Marijuana Health Article

MARIJUANA

Marijuana is a dried mixture of the leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa, or hemp plant. Slang words for marijuana include "pot," "weed," "grass," and "dope." The term "cannabis" refers to different psychoactive preparations of the plant, including marijuana, hashish, and hashish oil. Hashish is the resin produced by the flowering tops of the plants; hashish oil is a concentrated form of cannabis extracted from the plant or resin using a solvent. Unpollinated female plants are called sinsemilla (sen-suh-mee-ah) and the flowering tops of these plants produce potent "buds" that do not contain seeds.

The major psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but there are more than sixty related chemicals in marijuana, which are called "cannabinoids." Cannabis also contains other unrelated compounds that have similar psychoactive effects. The World Health Organization reported in 1997 that THC content in marijuana ranges from 0.5 to 4 percent, while concentrations in cannabis oil, hashish, and sinsemilla generally range from 7 to 14 percent, but may be as high as 20 percent. THC concentration depends on the variety, sex, and growing conditions of the plant, and it has increased over the years due to hydroponic cultivation techniques and selective breeding.

Marijuana and other cannabis products are usually smoked as a cigarette (a "joint") or in pipes, but may also be ingested orally. In the 1990s, the use of "blunts" to smoke marijuana became more common. A blunt is made by removing the tobacco from a cigar wrapper and filling it with marijuana, or a mixture of marijuana and some other drug like cocaine.