Marijuana
(See: Drugs in American Society, 5th and 6th editions, Erich Goode, McGraw-Hill, 1999/2005. Chapter 9 and Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior (7th ed), Ray and Ksir, Mosby, 1996. Chapter 16)

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Basic Facts

• A Vegetal Substance
• Parts used (ASC): Leaves, Flowering Tops- (Buds), Resin
• Parts Used (Other): Fibers (rope), Seeds (oil--diesel fuel, cosmetics and food), Entire plant (paper, clothing, etc.)
• Psychoactivity: Plant genetics and environment
• Three Species: Named in 1793 by Linneaus

1. Cannabis Sativa (Asia- fibers, up to 18 ft., Specified in Law)
2. Cannabis Indica (Grown specifically for resin, 2-3 ft.)
3. Cannabis Ruderalis (Russian)
4. Varieties

• A Gallery of Hemp

WWW Links

1. DrugText Information on Cannabis

2. Marijuana Links

3. PDX NORMAL Article Links

4. William Novak's "High Culture"  1980.

5. The Lycaeum

6. The Vaults of Erowid: Exposing Marijuana Myths

7. Yahooka

8. Cannabis Research Library

9. Drug Policy Alliance Library (Lindesmith Center) (Medical Marijuana)

10. Safety First Fact Sheet on Marijuana

11. Marijauna-Info.org (NIDA)

12. Cannabis Facts and Information

13. http://www.drugscience.org Cannabis Rescheduling

14. "Busted: America's War on Marijuana" (PBS)
15. YouTube Marijuana Videos
16. Google Marijuana Videos

Active Ingredients

• About 400 Chemicals in the smoke of marijuana
• 61==> Cannabinoids (found only in marijuana)
• Primary Active Ingredient: Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Marijuana contains between 1-20% THC

1. Mexican marijuana (1960-1970's): ~2-6% THC
2. Columbian marijuana: 4-8% THC
3. Sinsemilla: 6-20% (Female versus Male plant)
4. Domestically cultivated marijuana today can contain up to 20% THC but this is rare (about 10% of confiscated samples have THC content above 15%
5. Marijuana potency in Europe, 2005
6. Street level content today: 1-20%; typical 4-10% !!! No Significant Change. More potent forms more easily available, but no dramatic (20-30 times) increase in potency as reported by press and governmental agencies. See also: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/373/marijuanapotency.shtml, and http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v09n3/09320gie.html
   1. Reports from the DEA Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project indicate perhaps a doubling of average potency over past 10 years

Traditional Indian Preparations

Charas (pure resin)

Ganja (Top and pistillate flowers) from the female plant (Sinsemilla)

Bhang: All the rest

Red Oil of Cannabis

1. Boil plant substance in ETOH
2. Filter
3. Evaporate=> (Hash Oil): up to 50% THC
4. Long known and utilized for a variety of recreational and medicinal purposes.

1. Reports from the DEA Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project indicate perhaps a doubling of average potency over past 10 years

Other Psycho-Active Agents

• 11-Hydroxy-delta-9-THC (major metabolite of THC)
• Cannabidiol (CBD): common in low potency marijuana, primarily a sedative effect
• Cannabinol (CBN): Produced when THC is exposed to the air. (Little in fresh substance- typically more potent). CBN heightens disorienting qualities of drug.
• Biosynthetic precursor to THC produced by plant: THC Acid. Over time, warmth changes THC Acid=> THC.
• At any time plant material contains THC in all three states: Inactive THC Acid, active THC, and disorienting CBN.
• THC isolated and synthesized in 1964
• Dronabinol (Marinol) (medical marijuana): FDA approved for use in 1985.

  Marijuana
  (See: Drugs in American Society, 5th and 6th editions, Erich Goode, McGraw-Hill, 1999/2005. Chapter 9 and Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior (7th ed), Ray and Ksir, Mosby, 1996. Chapter 16)

  For a copy of the whole page of notes with a solid color background, click here.

URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~rkeel/180/pot.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel rok@umsl.edu
References and Credits for this Page of Notes
Last Updated: Sunday, March 9, 2008 2:17 PM