**Marijuana**
The term #0excludeGlossary has a rich and somewhat tangled history, with its origins rooted in the Mexican Spanish word #1excludeGlossary or #2excludeGlossary This term likely stems from the Nahuatl language, where “mallihuan” translates to “prisoner,” hinting at the plant’s historical associations with captivity and control. Over the decades, marijuana has undergone a significant transformation in public perception. Initially viewed with suspicion and linked to illicit activities, it has gradually gained recognition for its medicinal properties and recreational use. The modern understanding of marijuana encompasses its role as a source of cannabinoids, particularly THC, which is responsible for its psychoactive effects. As legalization efforts gain momentum worldwide, marijuana is increasingly seen as a legitimate component of wellness and lifestyle choices. This evolving narrative underscores the importance of understanding marijuana’s past to appreciate its present and future impact on society. [Source: Britannica, History.com]
Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/), commonly known as marijuana (/ˌmærəˈwɑːnə/), weed, pot, and ganja, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract.
| Cannabis | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cannabis in the drying phase | |
| Pronunciation |
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| Source plant(s) | Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, Cannabis ruderalis |
| Part(s) of plant | Flower and fruit |
| Geographic origin | Central or South Asia |
| Active ingredients | Tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinol, tetrahydrocannabivarin |
| Main producers | Afghanistan, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States |
| Legal status |
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Cannabis has various mental and physical effects, which include euphoria, altered states of mind and sense of time, difficulty concentrating, impaired short-term memory, impaired body movement (balance and fine psychomotor control), relaxation, and an increase in appetite. Onset of effects is felt within minutes when smoked, but may take up to 90 minutes when eaten (as orally consumed drugs must be digested and absorbed). The effects last for two to six hours, depending on the amount used. At high doses, mental effects can include anxiety, delusions (including ideas of reference), hallucinations, panic, paranoia, and psychosis. There is a strong relation between cannabis use and the risk of psychosis, though the direction of causality is debated. Physical effects include increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, nausea, and behavioral problems in children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy; short-term side effects may also include dry mouth and red eyes. Long-term adverse effects may include addiction, decreased mental ability in those who started regular use as adolescents, heart disease, chronic coughing, susceptibility to respiratory infections, and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
Cannabis is mostly used recreationally or as a medicinal drug, although it may also be used for spiritual purposes. In 2013, between 128 and 232 million people used cannabis (2.7% to 4.9% of the global population between the ages of 15 and 65). It is the most commonly used largely-illegal drug in the world, with the highest use among adults in Zambia, the United States, Canada, and Nigeria. Since the 1970s, the potency of illicit cannabis has increased, with THC levels rising and CBD levels dropping.
Cannabis plants have been grown since at least the 3rd millennium BCE and there is evidence of it being smoked for its psychoactive effects around 500 BCE in the Pamir Mountains, Central Asia. Since the 14th century, cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions. The possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis has been illegal in most countries since the 20th century. In 2013, Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational use of cannabis. Other countries to do so are Canada, Georgia, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, South Africa, and Thailand. In the U.S., the recreational use of cannabis is legalized in 24 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia, though the drug remains federally illegal. In Australia, it is legalized only in the Australian Capital Territory.
English
Alternative forms
- marihuana (less common)
Etymology
Borrowed from Mexican Spanish marihuana, from mariguana. First attested in 1874 in the publications of Hubert Howe Bancroft. Altered by influence of a folk etymology involving the proper name María Juana (“Mary Jane”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌmɛɹɪˈwɑ.nə/, /ˌmæɹ-/, /-ˈhwɑ-/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌmæɹɪˈwɑː.nə/
Noun
marijuana (usually uncountable
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