Marijuana

Marijuana or marihuana refers to the leaves and flowering portions of cannabis when used as drug, intoxicant or medicine. Cannabis sativa is the most common type of cannabis plant used as marijuana although there are other forms of cannabis including Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. Marijuana is primarily smoked or ingested orally when used for the psychoactive effects. The primary psychoactive constituent of marijuana is the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which produces relaxation, mild euphoria, sedation, and perceptual distortion. There are over 80 other cannabinoids including cannabidiol, cannabinol and tetrahydrocannabivarin present in marijuana as well as THC. Marijuana is used medicinally for the effects on appetite, attenuation of intraocular pressure, analgesic effects and a host of other disorders. Recent legal developments in at the state level within the United States have led to increased use and availability of marijuana for medicinal purposes. 39 states in the US have some sort of medical marijuana available and 21 have legalized recreational cannabis use as of 2023. Many other countries around the world have also decriminalized or even legalized marijuana use in recent years.