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==Forms==
==Forms==
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File:Bubba Kush.jpg|''Whole flower and leaf'' is the most widely consumed form, containing 3% to 22% THC.<ref>High Times in Ag Science: Marijuana More Potent Than Ever | http://www.wired.com/2008/12/high-times-in-a/</ref><ref>http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Marijuana</ref>
File:Bubba Kush.jpg|''Whole flower and leaf'' is the most widely consumed form, containing 3% to 22% THC.<ref>High Times in Ag Science: Marijuana More Potent Than Ever | http://www.wired.com/2008/12/high-times-in-a/</ref><ref>http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Marijuana</ref>
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File:Cannabis Butter.JPG|''Cannabutter'' is one of many varieties of cannabis infusions owing to the variety of non-volatile solvents used. Examples of solvents used in this process are cocoa butter, dairy butter, cooking oil, glycerine, and skin moisturizers.
File:Cannabis Butter.JPG|''Cannabutter'' is one of many varieties of cannabis infusions owing to the variety of non-volatile solvents used. Examples of solvents used in this process are cocoa butter, dairy butter, cooking oil, glycerine, and skin moisturizers.
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==Strains==
==Strains==

Revision as of 23:41, 18 July 2014

{{#setlogo:SmallStonedStare.gif}}

Cannabis
noframe
A flowering cannabis plant.
Dosage
Depends on potency, tolerance and route of administration.
Duration (smoked / vaporized)
Total Duration 1 - 4 hrs
Onset 0 - 10 mins
Coming up 5 - 10 mins
Peak 15 - 30 mins
After effects 45 - 180 mins
Duration (oral)
Total Duration 4 - 10 hrs
Onset 30 - 120 mins
Coming up 30 - 60 mins
Peak 2 - 5 hrs
After effects 6 - 12 hrs

Cannabis, also known as marijuana[1], weed[2], pot[3], grass[4], herb[5] and by numerous other names, is a preparation of the cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine.[6][7] Pharmacologically, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant,[8] including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),[9][10] and cannabigerol (CBG).

Contemporary uses of cannabis are as a recreational or medicinal drug, and as part of religious or spiritual rites. The earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC.[11] Since the early 20th century cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions with the possession, use, and sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids currently illegal in most countries of the world. The United Nations has said that cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the world.[12][13] In 2004, the United Nations estimated that global consumption of cannabis indicated that approximately 4% of the adult world population (162 million people) used cannabis annually, and that approximately 0.6% (22.5 million) of people used cannabis daily.[14]

Chemistry

Tetrahydrocannabinol
Cannabidiol

Pharmacology

Cannabis contains more than 460 compounds;[15] at least 80 of these are cannabinoids[16][17] –- chemical compounds that interact with cannabinoid receptors in the brain.[18]

The most psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant is tetrahydrocannabinol (or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC).[19] Other cannabinoids include delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabigerol (CBG); they have less psychotropic effects than THC, but may play a role in the overall effect of cannabis.[20] The most studied are THC, CBD and CBN.[21]

THC appears to alter mood and cognition through its agonist actions on the CB1 receptors, which inhibit a secondary messenger system (adenylate cyclase) in a dose dependent manner. Via CB1 activation, THC indirectly increases dopamine release and produces psychotropic effects. Cannabidiol also acts as an allosteric modulator of the mu and delta opioid receptors.[22] THC also potentiates the effects of the glycine receptors.[23] The role of these interactions in the "marijuana high" remains elusive.

Subjective effects

The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. The listed effects will rarely if ever occur all at once but heavier dosages will increase the chances and are more likely to induce a full range of effects.

