Understanding The Sacred Cannabis Plant
You have probably heard of cannabis before. The plant, so popular amongst recreational users, has also found the place in medicine as well, especially during the recent years.
Or… has the plant never left the medicine to begin with? Let’s dig deeper and find out more, shall we?
Let’s try to understand a little bit more about the plant itself.
Cannabis is a plant that grows around many tropical areas all over the world, however it can be grown in any climate conditions. Cannabis has many names; dope, ganja, marijuana, green, dope, hash, brew, reefers, cone, mull, Buddha, grass, weed and so on. Whenever you hear or read one of these names, you will know that the topic is about this plant.
Cannabis is rich in chemicals, containing over 400 different chemicals of which, more than 60 are cannabinoid compounds. Cannabinoids are the compounds that act with cannabinoid receptors and act with neurotransmitters in the brain. Animals and humans have endocannabinoid systems, which are lipid (fat) based neurotransmitters. Endocannabinoid system is involved in many cognitive and physiological processes that are taking place in everyone else’s body every day; pain sensation, mood, memory, fertility and appetite are all regulated involving endocannabinoid system. Neurotransmitters are the responsible for the delivery of the messages between the cells, so the interaction between the chemicals and compounds with neurotransmitters can have an impact on one’s body.
What are the THC and CBD compounds?
THC and CBD are two main compounds that are found in cannabis and they interact with the endocannabinoid system that is found in humans and animals, however the effects of the two are different.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)— The main psychoactive compound that is found in cannabis. Due to its psychoactive properties, it is popular amongst people who are using cannabis for recreational purposes. Apart from psychoactive properties, THC also contains medicinal properties.
THC can be used to treat the symptoms of:
- pain
- low appetite
- anxiety
- insomnia
- nausea
- glaucoma
CBD (cannabidiol) — Main natural non-psychoactive compound that is found in cannabis. CBD can be extracted from the hemp plant and is rich in medicinal properties.
CBD can be used to treat the symptoms of:
- nausea
- migraines
- depression
- anxiety
- mental disorders
- seizures
- pain
- inflammation
Both THC and CBD have the same molecular structure; 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms.
So, how come they have different impact on your body?
Well, it all comes down to different arrangement of the atoms. In the molecular structure, where the THC contains a cyclic ring (atoms in the compound are connected in the shape of a ring) , CBD contains a hydroxyl group (oxygen is bonded with hydrogen in an entity). Although, the pathways of both THC and CBD are very similar and almost identical, this small difference in arrangement of the atoms is what gives both of the compounds completely different effects.
Cannabis In Culture
Cannabis has played a significant role in human culture throughout the centuries. According to History.com, the use of the plant goes back to 500 BC.
Most ancient cultures didn’t grow the plant to get high, but as herbal medicine, likely starting in Asia around 500 BC.
Ancient Egypt
One of the oldest and and finished medical textbooks found to this day is The Ebers Papyrus. It has been discovered in Egypt in 1870s and has been estimated to have been written in 1500 BC, however archeologists argue that it might date back even further, to around 2000 BC.
The Ebers Papyrus contains a prescription of hemp to be used in order to treat inflammation and reduce pain, caused by other diseases. Cannabis is described to be popular amongst women in order to treat depression and other psychological problems, during the civilization of ancient Egypt.
Seshat is a Egyptian goddess of wisdom and she is shown dressed in a leopard skin, holding a palm stem and the symbol above her head is said to be a cannabis plant.
Ancient China
Cannabis has been around the history of ancient China. A stash of marijuana has been found in a shaman’s grave around northwest of China and is estimated to be around 2,700 years old. At first, the archeologists were confused as they thought that the discovered herb was coriander, however after some lab tests, the archeologists have actually found out that the herb was actually cannabis.
The discovered cannabis had a significantly high content in THC, however the scientists were not able to determine the exact percentage. No pipes for cannabis smoking were found in the ancient tomb, however scientists suggest that the cannabis in ancient China used to be either ingested or inhaled in order to yield the psychoactive properties of THC.
