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Cannabis (*): Cannabis is the botanical name of a genus of annual flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family. There are over 150 species and 10 genera included in the Cannabaceae family. Besides cannabis, the hop plant (often used in the production of beer) is also part of the Cannabaceae family. Some species of cannabis (indica and sativa) produce fairly large amounts of a chemical known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (a cannabinoid commonly called THC). Cannabis plants that are grown for their THC content are referred to as marijuana plants. Plants in the cannabis genus are commonly referred to as hemp plants, but the term hemp is more appropriately used to describe cannabis plants that are cultivated for commercial purposes (like clothing, fuel, etcetera) rather than THC content. Medical cannabis comes in two basic types: sativa and indica. Each type has its own distinct set of characteristics. Medical cannabis types are available from pure sativa strains to pure indica strains, and include every combination in between. (More about the science of Cannabis) Types of cannabis plant Methods of consumption Potential Side Effects (**): Human deaths due to use of medical marijuana are not known of at this time. The median lethal dose in rats was 800 to 1,900 mg (depending on strain) oral THC per kilogram body weight. In studies with monkeys no deaths were recorded following the highest doses of 9,000 mg/kg oral THC. All possible side effects are dose dependant. Therapy should start with low doses, slowly increasing, so that the individual dose can be determined and unwanted side effects can be avoided. Known psychic side effects are sedation, euphoria, dysphoria, fear of dying, feeling loss of control, impairment of memory, altered time perception, depression, hallucination, a reduction of psychomotor performance up to 24 hours after administration of THC. Frequent acute physical side effects are dry mouth, movement disorder, muscle weakness, slurred speech, increase of heart rate, decrease of blood pressure in vertical position resulting in dizziness, heightened blood pressure in horizontal position and rarely nausea or headache. Long term use may result in development of tolerance, psychomotor impairment, effects on the heart and circulation, effects on the hormonal systems, intraocular pressure, and antiemetic effects. (*) Information in this section collected from Sensible Montana. (**) Information in this section gathered from the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine. |