Cannabis is a leafy plant which grows wild in many of the tropic and temperate areas of the world. It is cultivated both indoors and out for the production of its flowering tops. The most commonly used form of cannabis are the leaves and flowering tops (buds) which may be either smoked or eaten; It also comes in a more concentrated resinous form called hashish, and as a sticky black liquid called hash oil. There are three distinct species of cannabis: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis, though there is some argument as to whether these should be considered varieties rather than species. Most recreationally used cannabis is the result of interbreeding between these three types. The term 'hemp' is generally used to describe low-thc varieties of cannabis which are grown for industrial uses.

Dose # The strength of cannabis varies greatly from one variety to another. Some, known as 'one-hit-shit', requires only a single lung-full to reach full effects while other varieties require many hits to achieve the same effects. Additionally, the amount that one individual likes to smoke can be many times what another prefers. Generally, 1/8 ounce (3.5 g) of mid-quality bud could get around 20-30 people reasonably high.

Price # Cannabis is sold on the street for anywhere between $25 - $150 per 1/4 ounce depending on quality and location. In the U.S., prices are generally $30-$60 for 1/4 ounce of lower quality and $60-$120 for 1/4 ounce of high quality bud. Prices drop quickly as quantity goes up, with prices for one pound of the lowest quality cannabis going from 0 (leaves are sometimes given away during harvest) to $200 and good quality buds from $1200 - $2000 per pound.

Law # The legal status of cannabis is currently shifting around the world. Although the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances prohibits cannabis and requires counties to prohibit its use and sale, individual US states and some countries have started legalizing cannabis. As of August 2015, Cannabis has been nationally legalized in Uruguay (2013) and Jamaica (2015). In contradiction of federal law (as of May 2019), ten American states have legalized the recreational use of cannabis; Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, California, Nevada, Vermont, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island.



Prescription and quasi-prescription medical use of cannabis is increasingly legally recognized, with individual cities, states, and countries exploring approved medical use.





Chemistry # The active ingredients in cannabis are called cannabinoids. There are many cannabinoids synthesized by the plant including tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinolidic acid, cannabigerol, and cannabichromene. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is thought to be responsible for most of the psychoactive effects of cannabis and is the active ingredient in synthetic thc pills such as marinol.

Pharmacology # Pharmacology Summary Needed.

Production # Cannabis plants do grow wild in many parts of the world, but the quality of wild specimens ('ditch-weed') is generally quite low. Most cannabis is cultivated intentionally and can be grown either indoors or out.

History # The cannabis plant has been used both medicinally and recreationally for thousands of years. It wasn't until the early 19th century that the use of cannabis as a psychoactive spread from China and the Middle East to the population of Europe and then to America in the middle of the century. Cannabis was made illegal in the U.S. in 1937 and has continued to be a popular recreational substance since that time.