Marijuana - History, Effects

plant psychoactive cannabis throughout

Marijuana is the common name for the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Hemp grows in tropical as well as temperate climates. The dried ground leaves, flowers, and stems of the plant have a long history for their use as drugs. It has been cultivated in different regions of the world throughout centuries for its fiber to produce linen, rope, canvas, and oil. It has also been used as a medicine to relieve symptoms of illness and as a euphoric to induce states of intoxication or elation. Throughout its long history, parts of the plants have been smoked, eaten, chewed, or brewed for its pharmacological effects on human biochemistry.

There are over 400 chemicals in cannabis. By the mid-1960s the main psychoactive chemical was identified as tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC. Since then, other psychoactive compounds have been isolated from the plant and are being studied for their biochemical effects.

The origin of the word marijuana is not known but it appears to be the Spanish name for Maria and Juana (Mary and Jane). The drug slang for marijuana includes such names as Mary Jane, pot, grass, tea, reefer (as a cigarette), and weed. In India it is called ghanja, dagga in South Africa, and Kef in Morocco. The potency of the psychoactive cannabinoids found in a marijuana plant varies depending on the locale from which the plant was derived and its genetic makeup.

Additional Topics

Marijuana - History

Prior to 1910, the growth and trade of marijuana (and hashish—a resinous substance produced by the flowering parts of the plant) was fairly limited. However, following the conclusion of the Mexican Revolution, trafficking of the drug opened up, making growth and transport of the drug easier and more profitable. The business expanded to reach the ports of New Orleans where it was sold on the…

Marijuana - Effects

Marijuana affects both the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. The major psychoactive component in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. After entering the bloodstream through blood-gas exchanges associated with smoking, THC combines with receptor sites in the human brain to cause drowsiness, increased appetite, giddiness, hallucinations, and other psychoactive effects. Althou…

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User Comments

about 2 years ago

ak stuntin

yea so

10 months ago

salve regina

pagnalegalize ang marijuana uunlad ang economiya ng pilipinas! yayaman pa ako.

about 1 year ago

RESARCH ON MARJUANA

over 1 year ago

earth

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about 2 years ago

jomer Bayot

masarap mag marijuana dahil tawa ka ng tawa at lumalakas tayong kumain.noong nakaraang buwan sumubok ako nito

6 months ago

bob

dont do drugs there bad for you

over 1 year ago

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over 1 year ago

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over 1 year ago

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about 2 years ago

bashgower

marijuana,i dont think is gud 4 ur brain.but why poeple should run away 4rm deir lives by geting high.

about 2 years ago

jomer Bayot

masarap mag marijuana dahil tawa ka ng tawa at lumalakas tayong kumain.noong nakaraang buwan sumubok ako nito

about 2 years ago

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over 2 years ago

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about 2 years ago

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about 1 month ago

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