Physical effects

  • Spontaneous tactile sensations - The body high of cannabis is extremely variable in both its style and intensity. It depends entirely on the individual strain of plant and does not manifest itself consistently. In general however it can be described as a pleasurable, warm, soft, and all-encompassing glowing tingling sensation. It maintains a consistent presence that quickly rises with the onset and hits its limit once the peak has been reached before immediately dissipating.
  • Sedation - Although certain strains of cannabis present mild encouraged stimulation at low to moderate dosages, for the most part the effects on the users energy levels are primarily sedating. This encourages one to relax but can however be suppressed by simply forcing oneself to engage in physical activities.
  • Loss of motor control - This substance causes a partial to moderate suppression of motor control which intensifies proportional to dosage but rarely results in a complete inability to walk and perform basic movements.
  • Appetite stimulation - The feeling of increased appetite following the use of cannabis has been documented for hundreds of years[24] and is known colloquially as "the munchies" in popular American and United Kingdom culture. Clinical studies and survey data have found that cannabis increases food enjoyment and interest in food.[25] This is thought to be due to the way in which endocannabinoids in the hypothalamus activate cannabinoid receptor that are responsible for maintaining food intake.[26]
  • Nausea suppression - Cannabis is effective for suppressing nausea induced by both general illness and substance induced nausea. It is considered an effective treatment for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)[27] and is a reasonable option in those who do not improve following preferential treatment.[28]
  • Dehydration
  • Vasodilation - THC decreases blood pressure which dilates the blood vessels and increases blood flow throughout the body. The arteries in the eyeball expand from the decreased blood pressure. Studies in the 1970s showed marijuana, when smoked or eaten, effectively lowers intraocular pressure by about 25%, as much as standard medications.[29] These enlarged arteries often produce a bloodshot red eye effect. It is precisely this effect on the human eye that makes cannabis an effective medicine for glaucoma.[30]
  • Pain relief - This substance has been reported as useful for treating certain headaches, chronic pain, including pain caused by neuropathy and possibly fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.[31][32]
  • Increased bodily weight or Decreased bodily weight - Depending on the specific strain of cannabis, one can find themselves with a body which can feel either physically heavier or lighter than it usually would in a style that is entirely dependent upon dosage.
  • Changes in gravity - At extremely high dosages many users report a feeling of being pulled backwards across vast distances at powerful speeds. This sensation progressively increases in intensity and eventually becomes unbearable if one leans backwards or lies down but disappears altogether once the user sits up or leans forward.

Cognitive effects

  • Enhancement of current mindstate - The most prominent cognitive component of the cannabis experience is the way in which it enhances the emotions one is already feeling proportional to dosage. This can result in euphoria, extreme laughter, increased immersion within tasks and activities or it can result in anxiety or paranoia depending on the user's current mind state.
  • Connectivity of thought
  • Thought deceleration
  • Conceptual thinking
  • Mindfulness
  • Suppression of information processing
  • Anxiety
  • Paranoia - All cannabinoids are capable of inducing paranoia at high doses, or with chronic administration.
  • Suppression of dreaming - It is commonly reported that regular cannabis use before sleep results in a complete absence of dreams but a day or two of abstaining from cannabis results in an intensification of dreams for a short period of time. This claim is supported through studies that demonstrate that measurably reduced eye movement activity and REM states occur when one falls asleep in the THC condition. This state is strongly associated with dreaming. The same study also reported a REM rebound effect, that is more REM activity, on withdrawal from THC.[33]

Visual effects

  • Enhancement of colour
  • Decreased visual acuity
  • Geometry - Cannabis is capable of inconsistently inducing mild psychedelic geometry at extremely high dosages within many users. Within many users who also regularly use psychedelics, however, it is capable of inducing these consistently in a visual style which seems to be an averaged out depiction of all the psychedelics one has used within the past. These rarely extend beyond level 4 and are considered to be mild, fine, small and zoomed out but often well-defined.

Auditory effects

Combinational effects

  • Psychedelics - When used in combination with psychedelics, cannabis is capable of intensifying and extending the duration of both the visual and cognitive effects with extreme efficiency. This should be used with caution if one is not experienced with psychedelics.
  • Dissociatives - When used in combination with dissociatives the geometry, euphoria, dissociation and hallucinatory effects are often greatly enhanced.
  • Alcohol - When used in combination with alcohol, cannabis often creates feelings of extreme nausea, dizziness and changes in gravity. It is recommended that one smokes before drinking and not the other way around unless they are extremely cautious.

Forms

  • Whole flower and leaf is the most widely consumed form, containing 3% to 22% THC.[34][35]
    Whole flower and leaf is the most widely consumed form, containing 3% to 22% THC.[34][35]
  • Kief is a powder which can be sifted from the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants and either consumed in powder form or compressed to produce cakes of hashish.[36]
    Kief is a powder which can be sifted from the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants and either consumed in powder form or compressed to produce cakes of hashish.[36]
  • Hashish (also spelled hasheesh, hashisha, or simply hash) is a concentrated resin cake or ball produced from pressed kief.
    Hashish (also spelled hasheesh, hashisha, or simply hash) is a concentrated resin cake or ball produced from pressed kief.
  • Tinctures are cannabinoids which have been extracted from cannabis plant matter using high-proof spirits (often grain alcohol).
    Tinctures are cannabinoids which have been extracted from cannabis plant matter using high-proof spirits (often grain alcohol).
  • Hash oil is obtained from the cannabis plant by solvent extraction, and contains the cannabinoids present in the highly concentrated natural oils of cannabis flowers and leaves.[37]
    Hash oil is obtained from the cannabis plant by solvent extraction, and contains the cannabinoids present in the highly concentrated natural oils of cannabis flowers and leaves.[37]
  • Cannabutter is one of many varieties of cannabis infusions owing to the variety of non-volatile solvents used. Examples of solvents used in this process are cocoa butter, dairy butter, cooking oil, glycerine, and skin moisturizers.
    Cannabutter is one of many varieties of cannabis infusions owing to the variety of non-volatile solvents used. Examples of solvents used in this process are cocoa butter, dairy butter, cooking oil, glycerine, and skin moisturizers.

