Is marijuana the same thing as cannabis?

People often use the words “cannabis” and “marijuana” interchangeably, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.

• The word “cannabis” refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa.
• The cannabis plant contains about 540 chemical substances.
• The word “marijuana” refers to parts of or products from the plant Cannabis sativa that contain substantial amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state. Some cannabis plants contain very little THC. Under U.S. law, these plants are considered “industrial hemp” rather than marijuana.

  Abstract

  At the intersection of science and medicine, government policy, and pop culture, cannabis has prompted society since the beginning of recorded history. And yet, there is comparatively little replicable data on the plant, its constituents, and their capacity to modify human physiology. Over the past decades, several findings have pointed toward the importance of the endogenous cannabinoid system in maintaining homeostasis, making it an important target for various diseases. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge on endogenous- and plant-based cannabinoids, address the issues related to cannabinoid-based drug discovery, and incite efforts to utilize their polypharmacological profile toward tackling diseases with a complex underlying pathophysiology. By fusing modern science and technology with the empirical data that has been gathered over centuries, we propose an outlook that could help us overcome the dearth of innovation for new drugs and synchronously redefine the future of drug discovery. Simultaneously, we call attention to the startling disconnect between the scientific, regulatory, and corporate entities that is becoming increasingly evident in this booming industry.

  Cannabis is a plant. People use the dried leaves, seed oil, and other parts of the cannabis plant for recreational and medicinal purposes. It can have a pleasurable effect and may soothe the symptoms of various conditions, such as chronic pain.

  Ways of using it include:

  • smoking or vaping it
  • brewing it as a tea
  • consuming it in the form of edibles, such as brownies or candies
  • eating it raw
  • applying it as a topical treatment
  • taking it as capsules or supplements

  Some of the ingredients in cannabis are psychoactive (mind-altering), but others are not. The potency and balance of the ingredients vary, depending on how the manufacturer grows and processes the plant.

  Abstract

  An ongoing debate exists about the implications of recreational marijuana legalization to public safety. One important public concern is how recreational marijuana legalization may affect crime in neighboring states that have not legalized. Based on Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data from 2003 to 2017, this study used difference-in-differences (DID) analysis to examine the potential spillover effect of recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington State, with a special focus on the examination of the changes in the rates of a variety of crimes in the border counties of neighboring states relative to the nonborder counties in these states following Colorado’s and Washington’s legalization. Results provide some evidence suggesting a spillover crime reduction effect of legalization, as reflected by the significant decreases in the rates of property crime, larceny, and simple assault in the Colorado region that includes six neighboring states. Results also suggest that the effects of marijuana legalization on crime in neighboring states vary based on crime type and state.