Cannabis has also been used in medicine. Around 2700 BC, the Emperor Shen Nung proposed a treatment of cannabis for over 100 illnesses. Being recognised as The Father of Chinese Medicine, the emperor has laid the foundation of treating the diseases such as intestinal constipation, malaria and rheumatism.
Ancient India
In ancient India, cannabis also had many uses. Ranging from medicinal, cultural to spiritual practices, the plant has laid a foundation for the development of the Indian culture. The usage of cannabis in India is dating back somewhere around 2000 BC — 1400 BC as it was mentioned in the sacred Hindu texts called The Vedas.
Bhang is a drink that is made out of cannabis leaves, milk, water, spices and in some instances, yogurt is also added. Before going to the battle, Indian soldiers used to drink bhang because it is believed that it had the powers to control fear. In the Atharva Veda texts, the cannabis plant is described to be amongst the “five sacred plants”.
Bhang has been used for many medicinal purposes; treatment of insomnia, headaches and pain relief during childbirth. In spirituality, the god Shiva is usually associated with the drink as it is said to be the lord of bhang. Sadhus, the religious ascetics or in other terms — monks, use bhang in order to attain spiritual enlightenment. Even to this day, bhang is consumed amongst many Hindus for spiritual and religious purposes. Cannabis has been used for many years in India as it is said to bring one closer to Shiva, cleanse from the sins and help to avoid miseries in the afterlife.
Effects On The Body
As with everything else, too much of anything can do harm. Cannabis can have an effect on one’s body in both short and long term.
Short-term effects
- change in mood
- altered sense of time
- impaired memory
- thinking / problem solving difficulties
- impaired body movements and motor skills
In higher doses it can also cause psychosis and delusions.
Long-term effects
Long-term effects of the consumption of marijuana can impact the development of one’s brain.
A study from New Zealand conducted in part by researchers at Duke University showed that people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and had an ongoing marijuana use disorder lost an average of 8 IQ points between ages 13 and 38.
Another study carried out in 2018 suggests that the regular use of cannabis is associated with mild changes in person’s cognition, as well as functional and structural alterations in the brain.
Some other long-term effects of heavy cannabis use can be:
- breathing problems
- child development problems during / after pregnancy
- Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (intense nausea and vomiting)
- temporary paranoia and hallucinations
So there are definitely some harmful short and long-term effects from the use of cannabis. But…
Is it addictive?
Addiction of cannabis is a controversial topic as some users say that they do not feel the need to consume cannabis and could quit any time, however some heavy users report dependencies on the plant. A research suggests that around 9–30% of people who use cannabis regularly, can develop some degree of cannabis use disorder. Teenagers fall into the higher risk of developing dependencies on marijuana. A study argues that the teenagers under the age of 18 have 4–7 times higher chance of developing cannabis use disorder when compared to adults.
So, the science backs up the fact that addiction is possible, just like with any other substance. It all comes down to one’s intentions — whether using it for medicinal or spiritual purposes or recreationally.
What about the deaths from the cannabis use?
The death reports of cannabis use counts to … zero. There are no reported deaths from the use of cannabis. One study suggests that the fatal dose of THC would be somewhere around 15–70 grams, which would consist of around 288 to 1,113 joints per day. Other estimates suggest that you would need to eat around 1,500 pounds of cannabis in order to experience a lethal response.
So the cannabis has been around for many years. Being consumed in many cultures for textiles, medicine and spiritual reasons, it has found a place in recreational users as well. Just like any other substance, it can cause dependencies and harm if used irresponsibly. However, it is important to look back to the history and try to understand how a simple plant has shaped the cultures all around the world.
Marijuana had been playing a major role in the development of music, such as hip-hop and jazz. The major similarity between the artists in hip-hop and jazz is — improvisation. Because the consumption of marijuana used to be quite popular amongst the both music genres, it shaped the way we like our music today.
This article is not written to either condemn or encourage the use of cannabis. It is a review of the history and culture, the chemical structure, the effects on one’s body and studies available in present in order to understand more about the sacred plant.
If you enjoyed the article, I would highly appreciate if you could click the 👏🏼 button! Please, feel free to comment below!
