What it is

Cannabis is a drug that comes from the cannabis sativa plant. There are three main forms of cannabis:

• Marijuana: the most common and least powerful form of cannabis, this is the dried leaf and flower (buds) of the plant. It is mostly green in appearance although some strains have orange, silver and purple fibres
• Hashish: Dried blocks of cannabis resin, which can range in colour from gold to nearly black. This produces a more intense high than marijuana
• Hash oil: This is a thick oily liquid extracted from hashish and is the most powerful form of cannabis.

The active compound in cannabis is THC (Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol). The higher a plant is in THC, the stronger its effects will be. How cannabis is grown can also affect its potency. For example, indoor-grown marijuana ('skunk') can be much stronger than outdoor-grown marijuana.

Marijuana gives off a thick, pungent odour similar to grass clippings when it is dried. The smoke also gives off a distinctive smell.

The most common way of using cannabis is by smoking it. Marijuana can be rolled into cigarettes ('joints'), smoked through a pipe or water bong, or 'spotted' which involves rapidly heating small portions of cannabis with very hot surfaces, such as knives. Utensils used in this manner will soon be tarnished with distinctive heat marks.

Cannabis can also be eaten. Normally it is mixed into cake mixtures. Another way to take cannabis is by using a vaporiser. This instrument instantly heats a small portion of cannabis to an extremely high temperature, releasing the THC vapour which is then inhaled.

Cannabis is a depressant, meaning that it slows down the messages between the brain and the body. The high from smoking cannabis normally takes effect within minutes and can affect a person for about two or three hours.

There is growing evidence of links between cannabis and mental illness, such as schizophrenia. It is important to note that an actual causal relationship has yet to be established, although current research suggests that people with a predisposition to certain mental illnesses risk worsening their condition if they use cannabis.

Slang
Grass, Pot, Weed, Mull, Chronic, Dak, Hash, Smoke, Buds, Skunk, Cabbage