Cannabis Marijuana, Weed: What It Is, Uses & Side Effects

Then there’s the issue of THC and CBD, two of the most well- cali.pen known compounds in marijuana. We look forward to keeping you informed, inspired and involved in all things CAMH. The risk is much higher in people who begin using cannabis before age 18.

Cannabis is the most used drug in the world — the World Drug Report 2025 estimated that 244 million people used cannabis in 2023 (4.6% of the global population between 15 and 64). Use among those aged 16 to 59 year decreased from 7.6% (around 2.5 million people) in the previous year. For the legal status of cannabis in countries world-wide see the legality of cannabis Wikipedia page. Many countries have legalised cannabis now including Canada, Mexico, South Africa and Uruguay.

THCV has been studied for metabolic and weight-related effects, while CBDV has reached Phase II clinical testing for neurological conditions. The FDA has also approved medications containing dronabinol — a synthetic form of delta-9 THC, and nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid structurally similar to THC. Some cannabinoid-based medicines have established medical uses and are FDA approved. Terpenes are aromatic compounds responsible for much of marijuana’s smell and flavor and can also have biological effects of their own. That does not mean a THCP product will necessarily produce a high exactly 33 times stronger than THC. THCP has shown exceptionally strong activity at cannabinoid receptors, but “33 times stronger” is an oversimplification.

Marijuana Safety

Scientists are also studying its effectiveness in managing pain, such as migraines. They all have different amounts of cannabinoids, the active compounds in cannabis. It’s responsible for the intoxicated, or “high,” feeling you get when using weed. The mood-based shopping guide does the work for you. Want to match products to how you want to feel? The actual experience depends far more on the specific cannabinoid and terpene profile than the plant category label.

• Research into delta-8 remains much smaller than the extensive literature on delta-9 THC, but recent controlled human studies have substantially expanded what is known about its potency and effects.
• However — the proportion achieving the study’s threshold for a clinically meaningful improvement did not differ significantly between the treatment groups and placebo.
• Although the chemical formula for THC , C21H30O2, describes multiple isomers, the term THC usually refers to the delta-9-THC isomer with chemical name (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
• One of the most important things to understand about cannabinoids is that the living marijuana plant does not primarily manufacture THC and CBD in the forms consumers recognize.

Recreational use is banned, medical cannabis prescriptions are tightly controlled, and the overall opinion remains, unfortunately, quite divided. The plant has been cultivated as a source of fibre, food, and medicine across cultures, continents, and timeframes. The researchers concluded that the risk of death from cannabis toxicity alone is “negligible.” For comparison — opioids and alcohol are each responsible for tens of thousands of single-substance deaths annually in the U.S.

CNN says study found cannabis could double heart attack risk – but did it? TRPV2 is an ion channel (which is widely present in the nervous system and is involved in immune response), and may hold therapeutic potential in many conditions such as cancer30, epilepsy and diabetes. Some of the conditions that GPR55 plays a role in are inflammatory and neuropathic pain and even as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer. One rodent study showed that mice that were genetically modified to not have GPR55 receptors — actually had a more enhanced sensitivity to THC. But for now, very little is known about how it works in general and how THC interacts with it in particular, so it’s not officially recognized as a part of the ECS. This receptor interacts with so many cannabinoids that some researchers suggest it should be classified as CB3- a third ECS receptor.

Tolerance is not a blanket adjustment to “cannabis” but a receptor-by-receptor response shaped by whichever compounds your brain has been exposed to most. In animal studies (chronic THC treatment led to roughly a 20 percent loss of CB1 receptor binding in brain regions like the hippocampus), cerebellum, and striatum, with the hippocampus showing the most pronounced changes.26PubMed Central. Someone who responds well to a particular strain of flower might have a very different experience with a THC isolate at the same dose — or with a different strain whose chemical profile tilts the balance differently.

Some programs use 12-step meetings to help people learn how not to relapse. Tolerance means you need more and more marijuana to get the same high feeling.

The word cannabinoid does not refer only to compounds found in marijuana. Two compounds can come from the same plant and have dramatically different effects. Researchers have identified well over 100 phytocannabinoids, with recent scientific reviews describing more than 150 and, depending on how related compounds are classified, roughly 160 minor cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are a broad family of chemical compounds that can interact with cannabinoid receptors or other biological signaling systems. CBD does not produce the same high and has become one of the most widely researched cannabis compounds. Cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds found in marijuana and hemp that can interact with the human body in remarkably different ways.

If your body develops a tolerance to cannabis, you may feel you need to take more to get the same effects. If you suspect someone has overdosed, it’s always best to administer naloxone. It’s unusual to overdose on herbal cannabis, but if it’s taken in large amounts or is contaminated with SCRAs (spice), the effects may be extreme and can lead to overdose. And always remember – if you’re feeling low and feel you can’t talk to a friend or family member, contact us for help through our webchat or find your local service.

• Others are recreational compounds manufactured through chemical conversion or synthesis.
• Although more research needs to be done — some studies suggest that using cannabis while you’re pregnant can affect your kids later in life.
• However — recent studies have shown little evidence of a link between cannabis use and lung cancer.
• It comes from the cannabis plant, which makes a thick substance full of compounds called cannabinoids.
• Because of their strength, vapes are generally prescribed for patients who need fast relief or who have not responded well to lower-strength products.
• Another difficulty researchers have is in recruiting people who smoke cannabis into studies.

In some U.S. states (it’s also prescribed to help with a range of medical conditions), including chronic pain, glaucoma, and poor appetite. A tincture prescribed as a cannabis-based medicinal product by a UK specialist is lawful for that patient only. The FSA advises healthy adults to take no more than 10mg of CBD per day from food supplements (and advises against CBD entirely for people who are pregnant), breastfeeding or taking prescribed medication. The large majority of UK patients access medical cannabis privately, through specialist clinics such as Sapphire Medical, Releaf, Mamedica, Cantourage, Lyphe Clinic and Curaleaf Clinic. Patients prescribed a cannabis-based medicinal product have a statutory medical defence, but only where the medicine was taken in accordance with the prescription and driving was not actually impaired.

Meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, it has no accepted medical treatment use and it’s not safe enough for use as a medicine.4 Depending on the state you’re in (THC products may be legally accessible to any adult), and other states restrict access to medical patients only. For instance CBD is best known for its anti-anxiety — anti-inflammatory and anti-epileptic effects, while THC is most commonly used to help with nausea, pain and spasticity. Click here for more product reviews, recipes, and research-based articles about CBD from Healthline.

Was this really a science-based policy, or simply a convenient way to show toughness in the face of the counterculture? Cannabis was not yet the focus — but the Act created a framework broad enough to include it when the time came. It is free, takes less than 20 seconds, and provides clear guidance on whether medical cannabis in the UK could be an option for you. If you are interested in finding out more about your treatment options, you can try Releaf’s medical cannabis eligibility checker.

So (although medical cannabis has more THC than hemp), levels are controlled and monitored by professionals toprovide therapeutic benefits. Medical cannabis is grown in controlled environments (to a strict level of quality), and can be consumed in flower form, cannabis oil, vape cartridges, capsules, and more. Its flowers contain hundreds of active chemical and therapeutic compounds — called cannabinoids, that can cause drug-like effects throughout the body, and terpenes, the part of a plant that produces the smell.