Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species being recognized: Cannabis sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Alternatively, C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa, or all three may be treated as subspecies of C. sativa, or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species.
The plant is also known as hemp, although this term is usually used to refer only to varietiescultivated for non-drug use. Hemp has long been used for fibre, seeds and their oils, leaves for use as vegetables, and juice. Industrial hemp textile products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fibre.
CHS is associated with frequent (weekly or more often), long-term (several months or longer) cannabis use; synthetic cannabinoids can also cause CHS. The underlying mechanism is unclear, with several possibilities proposed. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms; a history of cannabis use, especially persistent, frequent use of high-dose cannabis products; and ruling out other possible causes of hyperemesis (persistent vomiting). The condition is typically present for some time before the diagnosis is made. (Full article...)
Then legal hashish-shop in Kathmandu (Nepal) on 27 Jun 1973
Credit: Roger McLassus
Hashish (often shortened to hash, and also referred to by countless slang terms such as chocolate) is a psychoactivedrug derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. It is solid, of varying hardness and pliability, softening under heat. Its colour can vary from reddish brown to black, and can also be greenish or golden. It is usually smoked in pipes, and sometimes in joints mixed with tobacco or Cannabis buds. It can also be added to cookies or other food and ingested. Hash is used for its relaxing and mind-altering effects. Many people have claimed that using it gives them great insights.
Image 4Three theories of classification for Cannabis. From left to right, monotypic with three subspecies (A), polytypic consisting of up to three species (B), and single phenotypically diverse species (C). (from Cannabis)
Image 5Hemp being grown in Oregon in 2020 (from Hemp)
Image 8Top of Cannabis plant in vegetative growth stage (from Cannabis)
Image 9Harvesting hemp in the USSR, 1956 (from Hemp)
Image 10The Chinese character for hemp (麻 or má) depicts two plants under a shelter. Notably, the same character also means "numb". Cannabis cultivation dates back at least 3000 years in Taiwan. (from History of cannabis)
Image 11The variety of appearances for cannabis. Only C. sativa (left) is suited for industrial hemp, but it also has medicinal varieties. (from Hemp)
Image 26A hemp field in Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, France, which is Europe's largest hemp producer as of 2022 (from Hemp)
Image 27A dried bud, typical of what is sold for recreational use
Image 28The use of cannabis, at least as fiber, has been shown to go back at least 10,000 years in Taiwan. "Dà má" (Pinyin pronunciation) is the Chinese expression for cannabis, the first character meaning "big" and the second character meaning "hemp". (from Medical cannabis)
Image 34The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BCE) from Ancient Egypt has a prescription for medical marijuana applied directly for inflammation. (from Medical cannabis)
... that the passage of the A.B. 390 by California's Public Safety Committee marked the first time in United States history that a bill legalizing marijuana passed a legislative committee?
Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp fields?