Acupuncture | Alphorn | Astronomy | Aurora | Bamboo | Blackjack | Cannabis | Cavalier | Cellulitis | Cocktails | Didgeridoo | Earthquakes | Forex | Genealogy | Guatemala | Holidays | Isotopes | Jamaica | Mezcal | Paragliding | Penicillin | Sphinx | SwissCheese | Swooping | TrafficExchanges | Ukulele | Wakeboarding
Cannabis | Hemp | Marijuana
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. It is also known as hemp, although this term usually refers to Cannabis cultivated for non-drug use. As a drug it usually comes in the form of dried flowers (marijuana), resin (hashish), or various extracts collectively referred to as hash oil. The genus Cannabis was formerly placed with nettles in the family Urticaceae or with mulberries in the family Moraceae, but is now considered along with hops (Humulus sp.) to belong to the family Cannabaceae. Whether the different strains of Cannabis constitute a single species (Cannabis sativa L.) or multiple species has been a contentious issue for well over two centuries.
Ernest Small conducted a taxonomic investigation of Cannabis and concluded that there is only a single species with two subspecies, sativa and indica, each divisible into a cultivated and a wild variety. According to this concept, C. sativa subsp. sativa was selected for traits that enhance fiber or seed production and has low levels of the psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), whereas C. sativa subsp. indica was primarily selected for drug production and has relatively high levels of THC.
Botanists Richard E. Schultes and Loran Anderson also conducted taxonomic studies of Cannabis, and concluded that sufficient evidence exists to support recognition of three species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis. According to their species descriptions, C. sativa is tall and laxly branched with relatively narrow leaflets, Cannabis indica is shorter, conical in shape, and has relatively wide leaflets, and Cannabis ruderalis is short, branchless, and grows wild in central Asia. This concept was embraced by Cannabis aficionados who commonly distinguish narrow-leafed "sativa" drug strains from wide-leafed "indica" drug strains.
A recent study of genetic variation in Cannabis supports recognition of C. sativa and C. indica as separate species, although the existence of a third species, "C. ruderalis", is less certain. This study assigned hemp landraces and feral populations from Europe, central Asia, and Asia Minor to C. sativa. Cannabis indica includes both narrow-leafed drug and wide-leafed drug strains, as well as southern and eastern Asian hemp strains and feral Himalayan populations.
Millennia of selective breeding have resulted in varieties that look quite different. Also, breeding since circa 1930 has focused quite specifically on producing strains which would perform very poorly as sources of drug material. Hemp grown for fibre is planted closely, resulting in tall, slender plants with long fibres. Ideally, according to Defra in 2004 the herb should be harvested before it flowers. This early cropping is done because fibre quality declines if flowering is allowed and, incidentally, this cropping also pre-empts the herb's maturity as a potential source of drug material, even though the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content would still be very low with these strains of hemp.
The name Cannabis is the genus and was the name favoured by the 19th century medical practitioners who helped to introduce the herb's drug potential to modern English-speaking consciousness. Cannabis for non-drug purposes (especially ropes and textiles) was then already well known as hemp. The name marijuana is Mexican (or Latin American) in origin and associated almost exclusively with the herb's drug potential. That marijuana is now well known in English as a name for drug material is due largely to the efforts of US drug prohibitionists during the 1920s and 1930s. We can surmise that this name was highlighted because it helped to characterise the herbal drug as quite alien to English-speaking culture.
External Links
HIA - Hemp Industries Association
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) is a non-profit trade group representing hemp companies, researchers and supporters. We are at the forefront of the drive for fair and equal treatment of industrial hemp. Since 1992, the HIA has been dedicated to education, industry development, and the accelerated expansion of hemp world market supply and demand.
Cannabis.com
Hemp and Marijuana are both derived from the Cannabis plant. Hemp is cannabis grown for industrial use while marijuana is cannabis grown for recreational or medical use.
HowStuffWorks - Marijuana
Marijuana is the single most-used illicit drug in the United States. Despite being illegal, marijuana use rivals the popularity of browsing the Internet. In 1998, more than 76.5 million Americans logged onto the Internet, according to Computer Industry Almanac. In that same year, more than 71 million Americans over the age of 12 admitted that they have used marijuana at least once in their lifetime.
Drug Policy Alliance - Myths & Facts
In the 1960s and 1970s, many people believed that marijuana was harmless. Today we know that marijuana is much more dangerous than previously believed.