Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/)[1] is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis; C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa; all three may be treated as subspecies of a single species, C. sativa;[2][3][4][5] or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species.[6] The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Central Asia, with some researchers also including upper South Asia in its origin.[7][8]
The plant is also known as hemp, although this term is often used to refer only to varieties of Cannabis cultivated for non-drug use. Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, hemp seeds and their oils, hemp leaves for use as vegetables and as juice, medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber. To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent. Some strains have been selectively bred to produce a maximum of THC (a cannabinoid), the strength of which is enhanced by curing the fruits. Various compounds, including hashish and hash oil, are extracted from the plant.[9]
In the US, "industrial hemp" is classified by the federal government as cannabis containing no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. This classification was established in the 2018 Farm Bill and was refined to include hemp-sourced extracts, cannabinoids, and derivatives in the definition of hemp.[10]
Globally, in 2013, 60,400 kilograms of cannabis were produced legally.[11] In 2014 there were an estimated 182.5 million cannabis users (3.8% of the population aged 15–64).[12] This percentage did not change significantly between 1998 and 2014.[12]
- ^ https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/cannabis
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
GuyWhittle2004was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Classification Report". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
- ^ "Indica, Sativa, Ruderalis – Did We Get It All Wrong?". The Leaf Online. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
- ^ "Species of Cannabis". GRIN Taxonomy. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
- ^ "Cannabis sativa L". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
- ^ A. ElSohly, Mahmoud (2007). Marijuana and the Cannabinoids. Humana Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-58829-456-2. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ M. Lambert, Didier (2009). Cannabinoids in Nature and Medicine. Wiley-VCH. p. 20. ISBN 978-3906390567. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ Erowid. 2006. Cannabis Basics. Retrieved on 25 February 2007
- ^ "7 U.S. Code § 5940 – Legitimacy of industrial hemp research". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ Narcotic Drugs 2014 (PDF). INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD. 2015. p. 21. ISBN 9789210481571.
- ^ a b Crime, United Nations Office on Drugs and (May 2016). "Statistical tables" (PDF). World Drug Report 2016. Vienna, Austria. p. xiv, 43. ISBN 978-92-1-057862-2. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
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