The compound responsible for much of the therapeutic effects of marijuana is the facts about THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. According to the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA), it behaves much like the cannabinoid chemicals that the body makes naturally.
In certain regions of the brain, cannabinoid receptors are located in conjunction with thought, memory, pleasure, balance, and sense of time. THC binds to and stimulates these receptors and, according to NIDA, influences the memory, enjoyment, gestures, thought, attention, balance, and sensory and time perception of a person.
THC is one of the substances present in the pot plant’s resin secreted by glands. There are more of these glands around the plant’s reproductive organs than in any other part of the plant. This resin includes several substances unique to marijuana, called cannabinoids. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, CBD is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid and literally blocks the elevation associated with THC.
Facts about THC
Cannabis has a long tradition dating back thousands of years of use. The first recorded cannabis use was traced to China, where cannabis was used for fruit, textiles, and medicine. Finally, cannabis was exported to Europe, and then to the Americas, where it was used for both relaxation and ceremonial purposes.
During the 1600s, Hemp was first introduced in the U.S. Hemp was cultivated to manufacture textiles and was also used as a legal tender often. It was still used for a variety of medicinal uses, but during the 1930s and 1940s, its recreational usage started to expand.
Anti-drug efforts started against its use during this time and several states enacted laws banning marijuana. Marijuana was depicted as a dangerous substance that contributed to paranoia, crime, and suicide in the 1936 film Reefer Madness.
In 1970, marijuana was listed as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Drugs Act, describing it as having a high potential for misuse and making the drug illegal at the federal level.
The “war on drugs” waged during the 1970s led to the large-scale arrest of many individuals for possession and consumption of marijuana. Statistics show that people of color are particularly affected by the prohibition and penalization of drug legislation. Although drug use has equal proportions for people of both racial and ethnic origins, it is much more likely that Black and Latinx people will be convicted and imprisoned for drug offenses.
While it is not legal at the federal level yet, several states have permitted the use of cannabis and THC for medicinal and recreational uses in some states. Before buying any goods containing THC, you can always study state laws where you live.
THC extract in Marijuana
It degrades into cannabinol, a cannabinoid with its own neurological effects, as THC is exposed to the air. The concentration of THC also depends on the growth of a marijuana plant, chemically known as Cannabis sativa L.
According to the North American Industrial Hemp Committee, a form of cannabis that has a small amount of THC, as low as 0.5%, is hemp. For agricultural and medicinal applications, hemp is used.
According to NIDA, in order to generate dopamine, THC stimulates cells in the brain, triggering euphoria. It also interferes with the hippocampus’ memory recall, a part of the brain responsible for forming new memories. THC can cause a change in vision, hallucinations, and cause delusions. After ingestion, the observation may last for at least two hours and kick in 10-39 minutes. However, the psychomotor disorder may continue after the apparent elevation has ended.
Effects of the THC in the Body and the Risk of it
According to NIDA, THC activates cells in the brain to produce dopamine, causing euphoria. It also interferes with the retrieval of memory in the hippocampus, a portion of the brain responsible for making new memories.
THC can induce hallucinations, alter perception, and trigger delusions. The results last around for two hours on average and kick in 10 to 30 minutes after ingestion. After the perceived high has ended, however, psychomotor dysfunction can persist.
“In certain cases, THC side effects have been reported to include elation, tachycardia, pain relief, nausea, sedation, stimulation, short-term memory retention difficulties and etc., ”said A.J. Fabrizio, a marijuana chemistry specialist at Terra Tech Corp, a local cultivation and medical cannabis company located in California. However, he added, a study in the British Journal of Pharmacology showed that other forms of cannabinoids can modulate and mitigate harmful effects, as well as terpenes (compounds that create flavor and fragrance in plants).
Marijuana’s effects make it a common drug. It is currently considered one of the world’s most widely used synthetic substances. Yet these results also bother proponents of mental health. According to NIDA, facts about THC will cause a relapse of schizophrenic symptoms.
Another possible risk of drinking facts about THC arises in the sense of weak motor skills. Marijuana can impact driving or related behaviors for approximately three hours after use and is also the 2nd most frequent synthetic substance used in drivers, after alcohol, reports the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Individuals taking prescription marijuana are advised not to drive until it has been shown that they can tolerate it and conduct motor operations efficiently.
Marijuana use can lead to complications for younger people and long-term issues. According to the medical director, Dr. Damon Raskin of Cliffside Malibu Treatment Center, “Some of the side effects of facts about THC, especially in younger adults, include a decrease in IQ, vision, and awareness.” “The verdict, however, is still out on long-term results, as there has not yet been enough research on it. There is some speculation that it could affect reproduction in males and females and even harm the airways of a human, however, the studies are still not conclusive.”
Research published in the journal Creation and Psychopathology in 2016 by the University of Montreal showed that early drug use can influence teenagers. Smokers who began at the age of 14 do worse than non-smokers on certain cognitive assessments. The report on about 300 students noticed that there is also a higher school dropout risk for pot smokers. Those waiting to begin at the age of 17 did not appear to have the same impairments.
NIDA notes that later in life, rats exposed to THC before birth, immediately after birth, or during puberty have reported issues with particular learning and memory tasks.
