Cannabis Flashcards
what is a cannabinoid?
- some chemical agents in cannabis
- 60-80
- ex. THC and CBD
cannabis is grown in a hot & dry climate?
- fibre content is weak
- resin is produced making the plant look like it’s covered in dew
cannabis is grown in a cooler more humid environment?
- fibre content increases
- resin content decreases
What was the earliest reported use of cannabis and what was it used for?
- 10,000 yrs ago
- used for fibre properties instead of a psychoactive drug
what is the oldest cultivated plant NOT used for food?
cannabis
Chinese emperor Shen Nung
- used for its psychoactive properties around 2800
When was cannabis introduced to Canada and the US? Who introduced it? What was its use?
- Canada: 1606, by the British
- US: 1611, by the Royal order
- entirely HEMP use
Europe and the mid-1800s
- cannabis was consumed mainly in the form of hashish that was consumed orally
- romantic rage in Europe
Dawamesc
- “sweetmeat”: flower tops, boiled in butter, strained seasoned with vanilla, cinnamon and pistachio
- hash eaters
Cannabis and the late-1800s in North America
- used in medicines
Tea rooms
- cannabis consumption occured in these rooms
- with prohibition in the US, cannabis consumption increased
Harry Anslinger
- waged against all drug use
- cannabis mainly got attention from the law enforcement in the 20s and 30s bc of him
why were cannabis laws justified and what impact did it have?
- cannabis laws were justified bc they thought that minority groups such as African Americans and Mexicans were the primiary users
- this created a negative connotation around the drug
how was cannabis classified in Canada - was this right?
- cannabis was classified as a narcotic
- not right bc only opiates are narcotics but they tried to have a guilt by association
What year was the first legislation made against cannabis
1929
What do recent surverys indicate about canabis use? (3)
- 45% of Canadians aged 15+ have tried cannabis in their life time
- 12% of Canadians aged 15+ have used a cannabis product within the past year
- 33% of these idenify as dailiy users
what is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis?
- delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
what was the year that THC was isolated and synthesized?
1964
what is the most common cannabis product and was comprises it?
- marijuana
- mixture of dried leaves and flower buds
1970s marijuana vs. today’s marijuana THC content
- 1970s: contained 30mg (2%) THC by weight
- today: contained 60 mg (4%) THC by weight
- marijuana today has doubled in THC content compared to the 70s
Trichome and what does it create
- creates hashish
- cannabinoid-rich glandular hairs which are separated from the plant material
keif and what does it create
- kief is are separated trichomes
- squeezed togetehr to create the block of hashish
What is the general THC content of Hashish?
- varies but genrally 10% THC
how is hash oil prepared and what is the genral THC content
- prepared by boilining cannabis material in a solvent which extracts the cannabinoids
- generally 40% THC
what is the most typical method of administering THC? and how much THC is generally absorbed in that method?
- smoking in the form of a joint (10mg)
- dabbing is also a method
- genrally only 50% of THC in that joint is available for absorption but less than 100% of this is actually absorbed
does THC increase with repeated use?
- there is no extra eperimental evidence to support the effects of marijuana increasing with repeated use
- the individual functionally becomes better at getting more THC when they smoke so they are just getting a larger dose
what is the most effective method for getting marijuana into the brain? when does the onset period occur? when does the peak blood concentration occur? when does the peak effects occur and how long does it last?
- smoking
- onset effects happen in seconds
- peak blood concentrations occur within 10 minutes
- peak effects occur in 30-60minutes and last for 2-4 hours
how do edibles hold up to smoking - when is the onset period, when does the peak blood concentration occur and how long do effects last?
- cannabinoids are slowly and poorly absorbed from the digestive tract
- equivalent effects are produced by an oral dose of THC that is 3x that of an inhaled dose
- peak effects occur 1-3 hours and effects can last up to 5 hours
are cannabinoids lipid-soluble and can cross the blood-brain barrier?
yes
what is the elimination half-life THC?
around 5 days
what are some effects that THC can produce? what are some of the rare effects?
- mild, euphoria, peacefulness, drowsiness, perceptual and time distortions
- rare: hallucinations, delusions and distortions of body image (not sought after effects)
Marijuana as an aphrodisiac
- THC can cause a brief rise in testosterone which may result in an increase in libido
- higher doses and with continued use can cause testosterone levels to drop, reducing libido and producing acute impotency