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Fact Sheet on Cannabis
Moraine Park Technical College
Kerry Zehren
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Define/Describe Cannabis
Marijuana is a hemp plant, which is a fibrous shrub used for cordage
(cords, ropes, etc.), fabrics and narcotic drugs. Webster Dictionary, 1995.
The name of the marijuana plant is Cannabis sativa. It is green, brown, or
a gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers. When
it is smoked, it gives off a sedative and mind-altering effect. The amount
of this “effect” depends on the amount smoked. In the United States,
marijuana use was high in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and declined every year
after until 1991, in which the usage began to climb again. (Hanson,
Venturelli, and Fleckenstein, 2011) It is believed that marijuana is more
potent than it was in the 1960’s because we have a wider range of
potencies available today. Factors such as: growing climate and
conditions, plant genetics, and the harvesting process determine the
potency of a marijuana plant.
Female plants have higher
levels of THC than male
varieties, and as cannabis plant matures, its chemical composition changes.
Cannabidiolic acid is the most prevalent chemical, and later, cannabidiolic acid
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is converted to cannabidiol, which is later converted to THC. This occurs when
the plant reaches its floral maturation. (Bensor, 2001) THC, or delta-9
tetrahydro-cannabinol, is the main active ingredient in cannabis. Cannabis is
used in three forms: marijuana, which is made from the dried flowers and
leaves, and is usually smoked, hashish, which is made from the resin of the
cannabis plant, and is dried, pressed into small blocks and smoked, or added
to food and eaten, and last, hash oil, the most potent, is a thick oil obtained
from the hashish, and is smoked also. Cannabis can be smoked in hand rolled
cigarette papers, called joints, or water pipes, called bongs. These pipes or
bongs can be bought or made out of orange juice containers, soft drink cans or
even toilet rolls. (“Marijuana,”2011, June)
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Trends
The woody stems of the hemp shrub have been used to make cloth and
rope. Botanists have not been able to discover its original uses, but Ancient
Chinese documents mention the name hemp as being valuable and seeds were
found in an earthen jar during an archeological dig. A Greek historian
Herodotus recorded that Scythians burned the tops of the plant, and at the
first-century, Greek physician wrote that hemp was put into cakes. In 2737
BC, a Chinese emperor Shen Nung prescribed marijuana for treating gout,
malaria, gas pains and
absentmindedness. This was a much
respected plant, because it brought the
Chinese clothes and medicine for
hundreds of years. In 500 BC, it was
found written in a book of treatment that
the plant made youngsters wild and
disrespectful, and was referred to as the
“liberator of sin”. India used the hemp
plant for Indian religious ceremonies, and
the use of marijuana eventually spread
through Asia, Africa, Europe, and the
English settlers brought it back to the U.S. colonies. From the ancient Greeks,
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to Marco Polo, George Washington, and even in the early 1800”s, Marijuana’s
impact was felt. Today, the trend falls between the ages of 12 to 26 and older of
people who use or have used marijuana to achieve a euphoric state of mind.
(Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2011) Today, there is a huge trend for
growing marijuana indoor because of the efforts to stop outdoor cultivation.
They are grown in closets, fish tanks and greenhouses. Some have even been
known to build structures that look like homes but have no interior walls in
order to hide their marijuana growing operations. (Bonsor, 2011)
Therapeutic uses of Cannabis
There are several medical uses
of cannabis and THC. In a
study with patients with
Alzheimer’s disease,
therapeutically useful effects
were revealed. For
example; with the uses of
cannabis and
cannabinoids many benefits
were discovered. Nausea
and vomiting which is
prevalent in cancer
patients during chemotherapy seemed to lessen, anorexia and cachexia in
HIV/AIDS, chronic neuropathic pain, spasticity in multiple sclerosis and spinal
cord injury showed medical benefits. Positive therapeutic results have been
found in response to cannabis in Tourette’s syndrome, dystonia and tardive
dyskinesia. Pain in rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, headache, menstrual, chronic
bowel inflammation and neuralgias has proven analgesic benefits as well. In
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1971, cannabis was proved to reduce intraocular pressure for glaucoma
patients. Other benefits found for therapeutic benefits were found in epileptic
patients for seizure control, asthmatic patients, and psychiatric symptoms.
