The hemp plant Cannabis sativa, the source for marijuana, grows throughout the world and it flourishes in most temperate and tropical regions. It is one of humanity's oldest cultivated nonfood plants. The major psychoactive ingredient of the cannabis plant is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). THC and other natural and synthetic cannabinoids are the chemicals which produce the characteristic motor, cognitive, psychedelic and analgesic effects. Within the resin of the flowers of the female plant, the THC concentration is at its highest.
Cannabis products have many names including marijuana, hashish, charas, ganja, bhang and sinsemilla. Hashish and charas are the most potent preparations with an average THC content of 10-20%. Ganja and sinsemilla average around 5-8% THC and bhang and marijuana average around 2-5% THC.
Until recently cannabis was classified according to its behavioural effects, usually as a mild sedative hypnotic agent, with clinical effects similar to those of alcohol and the anti-anxiety agents. Unlike the sedative hypnotic compounds, however, higher doses of THC may also produce relaxed euphoria, hallucinations, and heightened sensations - effects that are similar to a mild LSD experience. Very high doses of THC do not depress respiration and are not lethal. Also, little cross tolerance develops between THC and the sedative hypnotics. THC also produces a unique spectrum of pharmacological effects, including disruption in attentive mechanisms, impairment of short term memory, altered sensory awareness, analgesia, altered control of motor movements and postural control and (on the immune system) a possible immunosuppressive. This spectrum of action has lead to possible uses in the treatment of various symptoms associated with disorders ranging from multiple sclerosis to AIDS to terminal cancer.
The chemical structure of THC is unique, resembling
that of neither the sedatives nor the psychedelics. It was once thought
that THC might act like a general anaesthetic, affecting neural membranes
to increase membrane fluidity (an action that has not been correlated with
psychedelic action). This has now been dismissed as a mechanism of action.
There have, however, been new and truly exciting developments during the
1990s in several areas of cannabis and cannabinoid research, including
substantial strides in our understanding of pharmacological, biochemical,
and behavioural mechanisms of action for the cannabinoid compounds and
of the smoked material. The mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetics are
not discussed here but anyone who is interested can e-mail The Ministry
of Truth where we will be more than happy to provide you with more information.
The first reports that causally linked the use of cannabis to aggression, violence and crime appeared during the 1930s. Governmental commissions over the past 100 years (the first being the Indian Hemp Commission Report of 1894) have all concluded that cannabis is not the demon that it is often perceived to be. Nevertheless, the laws against cannabis are often excessively harsh, with a marked discrepancy between the true danger to society and perceived danger.
Today, only the unsophisticated believe that cannabis leads to violence and crime (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1992). Indeed, cannabis is much less likely than alcohol to precipitate aggressive behaviour: Instead of inciting criminal behaviour cannabis induces a mild lethargy that is not conducive to the commission of crimes. The release of inhibitions results in fantasy and verbal (rather than behavioural) expression. During the "high", cannabis users may say and think things that they might not ordinarily say and think, but they generally do not do things that are foreign to their nature (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1992).
To date, the reports of all governmental commissions that have investigated cannabis have not opposed legally restricting it, nor do they suggest that cannabis is a safe drug for general use (Goldstein, 1994). They do, however, question the severity of punishment when the perceived danger to society is far greater than the actual dangers to both society and the individual. Recent controversies over the medical availability and prescription of cannabis (which is still illegal but undergoing clinical trials in the UK) are only the latest in a long string of federal responses to perceived danger.
What, then, should society do about the harshness of existing legal penalties? Two conservative actions might be (1) to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use and (2) make cannabis available on prescription.
A plea of cannabis intoxication should not be a defence for any criminal act committed when a person was under its influence, and proof of cannabis intoxication should not constitute a negation of specific intent. Given that cannabis use produces sedation, interferes with motor co-ordination, and impairs frontal lobe "executive" functioning, driving with measurable amounts of cannabis in the blood stream should be punishable. Similarly, employers should be able to exercise anti cannabis policies in the workplace, just as there are anti alcohol policies.
Although cannabis is not a "killer weed", it is not an innocuous substance that is devoid of toxicity. The legal statutes should protect individuals who use the drug for medical purposes, moderate dosage recreational users, non-users who might be affected by intoxicated users (i.e., hit by an intoxicated driver), and juveniles who might not be able to make rational decisions concerning the risks and benefits of the drug. Society seems to be moving toward an acceptance of cannabis as a therapeutic drug for the seriously ill (with less movement toward its use as a recreational drug), but legal guidelines are still far from decided. Perhaps its medical availability should be a medical, rather than a legal, decision.
How to Use Cannabis Safely
Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs and also one of the safest, with nasty side effects mainly limited to extremely heavy use. Having said this, there are certain rules that apply to cannabis as there are rules that apply to other drugs. Observing these rules reduces the possible harm and serves to enhance the drug experience. These are;
1) Be aware of the drug you are taking, the way you feel when you are taking it and where you take it. See Drug, Set and Setting . These are most important factors.
2) Many of the health hazards of using cannabis stem from the fact that it is smoked. Cannabis can be also be added to many ordinary, every day food and drink products with no loss of flavour. Some even consider that cannabis enhances the flavour of food.
3) Just like with any intoxicant, while under the influence of cannabis a person should not drive, operate heavy machinery, go swimming, work with nuclear waste or small children, visit their grannies...in other words, be sensible. This is fairly obvious. If you are capable of buying/growing cannabis, transforming it into a usable form and using it then you are also capable of observing a couple of common sense rules.
4) Although there is no conclusive evidence to support the idea that cannabis can induce psychoses, there is a certain amount of research which suggests that it might exacerbate an already existing psychosis or induce psychosis in someone with an existing predisposition toward psychosis. In other words, don't use cannabis if you're already nuts, it's probably not a good idea. See Cannabis and Madness.
5) Cannabis and pregnancy - as far as I am aware there is no conclusive research suggesting that cannabis is detrimental to the growing foetus (other than those associated with smoking tobacco). However, since the emphasis is on conclusive, it is better to be safe than sorry and avoid cannabis whilst pregnant, or at least in the first trimester.
6) As with virtually everything
in life, moderation is the key.
Related Articles;
The Twin Hazards of Binge Drinking and Cannabis
Candidate Calls for Drug Cafes
Police Chief Calls for Debate on Cannabis
Why Can't We Have Cannabis Cafes Here?
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Most of the information on this page has been adapted from "A Primer of Drug Action, 8th edn", by Julien. M. Robert.
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