Cannabis

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For the board, see /weed/
Cannabis
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Common names Weed, pot, ganja, green, grass, reefer, marijuana, bud
Route of administration Smoked, vaporized, or eaten
Legality Legal for medical usage in some jurisdictions, illegal federally in the US
Dosage and safety
Toxicity Only if smoked
Addiction Psychological dependence
Low dose Variable
Medium dose Variable
High dose Variable
LD50 42 mg/kg (rats) inhalation
Effects Lethargy, contentment, enhanced senses and appetite

Marijuana is seen in strains of either pure breeds or hybrids of Cannabis, typically of the subspecies indica or sativa. Strains are developed to highlight a specific combination of properties of the plant or to establish marketing differentiation. Hybridization or 'crossing' is the production of a certain variety of a plant from several lines of other plants. This is done so the new variety of plant will have the characteristics sought out by the grower such as having a high yield, satisfy the taste of the consumer, be resistant to diseases and insects, adapt to climatic conditions (can grow both indoors or outdoors, cold or hot etc.), remain in good condition when harvested and transported.

Contents

[edit] Dosage

Dosage of cannabis is hard to define due to the many ways of absorbing THC and the varying THC levels for each plant. Regarding "safe" dosages however, the current Median Lethal Dose (lethal dose for 50% of the population)is 1500 pounds (680 kilograms) within 15 minutes - an amount physically impossible to consume. Negative effects from too much THC include nausea, discomfort, and in rare cases, loss of consciousness (known as "Greening Out"). In general, when cannabis is smoked, "hits" are taken until the desired level of effect is reached. This is more formally known as titration. When THC is consumed in food or drink, dosage is typically two to four times the amount that the user would otherwise smoke. Less for more potent plants.

[edit] Forms

[edit] Marijuana Buds

The term marijuana refers to the flowers of female cannabis plants. This is the most widely consumed form of cannabis. It contains 3% to 22% THC. In contrast, Cannabis strains that are used to produce industrial hemp contain less than 1% THC. Marijuana was originally Mexican slang for Cannabis that became widespread after its adaptation as a preferred term by those interested in the drug's prohibition (presumably playing on racist reactions to a foreign word).

[edit] Hashish

sticky goodness

Hashish, or hash, is a concentrated resin produced from the flowers of the female Cannabis plant. Hash is more potent than the leaves and/or the flowers of the cannabis plant, this is because it is produced by collecting and processing the most potent part of the plant, and can be smoked or chewed. It is normally made by the top flowers of the female cannabis plant, the flowers are first collected and ran through different sizes of screens ( filters ) to remove most of the plant matter and to only leave the resin balls of the flowers, this collection is then pressed together under pressure to produce hash. Hash varies in color from black to golden brown. Hash can be made many different ways such as being finger pressed, a common method in African tribes, or made in ice and water where the low temperature solidifies the trichomes and they break off of the leaves. The trichomes are then separated from the mixture, dried, and pressed into solid hash.

[edit] Kief

Kief is a powder made from trichomes (often incorrectly referred to as "crystals" or "pollen") removed from the flowers of Cannabis plants. Kief can also be compressed to produce one form of hashish known as skuff, or consumed in powder form, usually sprinkled over a bowl of fine bud.

[edit] Resin

Resin is a sticky substance that forms on the inside of most cannabis smoking devices. It is essentially condensed cannabis smoke and can be smoked in concentrated quantities for a decent high.

[edit] Leaves

Leaves are not smoked as they contain almost no THC; however, thanks to its being easily identified, the "pot leaf" has become a popular symbol for marijuana. Consequentially, it is common for the uninitiated to mistake cannabis leaves for the drug itself.

[edit] Stems

Seeds and stems from cannabis.

A stem is a segment of stalk from the Cannabis S. or Cannabis I. shrub, most infamously known for ripping through sheets of tobacco referred commonly as blunts and making bongrips taste like the woods. Generally, stems are seperated from the cannabis to be smoked, but oftentimes, in the case of a grinder, they will be ignored completely. Several people claim to be able to make "bomb" hash and "chronic" tea from stems.

[edit] Consumption

[edit] Effects

FEELS GOOD MAN

The effects of marijuana vary between user and between strains. Effects include but are not limited to:

Positive

  • Mood lift, euphoria
  • Laughter
  • Relaxation, stress reduction
  • Creative, philosophical or deep thinking : ideas flow more easily
  • Increased appreciation of music. Greater awareness of, and deeper connection to music.
  • Increased awareness of senses. (eating, drinking, smell)
  • Change in experience of muscle fatigue. Pleasant body feel. Increase in body/mind connection.
  • Pain relief (headaches, cramps)
  • Increased creativity
  • Nostalgia
  • Reduced nausea, increased appetite (used medically for this)
  • Boring tasks or entertainment can become more interesting or funny

