What Is Marijuana?

Commonly referred to as cannabis in Europe, the term marijuana originated from Mexico and is the favored term in North America for the hemp plant derived psychoactive products. However, it is also known by numerous other regional and social monikers, namely, grass, weed and pot, among the better-known ones.

Marijuana is one of the most popular psychoactive drugs in the world, with an estimated 150 million users worldwide. The majority of marijuana users are recreational ones, with substance abusers making only 10% of the total.

Marijuana comes in the form of leaves, resins and oil – all from the hemp plant. Horticulturist speculates that the species, classified as cannabis sativa, is indigenous to Central Asia. However, human assisted dissemination has ensured that the hemp plant is now available in almost every corner of the earth.

The hemp plant has been cultivated as a farming crop for several thousand years, with archaeological finds confirming its existence as far back as the Neolithic period. Traces of hemp fiber in North Asia dated from around 600 B.C, confirms literary accounts that it was used to produce hemp canvas for the Greek and Roman navy’s sails, as well as rope and fabrics. The seed also produces oil that can be used for domestic cooking, while the seed residue makes for excellent animal feed.

While the plant now is almost exclusively prized for its psychoactive properties, at one point of time, it was equally prized for its fibers, and as a raw material for paper products, it held a monopoly until the late 19th century. In fact, several countries in the world still uses hemp based paper for their currencies, owing to its durability.

The plant is known to grow up to fifteen feet in height and it is characterized by a dense serrated leaves and hairy stems. It is an exceptionally fast maturing plant, with 50-60 days being the median harvesting time. The plant’s main psychoactive ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are found in most parts of the plant, although in higher concentration at its flowers and the sticky resin coating around the leaves. THC typically binds itself to our nervous systems’ cannabinoid receptors, which are the primary instigators of our brain’s pleasures and thoughts sensors.

Major producing areas for the plant currently includes Indo-China, Afghanistan, central region of South America, Central and Western Africa and the mountainous region of the Himalayas, north of the Indian subcontinent. There is however, a growing trend in the western world to cultivate the plant indoors to avoid detection due to its illicit nature. The controlled temperature, lighting and nutrients produce high quality variants that are fast making a name for itself.

The most powerful natural form of the hemp plant is the hashish, obtained by removing the resin coating from around the flower and leaves and processing it to a dry form of the resins called pollens which are then compressed into cakes. These cakes are then used as base for various other marijuana related products. However, a more potent form of marijuana can be obtained by cyclically extracting these cakes with alcohol over a period of time. The essence derived from this process may contain up to 60% THC content, which is equivalent to one marijuana cigarette per drop.

Marijuana is commonly ingested by inhalation, through a rolled up cigarette, pipes, bongs or blunts. It is also occasionally consumed as additives in food and drinks. Tea from marijuana leaves are also a popular method of consumption.

In the last decade, there has been growing calls from the medical and social services community to legalize marijuana for medical use, in particular, as a pain management component for patients. Multiple researches done over the years have been quite uniformed in their assessment of the hemp plant; that it is beneficial under controlled usage and detrimental when abused. Lawmakers have also began to look a little more closely at marijuana, and the Dutch success story in drugs management has often been used by marijuana legalization proponents to strengthened their claims.