Cannabis: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 01:52, 27 April 2002 view sourceBrooke Vibber (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users10,086 editsm hectares -> hectares ← Previous edit		Revision as of 11:34, 28 May 2002 view source 195.93.50.163 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit →
Line 1:		Line 1:
			'''Cannabis,''' also known (in one drug form) as ], is any of several different species of mildly ] plants whose main active ingredient is delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or ]. Cannabis is a member of the family ], in the order ]. It grows in most climates. The tough fiber of the cannabis plant is known as ] and has various uses, including the manufacture of ], ], and ].
	<b>Hemp</b> (<i>Cannabis sativa</i> L.) is a member of the <i>]</i> family, a small group of ].

			=== Pharmacology ===
	Hemp most likely originated in Central Asia. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants, and has probably been cultivated in China for over 4500 years.

			Although the main psychoactive substance in cannabis is THC, the plant contains about 60 cannabinoids in total. The complexity of this mixture has led to speculation as to why the effects of the plant can differ from the synthetically manufacured dronabinol.

			"Normal" herbal cannabis usually contains between 0.5-5% THC, although selective breeding and cultivation techniques (such as ]) have produced varieties with up to 25% THC content. The THC content is also affected by the sex of the plant, with female plants generating more THC-laden resin than their male counterparts. ''Sinsemilla'' (from the ] for "without seed") is derived from unpollinated female plants and has an even higher THC content.
	There are broadly three groups of Hemp varieties being cultivated today :

			=== Effects ===
	* Varieties primarily cultivated for their fibre, characterized by long stems and little branching.
	* Varieties grown for seed from which hemp oil is extracted
	* Varieties grown for medicinal or narcotic purposes. The resin, known variously as ], ] or ], is obtained from the dried inflorescences, leaves and stems.

			Cannabis is ], meaning it affects the mind and/or behaviour. Its main effects include a "mellow" good feeling as well as giggling, and the frequent short-term side-effect of increased appetite (the "munchies"). Larger doses can cause an increased perception of sight and sound, eventually leading to mild hallucination, usually auditory.
	Until it's rediscovery in the late 1980s, the use of hemp for fibre production had declined sharply over the past decades, but hemp still occupied an important place amongst natural fibres as it is strong, durable and unaffected by water.

			Other effects include ], short-term memory loss, and ], especially if used in combination with ].
	The main uses of hemp fibre were in rope, sacking, carpet, nets and webbing.

			It is generally not thought possible to overdose on cannabis as the levels required for toxicity are so high.
	A hemp clothing industry was reborn in the West in 1988, and hemp is being used in increasing quantities in paper manufacturing.

			Although a mild tolerance of the drug can be built up, it is not thought to be addictive. However some people can build up a psychological dependence. There is some evidence linking long-term use to ] and it can aggravate pre-existing mental conditions.
	The ] content is about 70%.

			The long-term effects of cannabis still need more study but there are concerns that the high tar content (especially when it is combined with ], as is common in ]) could lead to an increased risk of lung cancer.
	<b>Major hemp producing countries.</b>

			=== Medical Cannabis ===
	From the 1950s to the 1980s the ] (former Soviet Union) was the world largest producer (300.000 ]s in 1970). The main production areas were in ], the Kursk and Orel regions of Russia, and near the Polish border.

			Medical uses of marijuana for a variety of conditions are currently being investigated. Anecdotal evidence reports that it has beneficial effects relieving the nausea of ] and ] treatment, its appetite-stimulating effect helping combat wasting. It may also help reduce fluid pressure in the eyes associated with ]. Numerous studies have shown that it can help reduce the pain and tremors of ].
	Other important producing countries were China, the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland and Italy.

			Medical marijuana is also being tested in Britain as a form of natural pain-killer for use by patients with severe intractible pain from spinal or other major injuries. The studies have used a self-adminstered spray form of cannabis extract, and one of their aims has been to find the optimal dosage to gain medicinal benefits without the 'high' normally associated with marijuana use. Some patients in the British study have reported remarkable success with the treatment, while it has been ineffective for others.
	Canada, Britain, and Australia all resumed production in the 1990s. British production is mostly used as bedding for the Island's horses. The largest outlet for Canadian Fibre is automotive panels, while Canada, China, Hungary, and Germany
	are processing hemp seed into a growing range of food products and cosmetics.

