The Theory of Nothing

What's up with Marijuana?

What's up with Marijuana?

Now that so many states are legalizing the production and use of marijuana, I thought it would be interesting to investigate why this stuff is so popular.

The fact is that marijuana is actually a drug called Cannabis, and it has been around for a long time. According to 'Cannabis: a history' the earliest use date is roughly 3000 BC. It came out of central Asia and was propagated by trade and invasion, according to this source. Cannabis was originally prized for its fiber, but someone must have eaten some of it and accidently discovered its potent drug effect. Ancient Chinese smoked hemp, so it's no wonder that Cannabis became something good to smoke.

It's estimated that 2.7 to 4.9 percent of the world's population use marijuana. Probably about half of the Unites States population has tried it and it's the most used illegal drug in the world.

The chemical in Cannabis is Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 tetahydrocannabinol). This is the principal psychoactive component in Cannabis leaves and flowers (also known as pot, weed, grass, reefer, joint and an assortment of hundreds of street names). It's not very soluble in water but dissolves in organic solvents. It boils at 57 C and has a stereospecific rotation of -152 degrees, which means that the Cannabis component in pot is a specific isomer of THC.

The Marijuana plant is an annual (grows from a seed and lives for a year), dioecious (separate male and female parts), flowering herb (used for medicine). They have very easily recognized leaves. The plant is also known as Hemp (the plant stem) and probably originated in the Himalayas. There are many methods for the cultivation of marijuana, but it requires a lot of work and consumes a lot of water. The resinous secretion from the Cannabis plant is known as hashish, which can also be smoked or eaten.

There are many forms of marijuana, including Kief, Hashish, tincture, Hash oil, pipe resin and dried flower buds. It can be smoked, injected, sniffed, vaporized, ingested, and baked into cookies.

But, what exactly does marijuana do?
This is where it gets complicated. THC is active in the brain and there are specific cannbinoid receptors in the brain. Specifically, it activates CB1G-protein coupled receptors that decrease the second messenger molecule cAMP through inhibition of adenylate cyclase. In layman terms: it gives you a buzz.

Because it affects brain chemistry, THC or Cannabis has medical uses, mostly to alleviate symptoms of neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington, Parkinson, Alzheimer's, Tourette syndrome, and Epilepsy. It's also known to help with Glaucoma, Severe pain, nausea and seizures.

There are consequences in imbibing marijuana. Its effect is to make one high, euphoric, relaxed and uninhibited, much like alcohol. This is the main reason it's so popular. It also gives one a heightened sense of taste, smell, sight and hearing, which are actually distorted. Marijuana also raises heart rate, impairs coordination and inhibits concentration. This is why it's illegal to drive a car while under the influence of marijuana. The effects of smoking a joint are felt within minutes and last for hours. THC stays in the body for months and is slowly released into the blood stream. Even if it is legalized, many companies ban its workers from using it.

Long-term use is not as well understood. There are a few things that they do know. Long-term use can irritate the lungs and develop chronic bronchitis and the risk of developing cancer. Since marijuana increases heart rate it could lead to heart disease. It also can lead to decreased sex drive and memory loss. The most obvious effect is dependency, and there is always the possibility of overdose.

I wouldn't recommend using marijuana because of its possible health problems. Even if it becomes legalized everywhere it still doesn't mean that it's safe.

Thanks for reading.