Types of Cannabis Sativa Plant.

2009.05.05

The cannabis plant is very versatile with many qualities that can be enhanced or reduced by the growing conditions; light, nutrients, water.

 

When it is grown for medicine, it is grown in a way that encourages the plant to produce THC and cannabinoids. This is completely different that the way it is grown for industrial properties. Industrial cannabis, or hemp, does not contain any THC and does not produce any psychological effects if smoked. Hemp grows very tall and stalky, with barely and leaves and no buds at all.

 

Cannabis grown for medicine contains 60 active chemicals. THC is the most well-known because of the mental euphoria it produces. The 59 other chemicals in the plant are the cannabinoids and cannabidiols. These molecules are still being separated out and identified as to their individual properties. Their potential for medicinal benefit is evident from many studies which show that cannabis is effective as an anti-nausea agent. A recent study done in Canada suggests that a certain cannabinoid stimulates the growth of adult neurons in the hippocampal area of the brain! There are other studies which suggest that cannabis may have anticancer potential by reportedly causing the shrinkage of tumors in animal models. The true potential for all of the uses of cannabis is sadly affected by the lack of clinical studies because of restrictions on the use of the agent even for research purposes.

 

The cannabinoids are the chemicals in marijuana that can affect neurological pain, appetite, nausea, sleep, musculoskeletal pain as well as visceral pain. THC seems to be the most psychoactive component in the plant and works in conjunction with the cannabinoids. Marinol is a synthetic form of THC and has no cannabinoids in it at all which is part of the reason it is ineffective in a great number of people.

 

Cannabinoids are the chemicals in marijuana that can give some individuals the benefits that they claim they feel from ingesting the plant. Each person is different, and some people have receptors for certain cannabinoids and not for others, while other people have different receptors altogether. When the whole plant is ingested, all 60 chemicals are present and that makes it pretty likely that every person who ingests that plant is going to have at least one receptor hat binds with one of the 60 chemicals present. This means that almost everyone is going to feel some effect from cannabis; it just might not be the same effect as others feel.

 

Just as there are differences in people, there are differences in plants as well. There are 2 different strains of the marijuana plant, one is indica and the other is sativa. The differences in these two strains are in the amount of THC contained.

 

The indica strain of cannabis contains a lower amount of THC and a higher amount of cannabinoids. Many feel that the effects felt from ingesting this strain are more sedating, more relaxing, possibly better for pain and sleep.

 

The sativa strain has a higher concentration of THC than indica. It can produce an energetic “high” and consequently could have a stronger affect on mood and the mental state. It is said that sativa is sometimes the one thing that will motivate a depressed person to get out of the house and face the world.

 

Indica and sativa are the two main strains and have been cross-bred to produce multiple different hybrids. This enables patients to find a breed that works well for their particular condition. Many patients find that using different strains for different symptoms or different times of day effective. For example, someone suffering from pain and depression may use sativa during the day to help lift their mood but use an indica at night for pain relief and sleep.

 

The above illustrates the fact that there is much to learn about the effects and potential of cannabis as a therapeutic tool. Current ongoing research in other countries is a constant source of new information and it seems that we know only the “tip of the iceberg” of its nature.

Non Smoked Cannabis

Cannabis need not be smoked to be effective. There are vaporizers available that apply indirect heat to the plant material and reportedly release less of the toxins. The vaporizers require no flame or combustion, thereby avoiding the carbon combustion that produces smoke with tar. The vapors contain no tar, so are safer for the lungs than smoke and a lot less smelly.

 

Cannabis can also be eaten in foods or taken as an elixir. By ingesting cannabis, there are slightly different effects, which may make it a better method under certain situations and for certain individuals. It tends to last longer but has a slower onset of action. Consequently, it is also more difficult to gauge the appropriate dose that is needed since the immediate feedback seen with inhalation is absent. The effect will be a delayed one so it is easier to take more than is needed with this method. Finally, elixirs, (the fat, oil and alcohol soluble components of the plant) are used under the tongue in drops or added to beverages, depending on the circumstances and the effect desired. The different effects of marijuana ingested by mouth may be attributed to metabolism of the cannabinoids and THC by the liver, thus producing an altered molecule that is still active in the body and brain. This is not to be confused with sublingual (under the tongue) administration which absorbs directly into the blood stream via the oral mucosa.