			=== History ===
	<b>Harvesting the fibre</b>

			The use of cannabis is thought to go back around 4000 years. It was used as medicine throughout ] and the ] to treat a variety of conditions.
	Smallholder plots are usually harvested by hand. The plants are cut at 2 to 3 cm above the soil and left on the ground to dry.
	Mechanical harvesting is now common, using specially adapted cutter-binders or simpler cutters.
	The cut hemp is laid in swathes to dry for up to four days. This was traditionally followed by ''retting'', either water retting whereby the bundled hemp floats in water or dew retting whereby the hemp remains on the ground and is affected by the moisture in dew moisture, and by moulds and bacterial action. Modern processes use steam and machinery to seperate the fibre, a process known as

			Cannabis was well known to the Scythians. Germans have grown hemp for its fibres--used to make nautical ropes and material for clothes--since ancient times. In the Elbing Prussian vocabulary from around 1350, hemp is recorded as knapis (derived from cannabis). Large fields of hemp along the banks of the ] are featured in 19th century copper etchings.
	<b>A new future for hemp?</b>
			The hemp plant has to be soaked to harvest the fibre. This liquid was used as a drink. In today's Germany there are bars that serve hemp beer and hemp wine.

			Cannabis was used medicinally in the western world (usually as a tincture) around the middle of the 19th century. It was famously used to treat ]'s menstrual pains, and was available from shops in the US. By the end of the 19th centuary its medicinal use began to fall as other drugs such as ] took over.
	In the last decade hemp has been widely promoted as a crop for the future. This is in particular stimulated by new technologies which make hemp suitable for industrial paper manufacturing, use as a renewable energy source (biofuel), and the use of hemp derivatives as replacement for petrochemical products.
	The increased demand for health food has stimulated the trade in hempseed while hemp oil is increasingly being used in the manufacturing of bodycare products.

			It was outlawed in the USA in the 1930s.
	<b>The THC debate</b>

			It has a prominent religious role in the ] religion.
	Hemp contains <i>delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol</i>, which is the actual psychoactive ingredient found in hashish.
	THC is present in all hemp varieties to some extent. In varieties grown for medicinal or narcotic use, THC levels reach 20-30%. In hemp varieties for seed or fibre use, these levels are between 0.5% and 1.5%, which is far too low to obtain any narcotic effect and low enough to make THC extraction extremely difficult or uneconomic.
	On October 9th, 2001, the US ] (DEA) ruled that even traces of THC in products intended for food use would be illegal as from February 6th, 2002.
	This would rule out the production or use of hempseed or hempseed oil in food use in the USA.
	The presence of THC in hemp varieties and the fear that THC could be extracted from industrial hemp for illegal purposes has hampered the development of hemp is many countries. Since the early 1990s, however, countries including Canada, Australia, the UK, and Germany have allowed experimental hemp plantings and some commercial scale production.
	Plant breeders are working on the development of new varieties which are low in THC.

			Although it has probably been used as a recreational drug thoughout its history, it came to prominence in the jazz scene during the fifties, its use taking off in the ].
	<b>Hemp resources</b>
	* Dr. Dave's Hemp Achives http://www.gametec.com/hemp/archives.html
	* Hemp Industries Association http://www.thehia.org
	* Global Hemp Resources http://www.globalhemp.com
	* North American Industrial Hemp council http://www.naihc.org

			It is now one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world.
	see ] : History

	=== To ~~cultivate hemp~~ ===		=== Recreational Use ===

			<em>N.B. Recreational use is illegal in most countries, see the next section.</em>
	From the 1881 ''Household Cyclopedia''

			Recreational use of cannabis has an associated subculture which starts with the number of names for the drug. Examples include: "pot", "dope", "weed", "reefer", "bhang", "green", "herb", "ganja", "sinsemilla", "grass", "mary jane", "chronic", "bud" and many more.
	The soils most suited to the culture of this plant are those of the deep, black, putrid vegetable kind, that are low, and rather inclined to moisture, and those of the deep mellow, loamy, or sandy descriptions. The quantity of produce is generally much greater on the former than on the latter; but it is said to be greatly inferior in quality. It may, however, be grown with success on lands of a less rich and fertile kind by proper care and attention in their culture and preperation.

