Cannabis in a Nutshell
An informative and slightly humorous story about cannabis
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Introduction
Cannabis is a plant genus that includes various species, with hemp being one type commonly used for making products like t-shirts.
While hemp, low in THC, is legal in most countries, smoking a hemp t-shirt is not recommended.
The term ‘marijuana’ likely originated from an old Mexican word associated with Mexican workers who used cannabis plants for ropes and textiles, with the spelling ‘marihuana’ used in the US to link the drug with Mexican immigrants in the early 20th century.
Cannabis was one of the first plants that humans have cultivated. It was mentioned already more than 4,000 years ago, engraved in stone in some of the pyramids. Molecular analysis has found residues in ancient pottery, and suggests that the Greeks and Romans put it into wine.
Why wouldn’t they add it to wine? it smells like a skunk.
Almost all the old languages have a word for cannabis. Historians say the Egyptians administered it by mouth, rectum and vagina, which will hopefully give Gwyneth Paltrow some better ideas than jade.
Paltrow has some advice to women: put jade eggs in your vagina for “better sex” and “overall well-being.”
There are different varieties, plant parts, strains, and methods of ingestion. Note this list is just for getting a sense of the variety in marijuana use.
- Varieties: male, female
- Plant parts: dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds
- Ingestion: hashish, smoked, vaporized, or used in edibles
- Terms: dope, pot, grass, weed, etc
- Strains: over 700 strains, the main strains being sativa, indica, ruderalis, and hybrids
Strains are hybridized through methods like grafting or using different types of seeds. Sativa plants are taller with longer stalks and leaves, whereas indica plants are shorter and stouter. They also have different effects on the body and brain, impacting functions like mood regulation and appetite control.
The ratio THC to CBD helps predict the specific effects of each strain. Sativa strains typically produce stimulating effects, enhancing alertness and creativity, while indica strains are more relaxing, aiding in pain relief and anxiety management.
While THC induces psychoactive effects, CBD is known for managing pain and anxiety.
Statistics
The THC content in marijuana has significantly increased over the years.
Its use is widespread globally, with a narrowing gender gap in consumption. In the USA, nearly 50 million people used marijuana in 2019.
Marijuana use is most widely prevalent among young adults aged 18 to 25, with over one in three in this age group using it. In the US, marijuana use is common across all age groups except the youngest.
North America currently has the highest prevalence of cannabis users globally, about 17% of adults, followed by Australia with about 12%. Australia legalized access to cannabis products for medical purposes in 2016. Since then, the number of applications in Australia has increased exponentially, with more than a million in 2021.
At this rate, Australia might turn into a big bong.
Usage in Europe is much lower, but it’s also increasing. The highest number of cannabis users in Europe are in Spain, followed by France, and the percentage of users has been increasing in the past decades in all European countries except Poland.
Alarmingly, 15% of pregnant mothers in the U.S. report cannabis use, risking neural development. The unknown long-term effects make it crucial to avoid cannabis during pregnancy and lactation.
The number of cannabis-related visits to the emergency department in the US has increased much faster than the increase in the number of users. But caution is needed in interpreting this data due to differences in definitions and outcomes. Hospitalizations related to cannabis use are on the rise in both countries, possibly influenced by legal changes and increasing THC content.
An important distinction is whether someone what admitted while on cannabis vs admitted due to being intoxicated.
Early cannabis (young people) use doubles the probability of future psychotic episodes. Gray matter thinning in the brain is accelerated by adolescent cannabis use. While some recovery may occur with lifestyle changes, complete reversal may not be achievable.
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21111126
Science
Depending on whether you smoke, inhale or chew gummies, THC and CBD enter the bloodstream either through the lungs or the digestive system.
It takes much longer for the compounds to be released from edibles, which is why that way it’s easier to accidentally overdose.
THC is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and occupies cannabinoid receptors in the brain. This affects the release of some neurotransmitters which the brain uses for regulation and leads to changes in perception, mood and cognitive function.
There isn’t just one type of THC and it doesn’t just occupy one receptor. The molecule THC comes in slightly different arrangements atoms, which are called isomers. The most important ones you need to know about are delta-8 and delta-9-THC.
Since they bind to receptors with different strength, they have somewhat different effects. Most of the THC in cannabis is of the type delta-9-THC and it’s responsible for the drug’s characteristic psychoactive effects.
Cannabis suppresses neural circuits in the basal ganglia and cerebellum, affecting physical mobility, action planning, and motor sequencing. It also increases appetite by activating CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus and affects pain perception by binding to CB1 receptors throughout the nervous system.
The CB1 receptor is a pre-synaptic heteroreceptor that modulates neurotransmitter release when activated in a dose-dependent, stereoselective and pertussis toxin -sensitive manner.
Effects
Some people find marijuana to decrease anxiety and reduces pain and increased creativity, but some report increased anxiety and paranoia.
Cannabis use can shift speech patterns, and is also linked to the ‘stoner laugh’ stereotype. Cannabis users speech patterns usually have less inflections and less sharpness in pronunciation.
You have probably heard the typical stoner laugh before, i.e., “ha ha yeaaa mannn”.
Cannabis might also have an effect on sexual activity, including libido and sexual function. fMRI studies show diverse responses among users to erotic stimuli, indicating a complex interplay between cannabis, hormones like prolactin and dopamine, and sexual arousal.
https://www.psypost.org/cannabis-use-linked-to-subtle-abnormalities-in-speech-production/
Repeated THC use can lead to tolerance and lead to higher doses. This can diminish positive outcomes like reduced anxiety and improved focus, with anxiety potentially worsening over time due to tolerance development.
CBD and THC can stay in the fatty tissues of the body for up to 80 days after ingestion, regardless of the method of intake.