Neutral

  • General change in consciousness (as with many psychoactives)
  • Auditory hallucinations (with very strong cannabis)
  • Increased appetite, snacky-ness. munchies
  • Slow reaction speed (slow driving, talking, moving)
  • Change in vision such as sharpened colors or lights
  • Closed-eye visuals (somewhat uncommon)
  • Tiredness, sleepiness, lethargy Becoming the couch
  • Stimulation, inability to sleep (less common)
  • Blood shot eyes (more common with certain varieties of cannabis and inexperienced users)
  • Mouth dryness, sticky-mouth, Cotton mouth (varies with strain)
  • Interrupts linear memory. Difficulty following a train of thought.
  • Cheek, jaw, facial tension / numbness (less commonly reported)
  • Racing thoughts (especially at high doses)
  • Time sense altered: cars seem like they are moving too fast, time dilation and compression are common at higher doses
  • Multiple thoughts at one time (less commonly reported)

Negative

  • Nausea, especially in combination with alcohol, some pharmaceuticals, or other psychoactives
  • Coughing, asthma, upper respiratory problems (although, paradoxically, THC is a bronchodilator, used for treating asthma. Like any medical use of cannabis, this practice is controversial. [1])
  • Difficulty with short term memory during effects and during periods of frequent use (Ranganathan M, D'Souza DC, Psychopharmacology, 2006)
  • Racing heart, agitation, feeling tense
  • Mild to severe anxiety
  • Panic attacks in sensitive users or with very high doses (oral use increases risk of getting too much)
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness, confusion
  • Lightheadedness or fainting (in cases of lowered blood pressure)
  • Paranoid & anxious thoughts more frequent
  • Possible psychological dependence on cannabis
  • Clumsiness, loss of coordination at very high doses
  • Can precipitate or exacerbate latent or existing mental disorders

[edit] Health

Generally speaking, cannabis is not an addictive drug. Cases of psychological dependency have been reported, but this is rare. Actual withdrawal symptoms do not exist, but they have been falsely reported in the past. When heavy users stop consuming cannabis the user notices that they feel differently because of the lack of cannabis. The reason this occurs is that the heavy user becomes so used to the symptoms of being high(like increased appetite) that the lack of these symptoms is unusual to them, leading them to think that they are going through withdrawal.

For those worried about the harmful effects of smoking cannabis, which, even though it contains a bronchiodilator, is harmful to the lungs in the sense that our lungs aren't programmed to withstand thick smoke, can be easily avoided through the diverse possibilities of consumption, such as :

Vaporization, this method is used to evaporate the main chemical compound in the plant -THC- and not burn any of the plant matter so you inhale only vapor containing the THC and not smoke, however, it is suggested that the high people experienced is modded and fine-tuned by the combination of other cannabinoids, which may or may not have a higher evaporating point than THC, so the high may be different. For example, the boiling point of cannabidiol is 356 degrees Fahrenheit while the boiling point of THC is only 315 degrees Fahrenheit.Regardless, you will get high.

Edibles, is a type foods that contain cannabis or contain THC in the form of hashish, raw plant matter, tincture, butter, oil etc. It is usually a cake or a brownie that is made into THC-infused edibles though people tend to go beyond that and even include it in popsicles, cookies, chocolate and indeed many dishes.It is the least harmful route of administration, lasts longer and is a weaker high due to the THC being metabolized much slower than when it directly diffuses into the bloodstream through the respiratory route of administration, but this slow metabolization helps to provide a long-lasting high. If one would want a long lasting and strong high using this route of administration, then he or she must consume more.

Popsicles/other THC-infused foods are sold in Medical Marijuana Clinics and also use the digestive tract as a route of administration, but making them is quite easy as long as you have the main ingredient.

[edit] Growing

Get some seeds from your local headshop and plant them. See:

[edit] Strains

There are hundreds of named strains of Cannabis, but their origins (particularly the drug varieties) are often shrouded in mystery. The names of many legendary strains, such as Panama Red and Purple Haze, are ubiquitous in the pop-culture, but the origins of some of these infamous strains, such as G-13, are acknowledged to be urban legends, and some people even doubt their existence. Most of the time a strain name will be named / made up on the spot to increase profit in the sales transaction. A tell-tale sign of a weed snob is only smoking particular strains of weed. Strains:

For a larger list see strains.

[edit] THE LAW

Don't let the man steal your stash, it's not good for your high. (but srsly, check out NORML[2] or Webehigh[3] for marijuana laws in your state or country.)

As of Nov. 6th 2012, marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older in Colorado and Washington state to possess up to an ounce.

[edit] Getting Ripped Off

Remember to not buy any oregano. Smell some real weed, once you smell it you will be able to tell the difference between real or fake weed. Use middlemen only when necessary. They usually pinch, and sometimes flake out (WITH your money). Only give your dealer the money when he/she gives you the weed. Use a scale to determine weight if unsure. Buy in quantity, drug dealers still need to make profit if you're buying a gram or an ounce. If you buy a gram, the profit margin is about 25-50%. If you buy an ounce the profit margin is much smaller.

[edit] See Also

[edit] External links

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