			Cannabis comes in several forms.
	In order to render the grounds proper for the reception of the crop, they should be reduced into a fine mellow state of mould, and be perfectly cleared from weeds, by repeated ploughings. When it succeeds grain crops, the work is mostly accomplished by three ploughings, and as many harrowings: the first being given immediately after the preceding crop is removed, the second early in the spring, and the last, or seed earth, just before the seed is to be put in. In the last ploughing, well rotted manure, in the proportion of fifteen or twenty, or good compost, in the quantity of twenty-five or thirty-three horse-cart loads, should be turned into the land; as without this it is seldom that good crops can be produced. The surface of the ground being left perfectly flat, and as free from furrows as possible; as by these means the moisture is more effectually retained, and the growth of the plants more fully promoted.
			* Dried leaves (usually the flowering tops of female plants).
			* Cannabis resin (]) which is the secretion of the plant, usually dried and processed onto blocks.
			* Cannabis oil ("honey oil", "]") which is a concentrate usually involving a solvent based extraction.

			It is most commonly smoked, usually in a "joint" or "spliff": the dried leaves (possibly mixed with ]) are rolled in paper and smoked much like a cigarette.
	It is of much importance in the cultivation of hemp crops that the seed be new, and of a good quality, which may in some measure be known by its feeling heavy in the hand, and being of a bright shining color.

			Other methods include using pipes or "]s" (water pipes) to smoke the cannabis whilst cooling the smoke down and, in the case of bongs, removing some of the unwanted impurities/tar.
	The proportion of seed that is most commonly employed, is from two to three bushels, according to the quality of the land; but, as the crops are greatly injured by the plants standing too closely together, two bushels, or two bushels and a half may be a more advantageous quantity.

			Cannabis is also cooked to make things such as "space cake", "pot pie", and "hash brownies".
	As the hemp plant is extremely tender in its early growth, care should be taken not to put the seed into the ground at so early a period, as that it may be liable to be injured by the effects of frost; nor to protract the sowing to so late a season as that the quality of the produce may be effected. The best season, on the drier sorts of land in the southern districts, is as soon as possible after the frosts are over in April; and, on the same descriptions of soil, in the more northern ones, towards the close of the same month or early in the ensuing one.
			However, the effects of ingested cannabis usually do not take effect for over 30 minutes, making it harder for the user to regulate their consumption.

			It can also be taken by dissolving it in cups of coffee, creating a "bhang".
	The most general method of putting crops of this sort into the soil is the broadcast, the seed being dispersed over the surface of the land in as even a manner as possible, and afterwards covered in by means of a very light harrowing. In many cases, however, especially when the crops are to stand for seed, the drill method in rows, at small distances, might be had recourse to with advantage; as, in this way, the early growth of the plants would be more effectually promoted, and the land be kept in a more clean and perfect state of mould, which are circumstances of importance in such crops. In whatever method the seed is put in, care must constantly be taken to keep the birds from it for some time afterwards.

			=== The Law ===
	This sort of crop is frequently cultivated on the same piece of ground for a great number of years, without any other kind intervening; but, in such cases, manure must be applied with almost every crop, in pretty large proportions, to prevent the exhaustion that must otherwise take place. It may be sown after most sorts of grain crops, especially where the land possesses sufficient fertility, and is in a proper state of tillage.

			<em>N.B. Misplaced Pages does not give legal advice!</em>
	As hemp, from its tall growth and thick foliage, soon covers the surface of the land, and prevents the rising of weeds, little attention is necessary after the seed has been put into the ground, especially where the broadcast method of sowing is practised; but, when put in by the drill machine, a hoeing or two may be had recourse to with advantage in the early growth of the crop.

