Cannabis is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis sativa plant that has both potential medical uses and well-documented health risks. It affects the brain, mood, and perception through specific chemical compounds called cannabinoids.

Key facts about cannabis

  • Cannabis comes from the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant and contains many chemicals called cannabinoids , including THC and CBD.
  • THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive component responsible for the “high,” while CBD (cannabidiol) is non-intoxicating and is being studied for possible therapeutic effects.
  • The plant contains over 100 distinct cannabinoids, and modern classifications suggest at least around 125 cannabinoid compounds have been identified.

How cannabis is used

  • Common methods of use include smoking (joints, pipes, bongs), vaporizing, eating edibles, and using oils or extracts such as hash or hash oil.
  • The flowers (buds) of the female plant contain the highest THC levels, followed by leaves, while stalks and seeds have much lower THC.

Medical use and legalization

  • Cannabis has been used in traditional medicines for centuries in regions such as China, Egypt, and India, and is now studied for conditions like pain, nausea, and some seizure disorders.
  • In the United States, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, but many states have legalized it for medical use and a substantial number for adult non-medical use.

Health risks and dependence

  • Cannabis is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with tens of millions of users each year.
  • An estimated 3 in 10 people who use cannabis develop cannabis use disorder, and the risk is higher for those who start using before age 18.
  • Heavy or frequent use, especially beginning in adolescence, has been linked to problems such as impaired attention and memory, increased risk of psychosis in vulnerable individuals, and negative impacts on school or work functioning.

Modern potency and trends

  • The average THC content of cannabis products has increased markedly compared with the 1970s, with modern flower often in the range of several percent to over 20% THC, and some oils far higher.
  • As THC levels have risen, CBD levels in many illicit or high-THC strains have tended to fall, which may influence the overall psychological and physiological effects.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.