Dope Reality - Exploring Cannabis, Marijuana, Hemp and it's Many Uses

It all started when I was 17, way back when I was listening to rappers like Ice Cube, Ice T, Public Enemy and latterly Cypress Hill. It was the album Black Sunday that got me curious about trying it. With track names like "I Want to Get High", "Legalize it" and "Hit's from the Bong" with their tripped out lyrics and laid back hispanic stoned beats, the idea of getting 'high' grew in it's appeal.

However, it wasn't just the lure of of the buzz from smoking cannabis that, it was a message inside the inlay card that truly captured my attention to this fascinating and mysterious plant. It opened my eyes to it's use and the hypocrisy surrounding it's illegality. Yes I was naive in thinking that was harmless because just like any mind altering substance (alcohol for example), it can be harmful, however I digress...

And so began my journey into the world of a pot head. It's had it's highs and lows, good times and bad times and I'll freely admit I do like it a little too much. However, I do enjoy like a connoisseur enjoys their Cognac, though it is time in my life to make a concerted effort not to be such a waster and to gain a greater control over my use of it. Hopefully as this blog develops over the coming months it will be both therapeutic to me and provide factual information and advice for anyone else curious about this amazing plant, it's history and it's many uses.

Dr GreenThumb signing off.

The summary below is what I read inside the Black Sunday album. It is what first captured my imagination about this amazing plant and the hypocrisy that surrounds it. Some of the info may not be current but it is all factually correct:

1. Cannabis and Hemp are the same. "Marijuana was the name Mexican name given to Cannabis.

2. Cannabis was first cultivated in China around 4,000 B.C.

3. The original drafts of the declaration of independence were written on hemp paper.

4. One acre of hemp will produce as much paper as four acres of trees.

5. Hemp is a source of fiber for cloth and cordage for rope. The hemp is located inside the stem of the long plant.

6. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp. Washington, America's first president, declared, "Make the most of the hemp seed. Sow it everywhere."

7. Hemp seed is nature's perfect food. The oil from hemp seeds has the highest percentage of essential fatty acids and the lowest percentage of saturated fats.

8. Sterilised hemp seed is commonly sold as bird seed.

9. Rolling papers, like Bambu, are made from hemp paper.

10. In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act prohibited the use, sale and cultivation of hemp marijuana in the United States.

11. Five years later, during World War II the US Department of Agriculture released the film "Hemp for Victory", which encouraged American farmers to grow hemp fort he war effort.

12. Hemp is cultivated all over the world. Today, China, Korea, Italy, Hungary, Russia and France are among countries that grow hemp for fibre, paper, and other products.

13. Cannabis is classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the American Food and Drug Administration. Designated as a narcotic, it cannot be prescribed by physicians to patients.

14. In 1988, the DEA's own administrative law judge concluded that "marijuana is one of the safest most therapeutic active substances known to man".

15. Cannabis can be used as a medicine to treat nausea, pain and muscle spasms. It alleviates symptoms of glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, migraines and other debilitating ailments.

16. Thirty-five states have passed legislation permitting medical use of marijuana.

17. Twelve Americans receive prescribed marijuana from the U.S. government.

18. More than 400,000 Americans are arrested each year on marijuana charges.

19. More than 400,000 Americans die from diseases relating to cigarette smoking each year. More than 150,000 Americans die of alcohol related abuse each year. But in 10,000 years of usage no one has ever died from marijuana.

I don't smoke cigarettes so ever since I've been smoking my favourite herbs I've always had that niggling worry about what I'm doing to my health and to my my lungs. Following a trip to Amsterdam some years ago and visiting the Hash Marijuana and Hemp Museum, I was privileged to meet the legendary Eagle Bill who introduced me to a device called a vaporiser.

What this particular device consisted of was a large glass dome with a bowl into which the herbs went and a pipe coming off the end through which you inhale the vapour.

The way this worked was that heat from what I can only describe as a Black and Decker paint stripper gun was applied to the herb to the point where the active ingredient (the THC) began to evaporate and collect inside the bowl. As this green mist developed, the pipe was shared amongst several people.

Inhaling the this mist was a very pleasurable experience, not only did it taste so sweet but there was none of the harsh tar, smoke or carcinogens you get from burning. Needless to say I floated out of the museum with a big smile on my face feeling enlightened :)

Since then I've tried a number of different vaporisers all with varying degrees of success. Some of the early ones I tried were powered by electricity and took quite an effort to operate and maintain. Then after months of searching for the perfect tool for the job I discovered the Vaporstar.
This neat little device is used exactly like a bong, except no combustion and no burning occurs, meaning your lungs are saved from all the nasty smoke!

So How does it work?

Vaporstar works in a very simple way.

A flame is drawn through the vaporstar using he power of the lungs, this in turn heats up a small steel star contained within the star chamber.

From the star sixteen points of heat surround and penetrate the herb, driving the temperature upwards until vapor is seen in the glassware.

When the vapour fills the pipe the heat is then removed and inhalation continues until the cold air drawn into the Vaporstar.

The temperature quickly drops, the Vaporstar is cooled below vaporisation point and then 'switches off'.

Don't just take it from me though, check out the YouTube video of it in action in my You Tube links!

Check out the link below for the Vaporstar Vaporiser and many more great vaporisers besides!

When inhaled, the initial effects are usually felt within a few seconds. Within a few minutes the sensations peak and the decline sharply after around 45 minutes to an hour. The effects can then linger for anywhere between 90 minutes and several hours depending on the type, strength and quantity smoked.

