Marijuana Essay, Research Paper

Marijuana

What s illegal, friendly to the environment, not supported by the powers that be, and gets you banged up in nick for possession of it?

Well the answer can only be the green bud, the Buddha, the wacky backy or the puff, well what ever you call it it all boils down to the simple name of marijuana.

So how come this plant has gained such a cult following over the thousand and odd years it s been subjected to us?

Well I suppose you I could spout out the useful purposes of the plant, such as the fact that it provides an alternative to paper, a rather better one I hear. Also it can produce up to four times as much paper from one acre of hemp, when compared to an acre of your average trees. The marijuana plant is also very easy to grow back if they are destroyed.

So where in the hell did this plant come from?

Marijuana has been on the scene for 1000 years. Over this period the world has been supplied with textiles, rope and clothing made using the plant. Well that was quite a while ago.

Even the Romans were keen on the old stuff, well it is said that they grew it for paper and other things, well it s the other things that have got me intrigued. English farmers also were known to grow it, which knows what they did with it though.

What exactly does marijuana look like you may ask yourself, well I shall tell you. The plant it self is any thing between 2-20 foot tall. It is usually quiet bushy and leafy. The leaves of a marijuana plant are very distinctive as have jagged edges.

The official active ingredient with in marijuana is known as tertehydrocannbinal. Once this chemical is released on to the brain, symptoms such as those induced by alcohol can be noticed.

The high induced whilst using marijuana all depends on the type of strain, which you are using. Strains vary in such a way that a strong strain will give you a heavy feeling, where as a lighter strain will leave you with all your faculties intact. The atmosphere you are in whilst using marijuana also affects the way in which you feel. If you are subjected to being with people who do not feel comfortable with, a sense of paranoia can be felt. Where as if you are with friends you will tend to be more relaxed and go with the flow. A point that must be remembered is that marijuana only hypes up the mood you are already in.

Marijuana is not a physically addictive drug. The reactive properties with marijuana differ from other drugs on the market. Although saying this it is also known, well actually I should say not known about the relations ship between withdrawal symptoms and marijuana. This why no one can really state that by using marijuana addiction will follow.

Taking the above statement into account some may ask themselves the next time they are rolling a cheeky little biffter. Is this really bad for me, they may go as far to justify the goodness in today s shit.

Some might say that marijuana is a way of leaving yourself for a while, a way in which to delve in to your own psychosis. Other states that they use it as a way out. To me it just boils down to what ever floats your boat. But I must add though that marijuana has a certain label attached to it as being a gateway drug. The definition of gateway drugs are that the lead to other drugs. For example one might say the majority of crack and cocaine users either regularly use marijuana or have used it. But the same cannot be said for marijuana users. So I think that kind of theory is for individuals to decide their own fate.

The potency of the marijuana strains that we get here in Britain have changed over the last 30 year. The potency of marijuana increases along side the increase of THC. Back in the 70`s the THC levels in marijuana were about 0.5-6. %. These days the strains can range from 0.5-30%, but the majority of stuff that is around these days is under 10%. Unless you are smuggling the shit in from oversees. The funny thing about the levels though is the higher the level the less you will smoke, well unless you plan on throwing a whitey that is.

Well lets see we have talked about were it is from, it s chemical name, the fact that clinically it is not addictive and the strength of it. But we have not mentioned how you get that particular high from marijuana; I think that is worth mentioning, don t you. I believe that the most popular form of gaining the high is by smoking marijuana. That does not mean though that is the only method of reaching cloud 9. When smoking marijuana it is rolled in to what is known as a joint. The other forms of consumption can be done using specialist pipes, where the marijuana is burnt via a naked flame. Pipes are not very portable thought and unlike a joint a pipe has to be re lit. Smoking using a bong is one way to really get the blood going. The way this works is the smoke is drawn through the water. This system is quite hand as it cools the smoke so as not to be too harsh on the throat and lungs.

Marijuana can also be consumed in the form of food. This is done bay adding it to your cooking preparation. The most famous example of this must be hash cakes and biscuits. Which are extremely popular with the tourists in Amsterdam. By consuming marijuana is such a fashion; it takes time for a high to be felt. But once it does hit you, then hold on because the word intense is taking to the limit.

As a society what we need to understand certain facts about marijuana, before judgement is laid down. Factors that should be taken in to account are the fact that marijuana could actually save tree s, cure diseases; solve environmental issues, and other problems, which affect the social, economic and environmental matters. I mean for god s sake you don t have to even puff on the cheeba to realise this. Really all it takes is some kind of awareness campaign to make people stand up and listen.