CANNABINOIDS

Marijuana, or Cannabis Sativa, is perhaps the most popular drug of abuse next to alcohol.  The plant is grown in both the tropical and temperate regions of the world such as Mexico, Southeast Asia, Africa, India, and the United States.  Because of its relatively high street value, marijuana is being grown in very large amounts using the latest, most modern agricultural techniques in areas where legal detection of growing is either lax or out right condoned.

The plant is a series of leaves that have odd numbered sets of leaflets (five, seven or nine).  Marijuana plants can grow as high as twenty feet.  Although marijuana has been known to man for thousands of years, its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was not synthesized until 1966.

Methods of Abuse and Effects

The chemical strength of marijuana depends on where and how the plant was grown, how it was prepared and how it was stored.  Most wild cannabis found in the United States in considered inferior in that the THC concentration is very low at 0.5% or less.  Jamaican, Colombian, and Mexican varieties range between 0.5% and 4.0% concentration of THC.

Considered to be superior on strength is the product know as Sensimilla (Spanish for 'without seed').  This variety of marijuana is derived from unpollinated, female cannabis samples which have been found to contain up to 6.0% THC.  Southeast Asian "Thai Sticks" consist of marijuana buds bound into short sections.  In addition to the various varieties of marijuana, sophisticated users will insist upon and pay top dollar for the potent, flowering top of the plant

For use, marijuana is dried, which results in a tobacco-like substance.  The dried plant is then compressed into a block about the size of a brick, weighing approximately one kilogram.  Once it is delivered, the kilo is broken into smaller quantities weighing about an ounce each and packaged in small plastic sandwich bags. for individual sale.  The user then manicures the marijuana by crushing the larger chunks of leaves and removing any undesirable parts such as stems or seeds.  Marijuana is consumed in a variety of ways.  It can be smoked in a handmade cigarette or in a pipe.  The plant can be added to food and then eaten, or, marijuana can be brewed like a tea.  Regardless of how marijuana is consumed, it produces a wide range of effects in the user.  Some users of marijuana experience a euphoric state that almost approaches giddiness.  Others can become sad or depressed.  The user experiences a distortion of time and depth perception.  Behavior can become very erratic or reckless.  Seemingly uncontrollable laughter may develop as well as a voracious appetite that will send the user on an eating binge.  Users will walk, talk and even sit in a peculiar or unaccustomed manner.  Of particular concern is the reduction in motor skills such as those used to drive safely.

Other Dangers

Marijuana is a fat soluble drug, meaning that the drug is absorbed into the fat tissue of the body and is then slowly released as the fat tissue is used up.  The fattest tissue of the body is the frontal lobe of the brain, which gives marijuana a strong influence on hand-to-eye coordination, short term memory, and space & time perception.  Recurrent marijuana use is termed as a dependence rather than an addiction, since the body does not become physically dependent on usage.  Also, unlike some other drugs, a person's body does not develop a tolerance to the drug, requiring larger amounts to produce the desired effect.  However, the usage can lead to experimentation with other drugs which raises the probability of using more potent and addictive substances.  Finally, although a great deal of  research has been done, not one has given marijuana a clean bill of health. 

 

 

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