			Marijuana was criminalised across most of the world in the early parts of the 20th centuary. There is some confusion as to the reasons as there seems to be different driving forces on either side of the Atlantic.
	In the culture of this plant, it is particularly necessary that the same piece of land grows both male and female, or what is sometimes denominated simple hemp. The latter kind contains the seed.

			In the UK, cannabis was outlawed in ] after Britain became a signatory to the "International Opium Convention" which was held in ] in ].
	When the grain is ripe (which is known by its becoming of a whitish-yellow color, and a few of the leaves beginning to drop from the stems); this happens commonly about thirteen or fourteen weeks from the period of its being sown, according as the season may be dry or wet (the first sort being mostly ripe some weeks before the latter), the next operation is that of taking it from the ground; which is effected by pulling it up by the roots, in small parcels at a time, by the hand, taking care to shake off the mould well from them before the handsful are laid down. In some districts, the whole crop is pulled together, without any distinction being made between the different kinds of hemp; while, in others, it is the practice to separate and pull them at different times, according to their ripeness. The latter is obviously the better practice; as by pulling a large proportion of the crop before it is in a proper state of maturity, the quantity of produce must not only be considerably lessened, but its quality greatly injured by being rendered less durable.

			In the US the key law seems to be the ] which was the federal culmination of many separate state laws that had been enacted in the previous years.
	After being thus pulled, it is tied up in small parcels, or what are sometimes termed baits.
			This may have been in response to lobbying by makers of ]s that competed with hemp.

			Laws usually govern distribution, cultivation, and possession for personal use. Enforcement of the law varies from country to country. Some notable examples include the ], where cannabis is effectively decriminalised and can be purchased in licensed "coffee shops".
	Where crops of this kind are intended for seeding, they should be suffered to stand till the seed becomes in a perfect state of maturity, which is easily known by the appearance of it on inspection. The stems are then pulled and bound up, as in the other case, the bundles being set up in the same manner as grain, until the seed becomes so dry and firm as to shed freely. It is then either immediately threshed out upon large cloths for the purpose in the field, or taken home to have the operation afterwards performed.

			In many countries, ] exercise their discretionary powers to caution users or confiscate cannabis for possession in small quantities that could be deemed for personal use, especially for medical reasons.
	The hemp, as soon as pulled, is tied up in small bundles, frequently at both ends.

			A recent example was the declaration by ] in ], England, that they would not arrest people for possession of cannabis and instead only issue on-the-spot warnings and confiscate the cannabis.
	It is then conveyed to pits, or ponds of stagnant water, about six or eight feet in depth, such as have a clayey soil being in general preferred, and deposited in beds, according to their size, and depth, the small bundles being laid both in a straight direction and crosswise of each other, so as to bind perfectly together; the whole, being loaded with timber, or other materials, so as to keep the beds of hemp just below the surface of the water.
			Following this trial the reclassification of cannabis from Class B to Class C was recommended by the ] in October ].

			The state of ] and the ] have decriminalized possession of small quantities of cannabis, and growing limited numbers of plants for personal use; the government merely charges an on-the-spot fine of A$50.
	It is not usual to water more than four or five times in the same pit, till it has been filled with water. Where the ponds are not sufficiently large to contain the whole of the produce at once, it is the practice to pull the hemp only as it can be admitted into them, it being thought disadvantageous to leave the hemp upon the ground after being pulled. It is left in these pits four, five, or six days, or even more, according to the warmth of the season and the judgment of the operator, on his examining whether the hempy material readily separates from the reed or stem; and then taken up and conveyed to a pasture field which is clean and even, the bundles being loosened and spread out thinly, stem by stem, turning it every second or third day, especially in damp weather, to prevent its being injured by worms or other insects. It should remain in this situation for two, three, four, or more weeks, according to circumstances, and be then collected together when in a perfectly dry state, tied up into large bundles, and placed in some secure building until an opportunity is afforded for breaking it, in order to separate the hemp. By this means the process of grassing is not only shortened, but the more expensive ones of breaking, scutching, and bleaching the yarn, rendered less violent and troublesome.
			Police interest in personal usage and non-commercial growers in the rest of Australia appears to be limited.

