limited evidence which is showing cannabis can be used for treating vomiting, nausea during chemotherapy, improvement in appetite in people with HIV/AIDS or to treat chronic pain. The minor and major effects can be seen when it is used in short term. The common side effects are vomiting, nausea, and many more. The long-term side effects still are not described properly.
2. Recreational use
When cannabis is consumed it is showing psychoactive and physiological effects. Relaxation and high feeling are the immediate desired effects. When the dose is increased it may have effects like altered body image, auditory and visual illusions, and many more. There are many undesired side effects which are dry mouth, short-term memory loss, reddening of eyes.
Except for physical changes and mood changes it may increase the heart rate, lower the blood pressure, increase appetite, consumption of food, and various other effects also. The people who are taking for the first time or take a small quantity of cannabis can only face physios for the 2-6 hours but the person who is taking this can face various symptoms. The life of the heavy-dose person is very short but better than the people who are eating tobacco and other materials.
3. Spiritual use
Cannabis is playing a very important role in different religions. From Greek mythology, it reveals that cannabis is used for removing sorrow and give peace to mind.
How cannabis used?
Cannabis can be consumed in many ways which are as follows:
1. Smoking
2. Vaporizer
3. Cannabis tea
4. Edibles
5. Capsules
Cannabis side effects
Short-term effects of Cannabis
If the person is consuming cannabis in a limited way, then the person may feel anxiety, panic, nausea, risk of accidents, and many more. Cannabis decreases the ability of driving and the people who have an accident have found that the people have taken cannabis-made materials.
The person consuming THC may have nausea for 2-7 hours but it can be healed but the THC stays for days or weeks in the blood. In 2011, the united states department of health and human services have found that the emergency rooms are filled with people who are consuming cannabis.
Heroin or fentanyl should be added to cannabis for the short term so that it can be altered. The added drugs may cause an increase in weight, many chances of an overdose, psychoactive properties.
Long-term effects of Cannabis
long term usage of cannabis may cause biological, physical, mental, and even social health also. It may harm the lungs, liver, heart, and many other internal organs. Mothers who are using this cannabis during pregnancy may have children who are facing depression, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and many other problems.
During the pregnancy or before that mother should not eat cannabis because it can show harm to both the baby as well as the mother. According to the research done in 2014, cannabis is less effective than tobacco or other materials. The person who is taking cannabis in place of tobacco or alcohol then the person may stop eating or drinking these harmful materials. Some researchers are showing that cannabis is directly affecting the respiratory system.
The regular usage of cannabis can result in coughing, the production of sputum, and many other symptoms. Cannabis is a mixture of both organic and inorganic chemical compounds. The materials which are mostly used in making tobacco same materials are used for making cannabis smoke. Cannabis is taken more deeply than tobacco. It is just in search that cannabis is also showing cancer symptoms.
The short-term usage or moderate usage is not showing an increase in the risk of lung or airway cancer. People who are consuming cannabis in heavy doses may show cancer symptoms. The pulmonary complications are not more in people who are using cannabis in regular use than tobacco.
Cannabis can show the symptoms of cardiovascular disease but still, it is not clear by the researchers. Consuming cannabis in smoking form may increase the risk of myocardial infarction by 4.8 times in 60 minutes.
Cannabis Preparations
Marijuana
The marijuana plant is having the dried flowers and fruits and even contains the stems and leaves of the female cannabis plant. It is mostly consumed. It is having 3% to 20% of THC. This is the main part from which all the preparations are obtained.
All the herbal cannabis and hemp are collected from this species and contain the psychoactive component. They are only different based on their composition as well as their usage. Hemp is containing less amount of THC and a large amount of CBD so the psychoactive effects would be less.
Kief
Kief has obtained in powder form. It is the trichomes. It can be obtained from the leaves, flowers, fruits of the cannabis plant. It can be consumed in the form of powder or can be mixed with the cake.
Hashish
It is the compressed form of kief or the concentrated resin cake. It can be obtained by detached trichomes and the fine materials that fall from the cannabis fruits, flowers, and leaves or scraping from the plant and roll into the form of balls. It is found in different colors which are black to a golden-brown color.
The color depends upon the purity and variety of the cultivator it was obtained from. It is consumed in the form of orally, smoked, or vaporized. Rosin hash is the purest form which can be obtained by high heat and pressure.
Tincture
The tincture can be obtained from the cannabis plant by the high-proof spirits. Nabiximols is one of the most branded products which is made from the tincture.
Hash oil
Hash oil can be extracted from the cannabis plant by using solvent extraction and then formed in the hardened mass. It is the main cannabis product because it is having high psychoactive compounds. Butane and supercritical carbon dioxide are becoming popular nowadays.
Infusions
There are a variety of products of infusions which are having non-volatile solvents. Firstly, the plant material is mixed with the solvent and then pressed. They are filtered to mix with the solvent. Examples of solvents are cocoa butter, dairy butter, and many more products.
Benefits of cannabis
- It helps in relief from chronic pain. Cannabis is almost linked to cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are helping people to get relief from chronic pain very easily because of their molecular structure.
- It improves lung capacity. When cannabis is used it is not harming people’s lungs but the other harmful drugs may damage the people’s lungs. The researchers have declared that cannabis is increasing the capacity other than harming the lungs.
- It helps the person to lose weight. The people who are using cannabis are not overweight. It helps to maintain the insulin in the body other than increasing the caloric value of intake.
- It also helps in reducing diabetes. It helps in maintaining the sugar level(insulin), lowers blood pressure, and many health problems.
- It helps in fighting cancer.
- It helps in reducing the depression of the people.
Frequently asked questions
1. Why do people get munchies?
“munchies” is the hunger which they suffer when they eat or smoking cannabis. Munchies is occurred by the interaction between the THC and CB1 receptors in the brain. These interactions increase the senses and allow the user to taste and smell things more quickly.
2. Is cannabis dangerous or not?
Sometimes cannabis can be dangerous. The research says that marijuana use may show harmful effects on the body. It may show some mental disorders, health disorders, some changes in the brain, increase risk of stroke, and many more side effects. The person who is using cannabis or marijuana on the regular basis may have these side effects but the person who is using these not on the regular basis or in less amount may not have such problems.
3. What is the difference between natural marijuana and synthetic marijuana?
Natural marijuana is different from synthetic marijuana because synthetic marijuana is man-made marijuana. It can show many side effects like low blood pressure, nausea, lung damage, heart problems, and many more. But natural marijuana cannot show these several problems. It depends on the user how much the consumer is consuming.
4. Can cannabis damage the lungs?
Cannabis can damage the lungs very easily. The person who is consuming cannabis in a smoking way has air pockets in the lungs. The lung damage is dependent on the amount of cannabis is taken by the consumers. Pipes, joints, bongs are some of the ways they are consuming cannabis.
5. How you can use cannabis?
Cannabis can be smoked, can be mixed into fruit, or can be consumed as pills.
6. What is the cannabis Overdose?
The toxic level of the cannabis plant is very low. For killing purposes, the THC level should be 50%. Cannabis is not causing fatal overdose in people.
Conclusion
Cannabis is a medical plant that helps in recreation and is even used for medical purposes. It helps to fight cancer and even control the depression of the person. Some countries are not allowing people to use and some countries like the united states, Canada, and many other 17 countries allow cannabis to be used. It may have side effects which depend upon the quantity of taking and for what purpose they are using cannabis. It is not much harmful as the other drugs and even another harmful drug usage can be stopped.
