User:Rafaelamonteiro80/marijuana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cannabis, (also known as marijuana[1] or ganja[2] in its herbal form and hashish in its resinous form[3]) is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa L. subsp. indica (= C. indica Lam.). The herbal form of the drug consists of dried mature inflorescences and subtending leaves of pistillate ("female") plants. The resinous form consists primarily of glandular trichomes collected from the same plant material.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Macro_cannabis_bud.jpg/640px-Macro_cannabis_bud.jpg)
- For the plant see Cannabis.
The major biologically active chemical compound in cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC. It has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed, usually by smoking or ingestion. The minimum amount of THC required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect is about 10 micrograms per kilogram of body weight[4] (which, in practical terms, is a varying amount, dependent upon potency). A related compound, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidivarin, also known as THCV, is produced in appreciable amounts by certain drug strains. This cannabinoid has been described in the popular literature as having shorter-acting, flashier effects than THC, but recent studies suggest that it may actually inhibit the effects of THC. Relatively high levels of THCV are common in African dagga (marijuana), and in hashish from the northwest Himalayas. Humans have been consuming cannabis since prehistory[5], although in the 20th century there was a rise in its use for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. It is estimated that cannabis is now regularly used by four percent of the world's adult population.[6]
It has been reported that commercial hashish is often no more potent than high quality seedless marijuana.[7] However, carefully produced and screened hashish is up to three times as potent as the highest quality herbal varieties.[8]