Strains

Types of cannabis

Sativa and Indica are the two major types of cannabis plants which can mix together to create hybrid strains. Each strain has its own range of effects on the body and mind resulting in a wide range of medicinal benefits.

Indica plants typically grow short and wide, compared to Sativa plants which grow tall and thin. Indica plants are better suited for indoor growing because of their short growth and sativa plants are better suited for outdoor growing because some strains can reach over 25 ft. in height.

The high produced from smoking Indica bud is a strong physical body high that will make you sleepy or ‘couch-locked’ and provides a deep relaxation feeling compared to a Sativa high, which is known to be more energetic and uplifting.

Marijuana strains range from pure sativas to pure indicas and hybrid strains consisting of both indica and sativa (30% indica – 70% sativa, 50% – 50% combinations, 80% indica – 20% sativa). Because Sativa and Indica buds have very different medicinal benefits and effects, certain strains can be targeted to better treat specific illnesses.

Methods of consumption

Cannabis is consumed in many different ways:[38]

  • Smoking, which typically involves inhaling vaporized cannabinoids ("smoke") from small pipes, bongs (portable versions of hookahs with water chamber), paper-wrapped joints or tobacco-leaf-wrapped blunts, roach clips, and other items.[39]
  • Vaporizer, which heats herbal cannabis to 165–190 °C (329–374 °F),[80] causing the active ingredients to evaporate into a vapor without burning the plant material (the boiling point of THC is 157 °C (315 °F) at 760 mmHg pressure).[40]
  • Cannabis tea, which contains relatively small concentrations of THC because THC is an oil (lipophilic) and is only slightly water-soluble (with a solubility of 2.8 mg per liter).[41] Cannabis tea is made by first adding a saturated fat to hot water (e.g. cream or any milk except skim) with a small amount of cannabis.[42]
  • Edibles, where cannabis is added as an ingredient to one of a variety of foods.
  • A joint/spliff prior to rolling, with a paper handmade filter on the left.
    A joint/spliff prior to rolling, with a paper handmade filter on the left.
  • A forced-air vaporizer. The detachable balloon (top) fills with vapors that are then inhaled.
    A forced-air vaporizer. The detachable balloon (top) fills with vapors that are then inhaled.
  • Edible weed brownies.
    Edible weed brownies.

Toxicity and Harm Potential

Radar plot showing relative physical harm, social harm, and dependence of cannabis[43]

Lethal Dosage

No fatal overdoses associated with cannabis use have been reported as of 2010.[44] A review published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in February 2001 said that "no deaths directly due to acute cannabis use have ever been reported".[45]

THC, the principal psychoactive constituent of the cannabis plant, has an extremely low toxicity and the amount that can enter the body through the consumption of cannabis plants poses no threat of death. In lab animal tests, scientists have had much difficulty administering a dosage of THC that is high enough to be lethal. The dose of THC needed to kill 50% of tested rodents is very high,[46] and human deaths from overdose are extremely rare.[47]

At present it is estimated that the LD-50 of cannabis is around 1:20,000 or 1:40,000. This means that in order to induce death a cannabis smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much cannabis as is contained in one cannabis cigarette. A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of cannabis within about 15 minutes to induce a lethal response.

Tolerance and Addiction Potential

Research has shown the overall addiction potential for cannabis to be less than for caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, cocaine or heroin, but slightly higher than that for psilocybin, mescaline, or LSD.

Dependence on cannabis is more common amongst heavy users. Marijuana use can lead to increased tolerance[48][49] and withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop.[50][51] Prolonged marijuana use require the user to consume higher doses of the drug to achieve a common desirable effect (known as a higher tolerance), and reinforce the body's metabolic systems for synthesizing and eliminating the drug more efficiently.[52]

Cannabis users can develop tolerance to the effects of THC. Tolerance to the behavioral and psychological effects of THC has been demonstrated in adolescent humans and animals. The mechanisms that create this tolerance to THC are thought to involve changes in cannabinoid receptor function.