Autoimmune diseases and inflammation and miscellaneous reports with high
blood pressure, tinnitus, chronic fatigue, restless leg syndrome and many
others have also benefited from cannabis. In some of these issues, no other
mediation was effective, but smoking of a cannabis cigarette completely rid the
patient of symptoms. (Medical uses of, “2011)
Street Names
There are hundreds of street names for cannabis. Some of them are:
Airplane
Astro turf
Aunt Mary
Black Bart
Bud
Charge
Chiba chiba
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Chunky
Dagga
Dank
Dinkie dow
Endo
Ganja
Haircut
Hay
Herb
Mary Jane
Matchbox
Maui wauie
Sezz
Yellow Submarine
Weed
Zambi (Buddy, 2006)
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Effects on the brain
THC is a chemical that in comparison to other psychoactive drugs, is
so potent, that only 1 milligram can produce serious mental and
psychological effects. Once it enters your bloodstream, it can reach your
brain in seconds. FHC can mimic or block actions of neurotransmitters
and interfere with normal functions.
At first, it initially has a relaxing
and mellow feeling and causes lightheadedness. The persons eyes may
dilate, which will cause colors to
appear more intense, and senseds
enhanced. Later, paranoia and
panic may set in. In the brain, the
cannabinoid receptors concentrate
in different places. These
cannabinoid receptors have an effect on mental and physical activities
such as:
 Short-term memory
 Coordination
 Learning
 Problem solving
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Cannabinoid receptors are activated by a neurotransmitter called
anadamide which belongs to a group of chemicals
called
cannabinoids. With THC also being a cannabinoid chemical, THC
mimics the actions of anandamide, or binds with the cannabinoid
receptors and activates neurons, causing adverse effects on the
mind and body. This results in interference of short term memory
if cannabinoid receptors exist in the hippocampus, cerebellum and
basal ganglia. It will also interfere with recollection of recent
events, coordination, as well as unconscious muscle movements.
(Buddy, 2006)
Physiological effects
Side effects of marijuana may reach other parts of your body
because of the fact that marijuana is filled with hundreds of
chemicals, resulting in hundreds of additional compounds
produced when burned. Some of these side effects are:
 Memory and learning problems
 Distorted perception
 Difficulty with thinking and problem solving
 Loss of coordination
 Increased heart rate
 Anxiety, paranoia and panic attack
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The initial effects created by THC wear off after an hour or two, but the
chemicals stay much longer. The terminal half-life of THC is from about 20
hours to 10 days, depending on how much you used. Molecules called
endocannabinoids bind with receptors in the brain and activate hunger, which
is what most people refer to the “munchies”. Research shows that
endocannabinoids in the hypothalamus of the brain activate cannabinoid
receptors that are responsible for maintaining food intake. Other studies show
marijuana use show symptoms of:
 Irritability
 Nervousness
 Depression
 Anxiety/anger
 Restlessness
 Severe changes in appetite
 Interrupted sleep/insomnia. (Buddy, 2006)
Health risks/signs and symptoms of abuse/dependence
Marijuana smokers are susceptible to the same health problems as tobacco
smokers, such as bronchitis, emphysema and bronchial asthma, dry mouth,
red eyes, impaired motor skills and impaired concentration. Long term use can
increase the risk of damaging the lungs and reproductive system, and has also
been linked to heart attacks. Long term abuse can lead to addiction which may
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affect functioning at home, school, and recreational activities. Studies how an
association between chronic marijuana uses and increased rates of anxiety,
depression, and schizophrenia. In vulnerable individuals, high doses of
marijuana may trigger onset or relapse of acute psychotic reaction. Because of
the increased heart rat that marijuana produces, users have a 4.8 fold increase
in the risk of a heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug. Marijuana
users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco
smokers do, which increase the lungs exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Signs of
abuse may include:
 Increased missed days of work
 Accidents (on the job)
 Lower grades (with students)
 Impair skills to attention
 Organize and use information
 Problems in sustaining and shifting attention
 Career status, social life
 Physical and mental health (Marijuana, 2011)
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References
Bonsor, B. K. (2001). How marijuana works. How stuf works, Retrieved from
http://science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana.htm
Buddy, B. T. (2006, September 20). Heavy marijuana use affects learning, social skills. National
Institute on drug abuse, Retrieved from http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/social.htm
(n.d.). Cannabis effects. The good Drugs Guide.com, Retrieved from
http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/cannabis/effects.htm
Hanson, G., Venturelli, P., & Fleckenstein, A. (2012). Drugs and society.
(11 ed.).
Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
("Marijuana," November, 2010) (2011, June). Marijuana. UW Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute,
Retrieved from http//adai.washington.edu/marijuana/factsheets/dependence.pdf
(November, 2010). Marijuana. National Institute on drug Abuse U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services, Retrieved from http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/Marijuana.htm/
(2011, June). Marijuana. UW Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute, Retrieved from
http//adai.washington.edu/marijuana/factsheets/whatiscannabis.pdf
(2011, September, 29). Medical uses of cannabis and thc. Medical Health & Fitness
IntraSpec.ca, Retrieved from http://intraspec.ca/medical-marijuana.php