Marijuana. John Hudak
mellow, funny, confident, paranoid, hungry, pain-free—is caused by the effect that cannabinoids have on the brain.
Cannabis plants contain dozens of these chemicals, but just one or two are commonly known: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC and CBD are prominent in commercialized marijuana: dispensaries in marijuana-legal states often list the percentages of each in a product. THC is the psychoactive component that most users want and that contributes to making the user feel high. CBD, on the other hand, is often associated with medical marijuana, especially in the treatment of conditions such as epilepsy. CBD has been found to have anticonvulsive and antispastic properties that can relax muscles and regulate the brain in ways that can prevent minor and major seizure events. CBD has a variety of qualities, including anti-inflammatory and other properties. The precise combination of THC, CBD, and the more than sixty other identified cannabinoids work together to create the type of effect one gets from using marijuana.
The way cannabinoids interact with the human body is quite interesting and is actually a modern medical discovery. In 1988 a pharmacology researcher named William Devane and his colleagues discovered something interesting: the human body is built to smoke pot. Well, maybe not exactly. But it is built to be receptive to the effects of pot. There are receptors in the brain and elsewhere that are sensitive to cannabinoids and produce, or hinder, chemical responses in reaction to the presence of cannabinoids. This system was dubbed the endocannabinoid system. What’s more, subsequent researchers identified “endogenous cannabinoids,” which are molecules that the human body produces naturally and that interact with endocannabinoid receptors. When external cannabinoids such as THC or CBD from the cannabis plant are present, they work with the endogenous molecules and the body’s own receptors to produce a variety of effects within the human body.6
It is not fully known how the human body reacts to or benefits from these chemicals. Research shows that the endocannabinoid system can produce neuroprotective responses that can assist in dealing with seizures or brain injuries. It can assist in blunting pain receptors. The chemicals have an impact on the biological processes that cause anxiety. Additional and ongoing research, which are needed now more than ever, will help the scientific community better understand cannabinoids and the responses of the endocannabinoid system. Such research will become more likely as more and more responsible, innovative entrepreneurs are allowed to operate within a strict regulatory environment.
Marijuana Strength
The strength or potency of marijuana is measured by how rapidly the body takes up the chemicals and how intensely the user feels their effects. The strength of marijuana is an interesting concept. Anyone who has used marijuana multiple times has likely encountered “strong stuff,” which typically refers to marijuana that gets you high faster or has a stronger effect. This effect is typically measured by the level of THC, the main psychoactive chemical compound in marijuana. Higher levels of THC can cause more intense effects or speed up the desired effect.
Marijuana, particularly smoked marijuana, has a self-regulating effect because the onset of the psychoactive experience is so rapid that the smoker is quickly satisfied and is not motivated to continue to smoke. This differs from the common experience with alcohol, where large quantities can be consumed before the full effects are felt, at which point one may have drunk too much.
The rise of marijuana edibles, however, particularly in marijuana-legal states, has posed challenges for both self-regulation and the consistent experiences of users. Marijuana edibles come in many countless forms, including cookies, brownies, candies, granola, salad dressing, and even pasta sauce. Edibles on the commercial market often come with significant amounts of THC because one unit—a single candy bar or cookie—may contain multiple servings. In Colorado, for example, a standard edible serving has 10mg of THC. Some products for purchase contain five or ten servings, which amounts to 50mg or 100mg of THC.
The onset of edible marijuana’s psychoactive effects is dramatically slower than that of smoked marijuana—sometimes thirty minutes to an hour or more. Because of this delay, users—especially naïve users—can overconsume, believing the edible is weak. This can cause unpleasant effects and a very intense high when all of the THC is absorbed. This has come to be called the “Maureen Dowd effect,” after the New York Times columnist who famously and irresponsibly overconsumed marijuana edibles in Colorado, had a bad reaction, and wrote about it in her column, blaming the products rather than the consumer.7 In this case, the product is not “stronger.” Instead, the product is overconsumed.
Some argue that marijuana has gotten much stronger over time, but this claim is controversial. Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly, a researcher at the University of Mississippi and one of the nation’s leading experts on the cannabis plant and the effects of marijuana, runs the only marijuana grow operation approved by the federal government. Part of his job is also to test the strength of marijuana seized by federal law enforcement agents. He notes that since 1970, the THC content of seized marijuana has increased from an average of around 3 percent to around 7 to 8 percent in the late 2000s.8 Recent evidence suggests that this figure now averages about 13 percent THC.9
ElSohly’s findings, however, do not tell the whole story about changes in the strength of marijuana. His research tells us only about the strength of seized marijuana. The reality is that as states have legalized marijuana, cannabis genetics have taken off and entrepreneurs have invested in development and become more innovative. And consumer tastes for stronger marijuana have had genuine market effects—legal marijuana varieties can be quite strong. Street weed in 2016 may be slightly stronger than it was in 1970, but the commercial product can be quite a bit stronger. In marijuana-legal states, some strains have a THC content higher than 20 percent. The black market just has to deliver marijuana; the legal market must meet consumer demand.
Delivery Systems: The New World of Marijuana Products
If you have used marijuana from an illegal source and have never bought it in a legal medical or recreational market, your familiarity with marijuana probably extends to smoking it and eating brownies laced with pot. You may be unfamiliar with just how many different marijuana products are out there. The variety now available is a real testament to American entrepreneurialism and innovation.
Most people are introduced to marijuana by smoking it, and smoking remains the most common “delivery system,” or method of consumption. By harvesting flowers from the cannabis plant, drying them, grinding them, and burning them, users can inhale the THC-rich smoke and be fast on their way to getting high. The vehicle for smoking can vary and include a joint, a blunt, a pipe, a bong, among others. The effects of marijuana are felt quite quickly, as the lungs absorb the cannabinoids in the smoke and quickly transfer them to the bloodstream and then to the brain. There the endocannabinoid system works its magic.
There are some drawbacks to smoking. First, it can cause irritation of the throat. Anyone who makes a first attempt to smoke pot or inhales their first hit in a long time can feel the smoke burning the bronchial passages. Second, smoking pot produces secondhand smoke, which may or may not cause a contact high, but in either case may be undesirable to those affected. Third, long-term use of smoked marijuana is associated with bronchial irritation and an increased likelihood of respiratory infections (most medical evidence suggests that smoking pot does not increase the incidence of pulmonary cancer). Fourth, advocates of medical marijuana are concerned that the Food and Drug Administration will never approve smoked marijuana as a pharmaceutical because smoking itself is harmful to health.
Despite all of these issues, marijuana flower remains the most popular marijuana product and smoking remains the most widely used method.
Edibles are another common delivery vehicle for marijuana. Users who produce edibles at home infuse food products with marijuana. Typically, marijuana flower is sautéed or simmered in a fat (butter or oil, as the chemical components are fat soluble), and the infused fat is used as part of a recipe. Brownies, cookies, and other sweets are a popular way to eat marijuana, but the legal market has produced a wider variety of premade edibles, as mentioned earlier.
Essentially, a cannabis culinary professional can infuse just about anything you want to eat with THC. The market for edibles has grown dramatically. The flavor can be a delight, eating these products can be discreet (even making it possible to