Map showing cannabis laws world wide.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana_(word)
  2. ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weed
  3. ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pot
  4. ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grass
  5. ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herb
  6. ↑ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (6th ed.), Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-19-920687-2
  7. ↑ Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries (2007). Spanish Word Histories and Mysteries: English Words That Come From Spanish. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-547-35021-9.
  8. ↑ Ethan B Russo (2013). Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-136-61493-4. | http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qH-2Lj9x7L4C&pg=PP28&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
  9. ↑ Antidepressant-like effect of ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids isolated from Cannabis sativa L | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866040/
  10. ↑ Distinct Effects of ?9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing | http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=482939
  11. ↑ 13.Jump up ^ Martin Booth (2003). Cannabis: A History. Transworld. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-4090-8489-1.
  12. ↑ http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_law.shtml
  13. ↑ http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/WDR-2010.html
  14. ↑ http://www.unodc.org/pdf/WDR_2006/wdr2006_chap2_biggest_market.pdf
  15. ↑ Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential | http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf
  16. ↑ Phytocannabinoids, CNS cells and development: A dead issue? | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1465-3362.2009.00102.x/abstract
  17. ↑ Cannabinoid Analgesia as a Potential New Therapeutic Option in the Treatment of Chronic Pain | http://aop.sagepub.com/content/40/2/251
  18. ↑ The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1187/abstract
  19. ↑ Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential | http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf
  20. ↑ Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential | http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf
  21. ↑ Medical Consequences of Marijuana Use: A Review of Current Literature | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11920-013-0419-7
  22. ↑ Cannabidiol is an allosteric modulator at mu- and delta-opioid receptors
  23. ↑ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Endogenous Cannabinoid Anandamide Directly Potentiate the Function of Glycine Receptors | http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/69/3/991
  24. ↑ Mechoulam, R. (1984). Cannabinoids as therapeutic agents. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-5772-1.
  25. ↑ How Marijuana Works | http://science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana4.htm
  26. ↑ How Marijuana Works | http://science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana4.htm
  27. ↑ The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1187/abstract;jsessionid=1E004D7B7E2B5CA792E75A6E83EEC59C.f03t01
  28. ↑ The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis and Cannabinoids | http://www.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article?id=127603
  29. ↑ Cardiovascular Effects of Cannabis | http://www.idmu.co.uk/canncardio.htm
  30. ↑ Is Marijuana an Effective Treatment for Glaucoma? | http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000140
  31. ↑ Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cannabis Treatment for Chronic Pain | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00703.x/abstract
  32. ↑ Cannabinoids for treatment of chronic non-cancer pain; a systematic review of randomized trials | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.03970.x/abstract
  33. ↑ Feinberg, I., Jones, R, Walker JM, Cavness, C, March, J. (1975). Effects of high dosage delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on sleep patterns in man. Clin Parmacol Ther. 1975; 17(4):458-66.
  34. ↑ High Times in Ag Science: Marijuana More Potent Than Ever | http://www.wired.com/2008/12/high-times-in-a/
  35. ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Marijuana
  36. ↑ http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4220.html
  37. ↑ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=x9Z1QZ5NIEIC&pg=PA78&redir_esc=y
  38. ↑ The Cultural/Subcultural Contexts of Marijuana Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century | http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KFMtFv2tmbYC&pg=PA82&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
  39. ↑ Allan Tasman; Jerald Kay; Jeffrey A. Lieberman; Michael B. First, Mario Maj (2011). Psychiatry. John Wiley & Sons. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-119-96540-4. | http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vVG7zz7eaxcC&pg=RA9-PT2217&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
  40. ↑ Cannabis and Cannabis Extracts: Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts? | http://www.cannabis-med.org/data/pdf/2001-03-04-7.pdf
  41. ↑ Dronabinol | http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/1972-08-3
  42. ↑ Marijuana medical handbook | http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OuAHxDKcpS8C&pg=PA182&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
  43. ↑ Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673607604644
  44. ↑ Does cannabis use increase the risk of death? Systematic review of epidemiological evidence on adverse effects of cannabis use | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1465-3362.2009.00149.x/abstract
  45. ↑ Pharmacology and effects of cannabis: a brief review | http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/178/2/101
  46. ↑ Adverse effects of cannabis | http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(98)05021-1/fulltext
  47. ↑ Tetrahydrocannabinols in clinical and forensic toxicology | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16225128
  48. ↑ The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1187/abstract
  49. ↑ The Effect of Cannabis Compared with Alcohol on Driving | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/10550490902786934/abstract
  50. ↑ Medical Consequences of Marijuana Use: A Review of Current Literature | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11920-013-0419-7
  51. ↑ State of the Art Treatments for Cannabis Dependence | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193953X12000202
  52. ↑ MARIJUANA AND MEDICINE Assessing the Science Base | http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376
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