Cannabis may have received widespread popularity over the past few years. However, extracts from the plant have been used from time immemorial, for different purposes.
But how deep is your knowledge about cannabis? Now, forget what you’ve heard about cannabis so far, and join me as I take you through some of the most mind-blowing facts about the plant.
Cannabis Has Been Around From Time Immemorial
While many of the medicinal properties of cannabis have been discovered recently, the herb has been in use for as long as we can’t remember. Studies trace the origin of the cannabis plant to Central and Southeast Asia, where the herb is reported to have been used for thousands of years.
But contrary to popular belief, cannabis was originally used as a culinary and medicinal herb as opposed to a recreational substance. It was also a common raw material in the textile industry. In fact, the word ‘canvas’ is closely related to cannabis, as canvases were historically made from extracts from the plant.
Cannabis Can Treat a Wide Range of Medical Conditions
Cannabis is hailed for its powerful analgesic effects, which explains why researchers now recommend it for the treatment of various medical conditions that manifest in both chronic and acute pain.
In addition to pain, the herb is also cited for its anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anxiolytic, and antispasmodic properties. Essentially, you can use cannabis to manage far more medical conditions than you can with most conventional medications. You can buy cannabis in many countries around the world now.
There Are Several Ways to Consume Cannabis
If you ever browsed any online dispensary Canada site then, you’d discover several cannabis-derived products. These products are largely marketed depending on the ways to administer them.
The top ways to consume cannabis include;
- Dripping cannabis oil tinctures underneath the tongue
- Vaping cannabis oils and concentrates
- Smoking cannabis buds and flowers
- Swallowing cannabis-based pills
- Eating cannabis edibles like baked goods and gummies
- Topical application of cannabis-infused ointments
Cannabis Has No Ideal Dose
One of the fun facts about cannabis that draws many users to the herb is that cannabis extracts do not have an ideal dose. That’s regardless of whether you’re consuming these extracts for medicinal or recreational purposes.
The amount of cannabis to consume typically depends on various factors, including;
- Your age and body weight
- Your body chemistry (which comprises your rate of metabolism and sensitivity to the cannabis compound)
- The severity of the medical condition you’re trying to treat
- The strength of the cannabis extract in a product
Since everyone has their own cannabis dose, you should always experiment with low quantities until you establish your ideal dose.
Cannabis and Marijuana Are Not One And The Same Thing
Most people often use the terms cannabis and marijuana interchangeably. However, these two terms are quite distinct from one another. Basically, cannabis is a plant genus that comprises various species, also known as strains. The two main cannabis species include Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica.
Marijuana is simply a variant of the cannabis plant, which is mostly associated with sativa strains and is famous for its significant concentration of the psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). On the other hand, most indica species produce a variant of the cannabis plant known as hemp, from where cannabidiol (CBD) is mostly derived.
Not All Cannabis Products Deliver Euphoria
As we’ve just indicated, the cannabis plant is made up of several species. These species produce various types of plant, with marijuana variants being the most popular for their psychoactive effects.
Basically, the primary compound in cannabis that produces the ‘high’ effect is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC happens to be most abundant in marijuana variants, or Cannabis sativa strains. However, during extraction, the compound can be isolated such that the resultant products are THC-free. And you can do it the other way around. You can isolate only the THC and make a tincture. The good thing about it is that the dosing is much more controlled. In this article, Zamnesia explains how to make a tincture yourself.
CBD and THC Are Not the Only Compounds of Cannabis
By now, you must already know that CBD and THC are the two major compounds obtained from the cannabis plant. The difference between these two is that THC comes with both intoxicating & psychotropic effects, whereas CBD does not. Therefore, CBD is mostly used for therapeutic purposes, while THC is more famous among recreational cannabis users.
However, CBD & THC is not the only compounds derived from cannabis. The plant contains hundreds of other cannabinoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols. Examples of these other compounds include cannabinoids like CBV (cannabivarin), CBC (Cannabichromene), and CBG (Cannabigerol), as well as terpenoids like Myrcene, Terpineol, and Limonene.
Cannabis May Be Psychoactive But It’s Far Less Addictive
The fact that certain cannabis extracts are psychoactive doesn’t necessarily make the plant addictive. Being psychoactive simply means that cannabis can alter your state of mind. Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is mostly associated with the psychoactive elements of cannabis, causes feelings of euphoria by binding to brain receptors known as CB1 receptors.
However, only about 9% of people who use cannabis for recreational purposes become addicted to the herb. That’s in contrast to about 15% who try cocaine and 24% who try heroin. So, yes, you may get high from smoking cannabis, but the chances of addiction are next to none.
Cannabis Delivers Different Effects in Men and Women
According to a 2014 study published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal, men and women enjoy different experiences from using cannabis. In this study, it emerged that females were a bit more sensitive to cannabis.
According to Rebecca Craft, Washington State University psychologist, the difference in cannabis experience across the genders has a lot to do with a difference in hormonal activity. Also, a high cannabis sensitivity is closely associated with a tolerance for the herb. So, if a married couple begins using the same cannabis amounts today, the woman will likely increase their doses sooner than the man will.
Cannabis Is Beneficial For Pets Too
Not only humans but pets can also enjoy the therapeutic effects of various cannabis extracts. That’s because animals have a nearly similar endocannabinoid system.
Basically, the endocannabinoid system is the system within the body that regulates an animal’s normal homeostatic balance. It plays a pivotal role in pain relief, anxiety treatment, etc. Cannabis impacts the body by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. So, a puff of pot for your furry friends isn’t a bad idea.
We can go on and on about cannabis and its mind-blowing facts. However, the ten facts we’ve highlighted here will offer you background information before you begin using the herb.