			As of early ], ] and some other countries have stared to recognize medicinal use of cannabis separately from "normal" possession.
	After the hemp has been removed from the field it is in a state to be broken and swingled, operations that are mostly performed by common laborers, by means of machinery for the purpose, the produce being tied up in stones. The refuse collected in the latter process is denominated sheaves, and is in some districts employed for the purposes of fuel. After having undergone these different operations, it is ready for the purposes of the manufacturer.


			----
			=== Links ===
			==== Drug Information ====
			* UK National drugs helpline factsheet (http://www.ndh.org.uk/facts_cannabis.html)
			* American Council for Drug Education factsheet (http://www.acde.org/common/Marijana.htm)
			* UN Drug control and Prevention factsheet (http://www.undcp.org/report_1998-10-01_1_page003.html)
			==== History ====
			* The Emperor Wears No Clothes (http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html)
			* Smokedot.org's take of the history of criminalisation (http://smokedot.scoopnet.org/story/2001/7/2/35918/10894)
			==== Misc ====
			* Smoking device used for tasting Cannabis (http://www.magicspherevalve.com)
			* WHO report on Cannabis health effects (http://hyperreal.pl/kanaba/doc-en/who/index.html)
			* UK Panoroma programme on medical trials (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/audiovideo/programmes/panorama/newsid_1625000/1625124.stm)
			==== Advocacy sites ====
			* Pro-cannabis
			** NORML (http://www.norml.org/)
			** The Cannabis Information Network (http://www.marijuana-hemp.com/]
			** Cannabis.com (http://www.cannabis.com/)
			* Anti-cannabis
			** <em>Any links?</em>

			<table><tr><td>]</td></tr><tr><td>] poster used the late ] and ]</td></tr></table>

Revision as of 11:34, 28 May 2002

Cannabis, also known (in one drug form) as marijuana, is any of several different species of mildly hallucinogenic plants whose main active ingredient is delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Cannabis is a member of the family Cannabinaceae, in the order Rosales. It grows in most climates. The tough fiber of the cannabis plant is known as hemp and has various uses, including the manufacture of cloth, rope, and paper.

Pharmacology

Although the main psychoactive substance in cannabis is THC, the plant contains about 60 cannabinoids in total. The complexity of this mixture has led to speculation as to why the effects of the plant can differ from the synthetically manufacured dronabinol.

"Normal" herbal cannabis usually contains between 0.5-5% THC, although selective breeding and cultivation techniques (such as hydroponics) have produced varieties with up to 25% THC content. The THC content is also affected by the sex of the plant, with female plants generating more THC-laden resin than their male counterparts. Sinsemilla (from the Spanish for "without seed") is derived from unpollinated female plants and has an even higher THC content.

Effects

Cannabis is psychoactive, meaning it affects the mind and/or behaviour. Its main effects include a "mellow" good feeling as well as giggling, and the frequent short-term side-effect of increased appetite (the "munchies"). Larger doses can cause an increased perception of sight and sound, eventually leading to mild hallucination, usually auditory.

Other effects include paranoia, short-term memory loss, and nausea, especially if used in combination with alcohol.

It is generally not thought possible to overdose on cannabis as the levels required for toxicity are so high.

Although a mild tolerance of the drug can be built up, it is not thought to be addictive. However some people can build up a psychological dependence. There is some evidence linking long-term use to depression and it can aggravate pre-existing mental conditions.

The long-term effects of cannabis still need more study but there are concerns that the high tar content (especially when it is combined with tobacco, as is common in Great Britain) could lead to an increased risk of lung cancer.

Medical Cannabis

Medical uses of marijuana for a variety of conditions are currently being investigated. Anecdotal evidence reports that it has beneficial effects relieving the nausea of chemotherapy and AIDS treatment, its appetite-stimulating effect helping combat wasting. It may also help reduce fluid pressure in the eyes associated with glaucoma. Numerous studies have shown that it can help reduce the pain and tremors of multiple sclerosis.

Medical marijuana is also being tested in Britain as a form of natural pain-killer for use by patients with severe intractible pain from spinal or other major injuries. The studies have used a self-adminstered spray form of cannabis extract, and one of their aims has been to find the optimal dosage to gain medicinal benefits without the 'high' normally associated with marijuana use. Some patients in the British study have reported remarkable success with the treatment, while it has been ineffective for others.

