25 July 2008 - 22:35Marijuana. Part 1.

Marijuana, or cannabis sativa, a common hemp plant, is both the most commonly used and the most commonly abused illegal recreational drug in the world today. The history of this unassuming plant can be traced back to the days of the Neanderthal. Archaeologists have recovered burned and blackened seeds from this plant at fire pits which are dated to 10,000 BC. While we have no idea of the exact use these men had for cannabis, we do know that through the years many cultures have used it during religious and other sacred rituals. Today, in some countries, they still use marijuana in this manner. However, in the United States, this drug remains illegal, untaxed and unregulated. Laws making the possession, selling, or use of marijuana illegal, were enacted early in the 20th century. These laws have essentially remained with us throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, although there is now a growing support for the legalization of marijuana. It was thought that once laws were in force, the use of marijuana would be eliminated, but, as with liquor, this thinking proved false.

Marijuana is both plentiful and easily obtained and has never lacked for demand or supply. In the warmer climates it is very easily cultivated and needs little care to grow. It is imported illegally from Mexico and South America as well as other countries, and it can be grown almost anywhere in the world. The drug is very simple in form….it consists of the dried and crushed (or crumbled) leaves, buds and stems of the plant. The flower buds themselves are especially prized for their potent effects on the user. Marijuana is rolled in paper or placed in a pipe and smoked or added to food and eaten. (No preparation is necessary beyond harvesting the plant parts and this is a factor that contributes to the ready availability.) There is an active ingredient in the plant that produces the psychotropic effects or “high” that the user’s desire and it is known by the initials, THC. This substance is found in the highest concentrations in the buds, which is why this part of the plant is of particular value to both seller and user. Marijuana use is not restricted to any social class or geographic area. Some people have even equated its broad use with an “epidemic”.

Marijuana is considered to be at the weaker end of the “bad drug” spectrum and has the advantage of being a natural substance, usually free of adulteration. It has never been conclusively linked with lung cancer although smoking is the primary method of use. Marijuana relaxes or mellows the mood of the user and they are usually content in a passive state and are rarely, if ever, combative or violent. Violent crimes are committed by people who have stated use of marijuana as well as some other substance, often it is alcohol. The use of marijuana is often said to be the gateway to “drug hell”, but it has yet to be proven that the use of this drug leads to any other, heavier drugs. The body is able to clear almost the entire drug from the body within 5-8 hours. For the vast majority of users there is no desire to immediately repeat the experience, and there is no great urge to keep smoking. You do not overdose by smoking marijuana as people do with other drugs. In addition, there are some people with severe, debilitating illnesses such as cancer who can only get relief of their pain and nausea by using marijuana. It has also proved useful in the treatment of some anorexics and some Alzheimer’s patients who were suffering from tremendous anxiety. There are other medical problems which have seen improvement with the use of marijuana cannabanoids as part of their treatment plan. The medical community has become greatly interested in studying some of the cannabanoids other than THC, as these produce beneficial results with no psychotropic effects. Recently there has been one cannabanoid found which counters inflammation of the brain and has no other effects on the brain or body.

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