Cannabis is currently said to be the world’s most popular illicit drug, with as many as 203 million people. Cannabis may include a multitude of strains that differ from one another in terms of their chemical composition, use, or cultivation methods. For example, Canapa Sativa
is a cannabis plant variety typically grown for its seed and fiber production. It has been used in textile manufacturing for centuries. The industrial hemp variety of cannabis has very low levels of THC and high levels of CBD. It has become popular as a medical and recreational marijuana strain.
The Sativa variety of cannabis is usually tall and thin and has a higher THC content than the cannabis Indica variety. Cannabis ruderalis is a short variety of cannabis plants that originated in Russia. It is grown both outdoors and indoors, and it is often used as industrial hemp. The psychoactive effects of cannabis are different for Sativa, Indica, or hemp varieties of the plant.
Massive amounts of CBD-rich resin are produced by the cannabis plant, particularly by female flowers prior to senescence [decline with age]. This resin can be transformed into hashish through extraction processes depending on time, temperature, and pressure. It might take weeks to produce a small amount. The resin turns into dark brown or black hashish with a resinous texture.
The resin, hashish, or ‘charas’ are psychoactive forms of cannabis plants used for recreational purposes. These products are available in the market in varying qualities and prices. In India, charas is made from female inflorescences and the extracted resin is compressed into cakes which are smoked via charas pipes, chillums, bongs, and hookahs. In India, charas is mainly produced in Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Nepal [NEPAL]. Except for Nepal [NEPAL], these regions share a common border with India.
The leaves and flowers of cannabis are used to produce hemp fiber, hemp oil, and hemp-derived products. Haircare products made from the seeds of cannabis plants include gel, oil, shampoo, and soap. The seeds also may be used for illumination purposes in paint or as a textile fiber. Hemp fibers were originally used to make rope and canvas but are now used for several other applications such as clothing and automobile parts.
Cannabis is also known as marijuana among US State governments in the Old West [western states] due to its resemblance to the Mexican plant “marijuana.” After years of U.S. anti-marijuana propaganda, the plant was officially classified as a Schedule I drug by the 1980 federal Controlled Substances Act [CSA]. Under this law, cannabis is an illegal Schedule I drug with no medical value and a high potential for abuse.
The use of cannabis for recreational purposes is prohibited in most US States and Territories except for a few where possession of marijuana [decriminalized] is still allowed under state laws. However, in many states, it is legal to use marijuana medicinally under conditions such as severe pain treatment or after terminal illness (see:).
“Cannabis” has two different meanings. It can refer to one of three species of the genus Cannabis:
The term “marijuana” refers to the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, which are smoked or ingested to achieve a state of intoxication. The word may also refer to the resin extracted from such plants.
The cannabis plant varies widely in its growth and cultivation methods, appearance, chemical composition, and use. It is a tropical plant that takes about four months from seedling to harvest while hemp takes about six-ten months from seeding to harvest [india].
The leaves of the cannabis plant are used to produce fiber for clothing, paper, rope, and other items. The green flowers of the plant are transformed into a resin known as hashish that contains high levels of THC and CBD. The flower buds may be dried and smoked or cooked in various recipes to produce edible oils.
Cannabis seeds contain about 30% oil and are edible but most commonly consumed after roasting or boiling. Cannabis leaves also contain small amounts of THC: CBD cannabinoid ratio 2:1, although the levels vary depending on the variety of the plant [11]. Edible products made from hemp seeds include frozen desserts, breakfast cereals, flour, oil, and milk substitutes.