Marijuana is one of the oldest and most popular forms of intoxication in the world. Though some regions have legalized recreational use of pot, it is still illegal in most of the regions. What is interesting about this herb is that be it legal or illegal, be it for recreational or medicinal purposes, there is a high demand for it everywhere. Here are some interesting facts that even the pot-headed may not know:
Beer hop and marijuana belong to the same family: Hop in the beer and marijuana belong to the same genus of flowering plants.
One leaf many names: Marijuana is referred to by many different names across the world: reefer, pot, herb, ganja, grass, old man, Blanch, weed, sinsemilla, bhang, dagga, smoke, hash, tar, and oil.
Drop in IQ: Research has found that regular use of pot by teenagers results in diminishing their IQ level. Though, no such effect was found in adults addicted to cannabis.
Not so addictive: Only about 9% of the people trying out marijuana become hooked to it, as compared to around 15% of people experimenting with cocaine, and 24 % who try heroin. It is found that smoking and alcohol are more addictive than grass.
Chocolate gives the high as pot: According to research, it has been found that eating chocolate has the same effect on the brain that cannabis has.
Marijuana helps fight some cancers: A study at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that cannabis has the properties to stop the growth and spread of some of the aggressive types of cancer.
Use in treatments: Research has found that cannabis is effective in treating many different physical and mental diseases, some of which are post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and depression. Canada was the first country to have started using medical marijuana to treat patients suffering from pain in 2003. Records state that from 1850 to 1942, marijuana was registered in the United States Pharmacopoeia as an effective remedy for nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains and was, therefore, could be easily bought from the local general store or pharmacy.
Bad for the heart: In another study, it has been found that marijuana use leads to a sudden increase in heart rate; therefore, putting a person with a heart ailment at the risk of having a heart attack.
Bad for lungs: It has been seen that regular smoking of pot evokes the same result that smoking cigarette does; it leads to respiratory ailments and bronchitis.
Interesting fact: People around the world make so much effort to obtain grass. It could be for either recreational purpose or medicinal need, as it is a banned drug, but the pigs in Bhutan are the lucky ones who get high on it effortlessly. The tiny country of Bhutan has more weed in the wilderness than grass and a minuscule population has it; therefore, the pigs graze on it to fill their stomach.
Other uses of marijuana plant: The leaves of the plant is basically used for its intoxicating properties in different forms such as dried leaves are used for smoking, the green leaves or the dried ones are used with drinks and is popularly known as bhang in India. However, other parts of the plant are also of great use like the hemp; the fiber of the plant is used to make ropes and fabric. It is said that the ropes made from hemp were so strong that in ancient times, they were used to move big stone pieces from the quarry to its destination. Canvas, the name is said to be derived from the word cannabis, as, in earlier times, the canvas used to be made from the fiber of the cannabis plant.
