What Is Cannabis?

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When it comes to cannabis, I’ve been a “member of the club” since the 1980s. I’ll have to admit that over the years as I’ve “puff, puff, passed,” the thought of where my chronic strains came from or how I could define its chemical makeup never once crossed my mind. But many people want to know what they’re putting in their pipe and smoking, so I did a little digging and came up with the following information about our favorite weed.

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Sativa, Indica, & THC

The final cannabis products come from the cannabis plants known as cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. Although it can grow in just about any climate, it grows wild in warmer, more tropical areas around the globe. Today, it is being grown indoors through hydroponic methods. The primary ingredient is referred to as Delta-9 Tetrahydro-Cannabinol, otherwise known as THC. This is where your “high” comes from. You can infuse as much THC as needed for greater potency and a more intense buzz.

Popular Cannabis Products

Cannabis has been consumed traditionally in a joint or bong. The good thing about bongs is that you can make one from just about anything around the house; even an apple. Cannabis can come in a few forms: flower, hashish, and cannabis oil. There is another type of cannabis that won’t get you high called hemp. Marijuana, the dried-out flowers of the plant, is the least potent form of cannabis and is either smoked or consumed as an edible product like brownies, cookies, and candy. Hashish is produced from a substance called “resin” that is secreted from the plant. Typically, it is turned into small square chunks and smoked. Hashish can be mixed into many foods and eaten. Finally, hash oil is a thick substance produced from hashish and is known to be the most powerful cannabis product.

Understand Your High

Cannabis is largely a depressant, though that doesn’t mean it’s used to make you feel depressed. Rather, it helps to slow down the messages being transmitted to the brain and the central nervous system. If too much is consumed at one time, you can experience hallucinations. However, most of us use cannabis to relax or feel a sense of euphoria or “high.” It alters the way you think and perceive the world around you. Normal, routine activities seem to be more intense. Cannabinoids are absorbed into the bloodstream and through the lungs when it is smoked. It is absorbed through the stomach when it is eaten. Here’s how it works: The bloodstream moves the THC to the brain which causes your “high.” This is the fastest way to get buzzed.

Any Known Aliases?

Cannabis is known by names such as dope, pot, Mary Jane, chronic, ganja, Buddha, grass, marijuana, and weed, just to name a few. It is illegal in the vast majority of the U.S., although multiple states are now taking up the cause of ending the prohibition of the herb. Evidence does not support the notion that smoking cannabis leads to addiction to harder drugs like heroin and cocaine.

Know Your Dro

It is safe to say that pot smokers, even long-term users, are unaware of most of this information. Resources like Leafbuyer and The Marijuana Facts offer wonderful opportunities for us to educate ourselves about the benefits as well as the risks of consuming cannabis.

Alfonzo Porter