cannabis or hemp is probably the most well-known plant in the world, or at least the most talked about in recent years. It has actually been at the center of various scientific and medical studies to explore the benefits of so-called legal weed, which seem to be numerous.
Precisely for this reason, in recent years, the trade of legal marijuana has become increasingly widespread. In fact, it is possible to purchase it both in physical stores scattered throughout cities and on one of the best online stores for legal cannabis available on the web.
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Cannabis has been present in human life for thousands of years, with its first cultivation in Central Asia dating back to 5000 BC, while it is estimated to have grown spontaneously in Italy at Lake Albano (near Rome) around 11,000 years before Christ. Throughout this time, it has been used for various purposes, ranging from the use of hemp fibers to make fabrics to therapeutic or recreational uses. Its socio-political and moral demonization that followed led to the abandonment of these habits for years, but it now seems to be making a comeback.
Despite its notoriety and the fact that it is often on everyone’s lips, few people really know everything there is to know about legal weed. In this article, we will try to clarify some points about this substance and dispel some myths and prejudices.
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Difference between hemp and marijuana
In reality, there is no real difference between the two, and the distinction has been made arbitrarily since the 1930s in America, when the true criminalization of the plant began. However, this differentiation has now become part of common usage.
Today, by the term hemp, we refer to the plant without the psychoactive ingredient that is generally used for the production of food, fabrics, ropes, cosmetics, biofuels, paper, and even innovative and organic building materials.
Marijuana, on the other hand, indicates the variety containing THC, or the psychoactive ingredient.
Differences between cannabis sativa, cannabis indica, and cannabis ruderalis
Botanically, these three different varieties belong to the same Cannabaceae family, but they are different genetic types of the plant and have different characteristics.
Cannabis Sativa originates from equatorial regions and is the tallest of the three. It is less bushy than the others and more productive. Its thin seven-pointed leaves are the typical leaves depicted in illustrations. Cannabis Sativa has high concentrations of THC and lower concentrations of CBD, and as a result, it is very stimulating at the brain level and energizing; in fact, it enhances concentration and creativity.
Cannabis Indica, on the other hand, is bushier and shorter than the former. It originated in waterproof subtropical areas, so it requires less sunlight than sativa. The leaves are thicker and more stocky. The higher concentration of CBD gives it great relaxing capabilities at the muscular and mental levels; in fact, it also promotes sleep.
Cannabis Ruderalis grows in harsher climates, such as those in Russia and northern China. It is autoflowering, so it does not depend on photoperiod to bloom, allowing it to grow even without particular care. However, it contains such low concentrations of CBD and THC that they are ineffective in their pure state, so it is used in hybrid forms with Ruderalis and Sativa.
Substances contained in cannabis
This plant contains many active ingredients, with more than 600 substances composing it. These include over 200 terpenes, hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols, flavonoids, aldehydes, and many other substances in addition to the 120 cannabinoids, whose distribution varies according to cannabis strains. Usually, only three or four cannabinoids reach concentrations above 0.1% in a plant.
THC
THC is undoubtedly the most well-known active ingredient present in cannabis. It has significant psychoactive capabilities and exerts its action by interacting with CB1 and CB2 receptors. Numerous scientific studies have shown its effectiveness against many disorders such as sleep apnea, glaucoma, and atherosclerosis. Its antiemetic properties allow it to be used even in patients undergoing chemotherapy and those with AIDS.
CBD
Even CBD is an active ingredient found in cannabis and is very famous, being the center of many studies lately. It has even greater therapeutic qualities than THC; in fact, it is non-psychoactive and more relaxing. It is used not only for therapeutic purposes but also for recreational purposes, and indeed, it is the main constituent of legal weed. It is also used as a powerful analgesic, antipsychotic, and for epilepsy in pediatrics or younger patients.
Is consuming legal weed healthy or not?
The main prerequisite for the more or less recent legalization of cannabis is precisely the fact that many preconceived ideas about it have been debunked; otherwise, it would not even be recommended and prescribed by doctors.
Therefore, the answer to the question is very simple: no, consuming legal weed does not harm if, of course, it is done in its legal form and marketed in authorized stores, or if it is a weed prescribed by a doctor for therapeutic purposes, which is now widespread in Italy.
It can actually help us in daily life to reduce anxiety, nervousness, or simply to relax after a particularly stressful long workday. Or, as we have already seen, it can be an excellent resource against much more serious illnesses and in the treatment of chronic pain and for those patients in terminal stages.
In any case, if you wish to consult certain scientific sources and stay updated on research conducted in this field, it is advisable to check authoritative sites where it is easy to find detailed articles.
Obviously, as with all things, it is always important to keep in mind that the consumption of substances of this type should be responsible and targeted for beneficial purposes, and not turn into an uncomfortable vice that hinders normal daily activities.
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