History

The use of cannabis is thought to go back around 4000 years. It was used as medicine throughout Asia and the Middle East to treat a variety of conditions.

Cannabis was well known to the Scythians. Germans have grown hemp for its fibres--used to make nautical ropes and material for clothes--since ancient times. In the Elbing Prussian vocabulary from around 1350, hemp is recorded as knapis (derived from cannabis). Large fields of hemp along the banks of the Rhine are featured in 19th century copper etchings. The hemp plant has to be soaked to harvest the fibre. This liquid was used as a drink. In today's Germany there are bars that serve hemp beer and hemp wine.

Cannabis was used medicinally in the western world (usually as a tincture) around the middle of the 19th century. It was famously used to treat Queen Victoria's menstrual pains, and was available from shops in the US. By the end of the 19th centuary its medicinal use began to fall as other drugs such as aspirin took over.

It was outlawed in the USA in the 1930s.

It has a prominent religious role in the Rastafarian religion.

Although it has probably been used as a recreational drug thoughout its history, it came to prominence in the jazz scene during the fifties, its use taking off in the 1960s.

It is now one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world.

Recreational Use

N.B. Recreational use is illegal in most countries, see the next section.

Recreational use of cannabis has an associated subculture which starts with the number of names for the drug. Examples include: "pot", "dope", "weed", "reefer", "bhang", "green", "herb", "ganja", "sinsemilla", "grass", "mary jane", "chronic", "bud" and many more.

Cannabis comes in several forms.

Dried leaves (usually the flowering tops of female plants).
Cannabis resin (hashish) which is the secretion of the plant, usually dried and processed onto blocks.
Cannabis oil ("honey oil", "Hash Oil") which is a concentrate usually involving a solvent based extraction.

It is most commonly smoked, usually in a "joint" or "spliff": the dried leaves (possibly mixed with tobacco) are rolled in paper and smoked much like a cigarette.

Other methods include using pipes or "bongs" (water pipes) to smoke the cannabis whilst cooling the smoke down and, in the case of bongs, removing some of the unwanted impurities/tar.

Cannabis is also cooked to make things such as "space cake", "pot pie", and "hash brownies". However, the effects of ingested cannabis usually do not take effect for over 30 minutes, making it harder for the user to regulate their consumption.

It can also be taken by dissolving it in cups of coffee, creating a "bhang".

The Law

N.B. Misplaced Pages does not give legal advice!

Marijuana was criminalised across most of the world in the early parts of the 20th centuary. There is some confusion as to the reasons as there seems to be different driving forces on either side of the Atlantic.

In the UK, cannabis was outlawed in 1928 after Britain became a signatory to the "International Opium Convention" which was held in Geneva in 1925.

In the US the key law seems to be the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act which was the federal culmination of many separate state laws that had been enacted in the previous years. This may have been in response to lobbying by makers of synthetic fibers that competed with hemp.

Laws usually govern distribution, cultivation, and possession for personal use. Enforcement of the law varies from country to country. Some notable examples include the Netherlands, where cannabis is effectively decriminalised and can be purchased in licensed "coffee shops".

In many countries, police exercise their discretionary powers to caution users or confiscate cannabis for possession in small quantities that could be deemed for personal use, especially for medical reasons.

A recent example was the declaration by police in Brixton, England, that they would not arrest people for possession of cannabis and instead only issue on-the-spot warnings and confiscate the cannabis. Following this trial the reclassification of cannabis from Class B to Class C was recommended by the Home Secretary in October 2001.

The state of South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have decriminalized possession of small quantities of cannabis, and growing limited numbers of plants for personal use; the government merely charges an on-the-spot fine of A$50. Police interest in personal usage and non-commercial growers in the rest of Australia appears to be limited.

As of early 2000s, Canada and some other countries have stared to recognize medicinal use of cannabis separately from "normal" possession.

Revision as of 11:34, 28 May 2002

Pharmacology

Effects

Medical Cannabis

History

Recreational Use

The Law

Links

Drug Information

History

Misc

Advocacy sites