The high produces a variety of sensations from well being to relaxation and euphoria which can induce serious fits of the giggles.

Other effects can be more inward and dreamlike, perception of time is slowed, visual distortion and intensity of colour may occur. Music often takes on a whole new meaning under the influence..

Physical affects consist of drowsy looking, bloodshot eyes a dry mouth and memory impairment.

Cannabis also increases the heart rate slightly but decreases blood pressure.

Cannabis is also well renowned as an appetite stimulant, probably the most notable effect of all is "the munchies" resulting in a craving for sweet food in particular.

You will feel groggy and perhaps a bit irritable and forgetful but compared to alcohol the 'hangover' you get from being stoned is nothing in comparison. Depending on the strain/quantity smoked the effects can linger for a few hours or a number of days.

The next morning the temptation may be to light up another and start getting high again. This is a mistake. Get up out of bed, get some breakfast (preferrably cereal, tea/coffee) to get the energy levels up and have a shower to freshen up. Then go out do something constructuve and enjoy being sober as much as you enjoy getting high.

Cannabis contains over 400 chemicals, about 60 of which are known as cannabinoids which only found in cannabis and no where else. The main active ingredient in cannabis is known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis and is the one that gets you high.

It has been recently discovered that the human body contains certain areas where there are many THC receptors such as the brain and spinal cord.

THC effects the brain by binding to receptors in the brain which promote the release of Acetyl Choline and Dopamine.

When ingested, THC acts by binding to cannabinoid receptors. This causes the release or uptake of various neurotransmitters. Cannabinoid receptors are responsible for the control of thought, memory, concentration and movement. In the hippocampus there are a lot of THC receptors and the way information is taken in by this part of the brain is effected. The hippocampus is responsible for memory and so THC can lead to short term memory problems.

THC can also effects the emotions of the consumer by effecting the are of the brain which controls behaviour and emotions.

THC also gives the "feel good factor" which is made by the interaction of drug with the part of the brain which acts on reward. To do this the THC encourages the release of dopamine by the brain cells. Coordination is effected by the tetrahydrocannabinol by its binding with the receptors in the brain (cerebellum and basal ganglia). This has not been proven to cause accidents because any found THC levels in people that cause accidents are also usually accompanied with alcohol as well.

Listed below are the areas of the Brain where cannabinoid receptors are most found in great abundance:

• Cerebellum (movement)


• Hippocampus (Memory)


• Cerebral cortex (Higher thought)


• Nucleus accumbens (Rewards)


• Basal ganglia (control of movement)

Less abundant(but still present) in:

• Hypothalamus (Regulation)


• Amygdala (Emotions)


• Spinal cord (Peripheral sensing)

Marijuana's effect on the user depends on the strength or potency of the THC. THC potency of marijuana compared to that prior to the 1970s has increased, but has remained about the same since the middle of the 1980s.

Marijuana can be used in many ways however smoking is the most popular form of consumption. Following inhalation of smoke, the marijuana is rapidly absorbed by the lungs, and into the blood, where it produces its effects through specific binding (attachment) with endogenous THC receptors in the brain.

THC is fat soluble (dissolves in fatty chemicals) and as a result, it and other marijuana metabolites can be stored in body fats and can be traced throughout the body (e.g., in the lungs, liver and reproductive organs) and the brain for long periods of time. Although these metabolites may last for several days up to several weeks after a single dose of marijuana, there is no evidence that the short-term effects (listed below) can last longer than 6 hours. Traces of these metabolites also can be found in the urine up to a week after use.

The THC receptors act like a keyhole, and are the binding sites for various brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). When neurotransmitters are attached to the receptors they instruct brain cells (neurons) to activate and regulate various brain and body functions.

Dopamine is one such neurotransmitter. It originates in the ventral tegmental area of the brain, and is associated with the feeling of pleasurable sensations (being high). The neural systems trigger a dopamine release that is known as the brain reward system. This reward system is essential for our species' survival, without which, necessary pleasurable activities such as eating and sexual intercourse would not be enjoyable, and thus not take place as often as it should. Drugs of abuse that stimulate or retard the uptake of dopamine once it has been released (cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine and opiates activate neural pathways that increase dopamine production) can, and often do, lead to adverse affects on behavior and increase the risk of dependency or addiction.

Delta 9-THC in marijuana can augment brain dopamine neurotransmission, and appears to have effects on the brain reward system similar to other drugs of abuse. Also, Delta 9-THC binds with the mu receptors (opioid receptors), which are involved in the pathways that lead to the release of our own natural pain killing chemicals. This may explain the euphoric morphine-like effects (getting high) reported by marijuana users.

In the brain, the highest concentration of THC receptors are the CB1 receptors. These receptors are found in the hippocampus (where memory is formed), cerebellum (deals with coordinating movements and balance), amygdala, cortex and the basal ganglia. In the body, the presence of THC receptors, known as CB2 receptors (found only in the spleen and immune cells), may explain the effects of marijuana on the immune (body's natural defense) system.

Marijuana differs from other drugs of abuse by the locations of its brain receptor sites. There are not many CB1 receptors in the medulla of the brain (where vital functions such as heart rate and respiration are controlled). This would explain the lack of fatalities from marijuana. In 1992, scientists discovered that the brain produces Anandamide (Sanskrit for eternal bliss), a compound similar to THC. Its effects and functions are undergoing further study.