Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, C.indica, and C.ruderalis. Alternatively, C.ruderalis may be included within C.sativa, all three may be treated as subspecies of C.sativa, or C.sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species. The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Asia.
Cannabis in Oregon is legal for both medical and recreational use. In recent decades, the U.S. state of Oregon has had a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding use of cannabis (marijuana, hashish, THC, kief, etc.). Oregon was the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, and among the first to authorize its use for medical purposes. An attempt to recriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis was turned down by Oregon voters in 1997.
From 1999 through 2005, the ratio of Oregonians using cannabis outpaced the general United States population by 32–45%. In surveys conducted in 1974 and 1975—one and two years after decriminalization—it was found that 2% of respondents said they did not use marijuana or cannabis because they were unavailable, 4% for legal or law enforcement reasons, 53% reported lack of interest, and 23% cited health dangers. The remaining 19% were using or had used it at one time. (Full article...)
Image 14Three theories of classification for Cannabis. From left to right, monotypic with three subspecies (A), polytypic consisting of up to three species (B), and single phenotypically diverse species (C). (from Cannabis)
Image 15Relative size of cannabis types (from Cannabis strain)
Image 16Dense raceme of female flowers typical of drug-type varieties of Cannabis (from Cannabis)
Image 34The use of cannabis, at least as fiber, has been shown to go back at least 10,000 years in Taiwan. "Dà má" (Pinyin pronunciation) is the Chinese expression for cannabis, the first character meaning "big" and the second character meaning "hemp". (from Medical cannabis)
Image 35A hemp field in Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, France, which is Europe's largest hemp producer as of 2022 (from Hemp)
Image 36Illustrating various forms of medicinal cannabis (from Medical cannabis)
Image 39The Ebers Papyrus (c.1550 BCE) from Ancient Egypt has a prescription for medical marijuana applied directly for inflammation. (from Medical cannabis)
Image 48The Chinese character for hemp (麻 or má) depicts two plants under a shelter. Notably, the same character also means "numb". Cannabis cultivation dates back at least 3000 years in Taiwan. (from History of cannabis)
The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.