Cannabis -The Good with the Bad

2009.03.17

Cannabis was once a word that was almost only spoken under the umbrella of secrecy. It was and still is an illegal drug and is not something that one goes around openly talking about in public places not to even mention using it. Although there are many casual users that don’t object to having a least one cannabis plant in their possession.

Although the term cannabis is a common term, there are many individuals who are not aware of it, but when you call in marihuana then it becomes recognizable. Even more people will recognize it as weed.  Ironically when the term marijuana is used it doesn’t seem to be quite so ominous to people. Another common slang term for it is pot.

There has been so much emphasis put on the legalities of this substance that unfortunately people have forgot about its origin and what its good qualities are. This does not merely come from ignorance of the drug but comes from the fact that it has been abused and this has essentially given cannabis a bad name.

It seems to be forgotten that cannabis is a derivative of a plant. Mind you, don’t underestimate it potency. If one takes the matured flowers as they have dried along with the leaves of the female plant then they have the makings of cannabis. More can be gleaned from this female plant as well. If you hear reference to hashish then this is referring to the resin form of the same plant material.

Individuals when they first start using the cannabis are naïve as to some of its qualities. They don’t realize that the chemical compound of it will show up in the blood as THC. So if a person tells their Physician for example that they do not use the drug, they can expect to be found out, if blood tests are performed. There are some additional factors to this mind you, for example how much they used and how recent.

It wasn’t all that long ago that some people believed  that individuals who used cannabis were of a criminal nature, out and out lawbreakers. It most often was linked to the world of crime because of it being an illegal substance. Now it almost seems as though it has become accepted by society in general. There are a large number of individuals in the world who use it on a recreational basis and a smaller but significant amount who use it on a daily basis.

It’s interesting to note how various countries view the use of the drug. Some countries are actually lightening up on their rules regarding the substance while others are viewing it as a dangerous illegal drug and are making rules that are more stringent.

Over the years, cannabis has been used for many purposes such as medicinal or even spiritual uses. As was mentioned it seems that many of the good purposes of cannabis has been forgotten. As an herb, it has its place as dietary supplements, food and even medicine. This last point has been receiving far more recognition over the past few years as to its usefulness in treating a variety of illnesses that promote pain and nausea.