The Essential Guide to Cannabis

By BXPLANS.LTD

Most widely used illegal drug in Britain; surveys indicate that around 65% of all 15 - 59 year olds have taken some form of illegal drugs - the majority being Cannabis.
Many of the millions of cannabis users have little idea of what it is; how it works; where it comes from and how to use it.
The Essential Guide to Cannabis addresses

• Language: English
• Publisher: BXPLANS.LTD
• Release date: Jan 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781910843697

Book preview

Published in Great Britain in 2018 by

Remus House

Coltsfoot Drive

Peterborough

PE2 9BF

Telephone [phone]

www.need2knowbooks.co.uk

All Rights Reserved

© Need2Know

SB ISBN 978-1-91084-366-6

SB ISBN 978-1-91084-369-7 (e-book)

Cover photograph: Dreamstime

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: What is Cannabis?

History

Other Names for Cannabis

Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and THC

Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis

Identifying Cannabis - Plant Breeds and Hybridization

Concentrates and Extraction

Cannabis in Culture

Myths and Stereotypes

Summing Up

Chapter 2: Causes and Effects

What are the Effects of Cannabis?

THC, Cannabinoids, and the Brain

Cannabis and the Body

Is Cannabis Addictive or Dangerous?

Understanding Potency

Summing Up

Chapter 3: Where Does Cannabis Come From?

What Countries Produce and Export Cannabis?

Summing Up

Chapter 4: How is Cannabis Used?

Who Uses Cannabis?

Methods of Consumption

Tools and Paraphernalia

Summing Up

Chapter 5: Buying Cannabis

Where to Buy Cannabis

Prices and Quantities

Summing Up

Chapter 6: Growing Cannabis

Types of Plants

Feeding

Lighting

Hydroponics

Auto Bloomers

Harvesting and Storage

Common Mistakes

Summing Up

Chapter 7: Cannabis As Medicine

Historical Use

Cannabis and Pain

Cancer and Cannabis

Mental Health

Research Studies

Summing Up

Chapter 8: Risks and Addiction

Marijuana and Youth Development

Impact of Long-Term Usage

Cannabis Psychosis

Summing Up

Chapter 9: Legal Status

Medical Status

Recreational Status

Status in the U.K

Summing Up

Chapter 10: A Guide for Parents

Help List

Further Reading

Addiction Resources

Helplines

Summing Up

Glossary

Introduction

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family. It is indigenous to central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and can be used for a wide variety of purposes – it ismany things to many people. Humans have had a long history with the cannabis plant, and for thousands of years it has been used to produce hemp products and medicine, and as a recreational drug. In 2013 there were 60,400 kilograms of cannabis produced legally around the world, and in 2014 it was estimated that there were approximately 182.5 million cannabis users globally. As public policy continues to shift there is more information available than ever before about the long-term impacts of cannabis usage, and its medicinal potential for addressing everything from chronic pain to treatment-resistant mental health conditions.

This book will explain what cannabis is and how it works to impact the body and mind. It will take a brief look at the history of cannabis, discuss where it comes from and how it is produced, and detail its usage as a recreational and medicinal drug. The risks and addiction concerns associated with cannabis use will be covered, as will its legal status in the U.K. and around the world. The book will close with a list of resources for further education, including assistance for parents who want to discuss cannabis and drug use with their children in a positive and constructive way. Included near the end is a list of contact points for addiction, as well as helpline numbers for those in need of urgent assistance. Addiction is a serious and complex problem that affects millions of people worldwide and can destroy lifelong relationships. If you or someone you love is suffering with addiction to cannabis or any other substance, it is never too late to reach out for help.

1

What is Cannabis?

History

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant from the Cannabaceae family, and it is native to central Asia and India. It is comprised of three main species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis, each with their own unique qualities and uses. Humans have cultivated the cannabis plant for more than ten thousand years, making it one of the oldest known human agriculture crops. That said, the first discovery of the medical use of cannabis wasn’t until 2,737 BCE by Emperor Shen Neng of China. Carbon dating has placed the earliest use of hemp rope at around 8000 BCE.

The non-psychoactive varieties of Cannabis Sativa L are referred to as hemp. Over time, cultivators separated the flowering plants from the hemp plants and cultivated them to grow tall and durable while producing an abundance of fibers. The flowering version of Cannabis that has psychoactive buds is commonly referred to as marijuana. The principle chemical difference between these two strains is that the flowering plants contain high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and low levels of the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) while the opposite is true of hemp.

The first written reference to medical cannabis was recorded in a Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 1500 BCE. It was used to treat gout, rheumatism, malaria, and absent-mindedness. While notes regarding the intoxicating effects were included, the medicinal value was revered. The sacred Hindu text Atharvaveda makes mention of cannabis being eaten, and it refers to the plant as one of only five acceptable as an offering to Shiva. Due to the fact that the Quran forbids the consumption of alcohol it became a popular recreational intoxicant for Muslims. They created the concentrate hashish, which proceeded to quickly spread across 12th century Persia and Northern Africa.

Around 1000 BCE the cannabis and milk drink known as bhang rose in popularity, primarily used as an anti-phlegmatic and an anaesthetic. Around the same time, cannabis began to be used widely across India for the treatment of a range of human conditions. In a Zoroastrian religious text written by Zarathustra around 700 BCE, cannabis is listed as the most important of ten thousand different medicinal plants. That same text also mentions bhang as a powerful beverage for treating the body. In 600 BCE, the Ayurveda, a system of Indian medicine, cited cannabis as a cure for leprosy. By 200 BCE the ancient Greeks were using cannabis as a remedy for earaches, inflammation, and edema.

Around the year 70 CE, the medical manual De Materia Medica was published by the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides based on his time as a doctor for the Roman army. De Materia Medica would go on to become one of the most important medical texts for the next fifteen hundred years. It espoused the male and female cannabis plants as critical in the making of rope, the treatment of earaches, and the suppression of sexual longing. Around the same time the Roman nobleman, historian, and scientist Pliny the Elder published Naturalis Historia. He described a process in which the roots of the cannabis plant could be boiled in water to ease gout, violent paint, and cramped joints.

In 1611 CE cannabis came to North America as a part of the Jamestown settlement, with hemp fiber becoming a key export during the colonial period. This introduction would eventually lead to both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson growing hemp, with Washington’s diary indicating his particular interest in the medicinal properties of THC. Recreational cannabis didn’t begin its rise to popularity in American culture until about 1910 CE, when seeds found their way north during the Mexican Revolution.

1842 CE marked the reintroduction of cannabis into British medicine, as Dr. William O’Shaughnessy completed time in India as an army surgeon. O’Shaugnessy became the first person to conduct clinical trials with cannabis, using it to treat menstrual cramps, rheumatism, and muscle spasms, to promote