Cannabis was used medicinally in the western world (usually as a tincture) around the middle of the 19th century. It was famously used to treat Queen Victoria's menstrual pains, and was available from shops in the US. By the end of the 19th century its medicinal use began to fall as other drugs such as aspirin took over. It then was outlawed in the USA in the 1930s. It has a prominent religious role in many religions. Although it has probably been used as a recreational drug throughout its history, it came to prominence in the jazz scene during the fifties, its use taking off in the 1960s. It is now one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world.
Carol Nadelson, author of "Through a Glass Darkly," reports that Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems and flowers of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa, and is smoked or eaten for its hallucinogenic and pleasure-giving effects. The psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is concentrated in .
Brown 3.
the flowers. Hashish, a drug prepared from the plant resin, has about eight times more THC than marijuana. Marijuana grows throughout temperate regions, with the more potent varieties produced in hot, dry, upland climates. Except for limited medical purposes, cultivating marijuana is illegal in all but a few countries. Although marijuana has not been proven to be physically addicting, and no physical withdrawal symptoms occur when its use is discontinued, psychological dependence does develop. Many users describe two phases of marijuana intoxication: initial stimulation, giddiness and euphoria, followed by sedation and pleasant tranquility. Mood changes are often accompanied by altered perceptions of time and space and of one's bodily dimensions. The thinking process becomes disrupted by fragmented ideas and memories. Many users report increased appetite, heightened sensory awareness and pleasure. Negative effects can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, and a sense of helplessness and loss of self-control.