What Is Cannabis?
Cannabis is a stimulating-hallucinogenic depressant with anti-psychotic properties, it’s not your normal run of the mill drug.
To be strictly accurate and possibly pedantic cannabis is not a drug; cannabis is a plant which produces a range of active chemicals which we call drugs. Some forms of the plant contain a substance known as THC which, together with certain other chemicals made by the plant, produce an effect on perception known in much of the world as “getting stoned”.
The cannabis experience is the combined effect of several drugs, not simply the effect of THC alone and different types (strains) of the cannabis plant produce different ratios of the active drugs and therefore have subtly different effects on the user. Some forms of cannabis do not contain very much if any THC.
This section will provide information on the plant, it’s benefits and risks.
UKCIA Research Collection
UKCIA holds a large collection of studies and information about cannabis – search UKCIA here
Medical uses
Medical cannabis – a whole section is devoted to this aspect
Hemp
The many uses of Hemp – Part 1 and Part 2 – Nuff Said
The plant
The Importance Of Matured Cannabis – Paul Lawrenson
Cannabis and Mental Health
Does Cannabis Make You Mad? – Derek Williams
CBD – The Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid? Peter Reynolds
New Research Into Cannabis And Mental Health – Will Gibson, University Of Reading
COMT Gene Cannabis Scare Story Disproven Again – Peter Reynolds
COMT; another “wrong” result for the reefer madness hype – Derek Williams
Health risks
A summary of the health harms of drugs (NHS) – Critique of the cannabis information – Derek Williams
Using cannabis
Toke Pure – a CLEAR safer use campaign
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