Cannabis sativa, or cannabis, is the Latin name for a plant which in the Dutch language is called ‘Hennep’. Drying and crunching the female flowertops creates a greenish marijuana (weed). When you press the resin of the plant to blocks or slices, a lightbrown to black hashish is created. Through a special application heavily concentrated hashish oil can be extracted from the plant. The component concerned is called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The warmer the climate Hennep grows in, the more THC the plant contains. Marijuana and hashish are soft drugs, while hashish oil is considered as hard drugs. The cultivation of weet plants and the possession of hashish or weed is always criminal, even if it concerns small quantities. In practice, however, there is no active detection policy into those cases that a person grows less than five plants for his own use or has less than thirty grams of hashish or weed in his possession. Coffeeshops are not allowed to sell more than five grams at once to one customer. The absence of an active detection policy and prosecution policy is called 'acquiescence'. Minors committing these offences, will get a minute. Police and judicial authorities give priority to the detection and prosecution of breeding, trading and possessing larger quantities. Considerably heavier penalties are connected to offences concerning larger quantities. Hennep is a normal plant in most locations in the world. Its fibres are already used for 12,000 years used to make rope and clothing. Farmers plant Hennep as a windshield. The medicinal properties of the plant were discovered in China approximately 5000 years ago. Even today THC is applied medicinally, for example, to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.

Effects

Psychological effects:

THC reinforces someone’s emotional mood: THC deepens a gloomy mood, and increases a happy mood ( 'high'). The observation broadens: colours are experienced more intensely and also music is experienced more intensely. Someone’s sense of space and time will change after using THC. Users often have the impression that time goes slowly. Moments seem to last forever. In line with this goes a relatively inability to remember recent happenings. Because of this someone who is under the influence of the drug, often notices halfway of a sentence that he has forgotten what he wanted to say. THC enlarges the appetite and food tastes different and better. Without any reason, users can get the laughter.

Physical effects:

Muscles lapse, arms and legs become heavy and loom ( 'stoned'). The mouth becomes dry, eyes become red, the pupils of the eyes will widen, and the heartbeat will accelerate.

Use

Hashish and weed are usually being smoked after mixed with tobacco and are rolled into a fag with one or more cigarette papers. This use is also known as ' blowing' or smoking a ‘joint’. Sometimes, hashish and weed are processed in food. In the case of the so-called space-cake hashish and weed are put into a cake. It is difficult to determine the right quantity of hashish and weed which has to be added to the food. The dosage may be too high. A joint starts working after a few minutes and the effects disappears within two to four hours. If hashish and weed are mixed with food and are being eaten in mixed, it won’t starts working before one hour.

Destructiveness

An excessively high dose of cannabis usually results in mild effects, but this can also cause more serious harm. Psychiatric symptoms may be part of the side effects: depression, anxiety, restlessness, paranoid, auditory hallucinations and confusion. Physical complaints are: tremor, an accelerated heartbeat, dizziness, headache and nausea. THC reduces the concentration, the responsiveness and the short-term memory. Logical thinking is difficult, sticking to the core of a conversation is almost impossible. Participation in a traffic situation under the influence of THC is dangerous and is therefore prohibited. Psychiatric problems, in particular psychosis and depression can worsen. In case of people who never had psychiatric complaints before, these complaints can arise for the first time after using cannabis.

The effects of alcohol are reinforced, what makes driving under the influence of cannabis very dangerous.

Its smoke contains more cancel stimulating substances than pure tobacco smoke. In addition, the smoke is often deeply inhaled into the lungs and is kept there for a long time. In the longer term, it can therefore damage the lungs.

THC has been found in breast milk. Like using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, also the use of hashish and weed is discouraged during pregnancy and breast feeding. Sustained and intensive use possibly reduces fertility. After stopping using cannabis, fertility will be restored. Most scientist don’t consider the statement that prolonged use has lasting effects on the brains and the immune system as being proven.

It seems that the acquiescence of the 'coffee shops' keeps away the young cannabis users from the illegal circuit, where besides cannabis, also heroin and cocaine are sold. In the Netherlands, for example, the use of marijuana increased, but the use of cocaine has declined. The use of coke in the Netherlands is significantly lower than for example in the United States.

Cannabis and antidepressants

The metabolism of THC can be inhibited by fluvoxamine through the liver CYP2C9. Other antidepressants probably don’t have such an effect. Furthermore, a few cases, such as a mania, are reported as a result of combining fluoxetine with marijuana.

Medicinal cannabis

The medicinal form of cannabis is obtained by cultivating the plant hennep under strictly controlled conditions. By this the quality is a constant as possible and is available in two strengths (Bedrocan: 18% and 0.8% dronabinol cannabidiol & Bedrobinol dronabinol 13% and 0.2% cannabidiol) in packs of 5 mg via the regular pharmacy outlets.

Indications:

• pain and muscle cramps in case of MS

• nausea, vomiting, anorexia and lost weight in the case of cancer and HIV / AIDS

• neurogenic pain

•syndrome Gilles de la Tourette