Cannabis (genus Cannabis)
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three primary species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These plants can reach heights of up to eighteen feet and are characterized by their green stems and distinctive leaves, which typically have five to seven "fingers." The small green flowers of the plant cluster together and are commonly dried and used as marijuana, a substance that can be smoked or ingested in food. Historically, cannabis was cultivated for medicinal purposes in ancient China and India, and it has been used for thousands of years for various applications, including clothing and traditional medicine.
In contemporary society, cannabis is recognized for its potential medicinal benefits, including the treatment of conditions such as cancer and epilepsy. However, it remains illegal in some regions due to concerns about its psychoactive properties, largely attributed to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which interacts with the brain's cannabinoid receptors to produce a "high." Conversely, cannabidiol (CBD), another compound in cannabis, is non-psychoactive and has been studied for its therapeutic effects without the high associated with THC.
The legal status of cannabis varies widely around the world, with some countries, including Uruguay and Canada, fully legalizing recreational use, while others restrict it. In the United States, the landscape is rapidly changing, with many states legalizing both medicinal and recreational use, despite its classification as a Schedule I substance at the federal level. Additionally, cannabis is cultivated for hemp, which is used in various products including textiles and food items, although the farming of hemp is subject to specific regulations. Overall, cannabis continues to be a subject of significant cultural, legal, and medical discourse.
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Cannabis (genus Cannabis)
Cannabis is a genus of plant that includes the species Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Cannabis plants can grow as high as eighteen feet. They have green, thin stems, and the leaves branch off into five to seven "fingers." The plant's small green flowers grow in clusters. The dried flowers and leaves of the plant are smoked as the drug marijuana, which is also known as pot, weed, or ganja. Marijuana can also be added to foods and ingested. It was first cultivated in ancient China and India. Marijuana is considered an illegal drug in some countries—including the United States—but it has medicinal properties and can treat and manage a host of ailments and diseases, including cancer, Crohn's disease, epilepsy, and glaucoma. Because of this, some countries, states, and regions have legalized the drug for medicinal purposes. Into the twenty-first century, marijuana also is legal for recreational use in some locations.
History
Cannabis can be traced to ancient times in the Central Asian steppe. Burned seeds from the cannabis plant were found in Siberian burial mounds around 3000 B.C.E. Hemp fibers derived from cannabis plants were used in early China to make clothing. A Chinese medical text from around 2800 B.C.E. mentions marijuana as a medicinal plant.
Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish man who invented the naming system for organisms, gave the cannabis plant its taxonomic identification in 1753. In the nineteenth century, a physician named William O'Shaughnessy delivered a report about the plant to a medical group in Calcutta, India. He called cannabis by its Indian name of gunjah and described the medical effects it had on people. He also hosted clinical trials of marijuana, making a tincture and giving it to mice, rabbits, and other small animals.
Cannabis was brought to Europe and the Americas around this time. It was first used for medicinal purposes. However, by the twentieth century, people began to think negatively of the plant, which was gaining use as a recreational drug. Many Mexican immigrants in the United States in the 1920s smoked marijuana, which along with anti-immigrant sentiment paved the way for marijuana prohibition.
By the following decade, twenty-four US states had banned marijuana, and campaigns were launched against the drug. The new government department, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, along with the media helped to alert the public about the perceived dangers of the drug. Congress banned marijuana, except for some medical uses, with the passage of the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act.
The ban on marijuana continued for the next three decades. The Boggs Act, passed by Congress in 1952, tightened the penalties for those caught possessing marijuana. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 named marijuana a Schedule I substance, which classified it as an illegal substance with a high potential for abuse. President Ronald Reagan again strengthened federal legislation on marijuana possession penalties throughout the next decade.
Into the twenty-first century, marijuana remained a Schedule I substance in the United States. However, the Department of Justice stated in 2013 that it would not enforce federal drug laws in states that have legalized marijuana as long as the states set their own guidelines and regulations. By 2023, thirty-eight states, Washington, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands had legalized medical marijuana programs. Twenty-three states, Washington, DC, and two territories had legalized small amounts of marijuana for recreational use for adults. In October 2022, President Joe Biden announced that he was issuing a pardon for all of those who had been federally convicted of simple marijuana possession and called upon the attorney general to begin reviewing marijuana's classification.
Internationally, in 2013 Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana use on a national level. In 2018 Canada became the second country to do so. Many other countries allowed medical use.
Overview
Marijuana contains the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC works like the body's natural cannabinoid chemicals do. When a person smokes or ingests marijuana, the THC provides a psychological effect on the brain. THC binds to cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, and the "high" feeling comes from THC binding to the parts of the brain that are responsible for coordination, memory, pain, pleasure, thinking, and time perception. Marijuana also contains cannabidiol (CBD). CBD, which is found in the resin of cannabis, does not produce psychological effects and blocks the high feeling produced by THC.
While marijuana is used for medical purposes, it is not recognized or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The THC in marijuana can help increase appetite and reduce nausea; these effects are helpful to people undergoing certain medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. THC also may decrease pain and reduce swelling, thereby aiding those suffering from ailments such as glaucoma. CBD, which does not have mind-altering effects, can help control epileptic seizures and treat certain mental illnesses and addictions. The FDA has approved a few medications that contain certain cannabinoid chemicals found in marijuana; however, more research is needed before additional medications are produced.
Negative effects of marijuana do exist. Research has shown that its use impairs thinking and coordination in the short term. Over a longer period, studies have found that it can lower intelligence and alter the structure of the brain. Marijuana use also has been linked to conditions such as bronchitis and mental illnesses, including schizophrenia. While the drug's addictive potential has been widely debated, medical professionals recognize cannabis use disorder (CUD), a condition in which use becomes pervasive despite significant impairment.
Cannabis is also grown to make the fiber hemp. Hemp does not have high concentrations of THC and is usually used to make fabric, paper, or rope. Its seeds produce oil, which is used in beauty and food products. The federal government prohibits hemp farming in the United States with a few exceptions. The Agricultural Act of 2014, also known as the Farm Bill, permitted states to pass hemp legislation to allow the planting of hemp for limited purposes such as research. Forty-seven states had passed hemp legislation to allow the cultivation of hemp for commercial, research, or pilot programs by 2020. Hemp products are legally imported to the United States from countries where industrial marijuana farming is legal, such as Canada, China, and Russia.
Bibliography
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Ghose, Tia. "Marijuana: Facts about Cannabis." LiveScience, 18 May 2017, www.livescience.com/24559-marijuana-facts-cannabis.html. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
"Cannabis (Marijuana)." National Institute on Drug Abuse, nida.nih.gov/research-topics/cannabis-marijuana. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
"Cannabis Overview." National Conference of State Legislatures, 20 June 2024, www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/cannabis-overview. Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.
"Regulating Hemp and Cannabis-Based Products." National Conference of State Legislatures, 30 Apr. 2022, www.ncsl.org/agriculture-and-rural-development/regulating-hemp-and-cannabis-based-products. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.