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AKA: MARIJUANA,
HASH, POT, WEED, BLOW, BLACK, SHIT, DRAW, HERB, and countless other slang
names. Names can refer to the drug generically (e.g. blow), specific forms of the drug (e.g. shatter), plant strains (e.g. skunk)
or route of administration (e.g. spliff).
Source: Cannabis (the drug) comes from the plants Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis
Indica, plants that grows wild in any warm or modestly warm conditions. Cross-breeding
different 'landrace' strains of cannabis plant has led to the creation of
hundreds of new strains with different ratios of active compounds, growing
characteristics and appearances.
Historically, most UK cannabis was imported as resin (hash), from North Africa, the Middle
East and Asia. Herbal cannabis was also imported, primarily from the Caribbean.
Now, most UK cannabis is produced in the UK or mainland Europe. Smaller
amounts of resin, often low-quality is imported from North Africa. The Dark Web
has made good quality resin more accessible again, along with numerous extracts
and concentrates.
THC and CBD: Cannabis contains a number of psychoactive compounds, the most
significant of which are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). The
amount of THC and CBD in a plant is partly determined by its genetics, but also
about how it is grown, tended, processed and stored.
THC is the key psychoactive component. It is probably responsible much
of the euphoria and hilarity associated with cannabis. However, it may also be
responsible for some of the negative symptoms including anxiety, paranoia and
panic.
CBD appears to reduce some of the negative effects of THC, reducing the
extent of anxiety and panic in some people. There is much discussion as to
whether CBD is psychoactive in its own right. Some people find that it provides
relief from negative symptoms but doesn’t on its own cause significant, if any
intoxication.
Appearance: Cannabis comes
in two common forms and several less common ones. The most common are RESIN or
HERBAL cannabis. Extracts, including oils, resin glands, Butane Hash Oil, and Rosin
(amber, shatter, honey) are increasingly
widely available.
RESIN: Traditionally the resin glands
were collected from the female plant by rubbing the plant or drying the flowers
and allowing the resin glands to fall through a fine mesh. The resulting powder
was then compressed to form hard blocks, ranging in colour from black, dark brown,
through to light brown. Size will vary as to the quantity being sold, from fractions
of an ounce up to larger
dealer quantities. Cannabis resin may have
a distinctive sweet, cloying smell. It may be soft and malleable, crumbly, or
very hard.
Much of the resin sold in the UK as "soap-bar" is a
low-quality product, extracted from plant material using solvents and often
adulterated with binding and bulking agents and reputedly other psychoactive
compounds such as ketamine.
As a result, many people avoid resin and seek herbal forms wherever
possible. However, high quality resins are increasingly widely available via
the Dark Web, resulting in a small renaissance amongst people who prefer milder
resins to stronger herbal forms of cannabis.
HERBAL: Herbal cannabis is composed of
either small dried leaves, dried flowering heads, or a mixture of the two.
Dried leaves look much like dried herbs. Flowering parts are often either light
green, yellowish or purple, and may be dusted with white crystals.
Theoretically these should be THC but in practice may be an adulterant added to
make the plant look "crystally" and therefore more potent.
"WEED"
or "HERB" may refer to leafy matter only, while "BUSH" or
"SINSEMILLA" refers to flowering parts. Sinsemilla refers to a female
plant that has not been pollinated, and so has no seeds in it. Most UK-grown
cannabis will be grown like this.
OIL: the term “cannabis oil” is now more complicated as it
can refer to CBD Oil, THC oil or a mix of the two. It is the psychoactive
component(s) of the plant, extracted from the solid matter using solvents, and
sold in a variety of concentrations. The colour of oil can range from pale yellow
to dark brown.
This should not be confused with “hemp oil” or “hemp seed oil,” which is
used as a food supplement and cosmetic ingredient. Produced by crushing seeds
it is not psychoactive and unregulated.
CONCENTRATES: Active drug can be extracted
from plant through a number of mechanisms, including freezing, centrifuge,
heat, solvent, and pressure processes. The end product (oil, amber, BHO, bubblehash, polm etc.) is
generally very potent.
Cost Cannabis costs vary massively according to
amount purchased, quality and form of drug, availability and who is selling it.
Small, low quality deals of herbal cannabis
(small amounts of flower, bits of leaf) sold in dealer bags often sell for £10
for under a gram. Such massively over-priced low-quality product is often sold
to young people and is hugely lucrative to sellers, making the off-cuts worth around
£300 an ounce.
Buds of herbal cannabis can range from around £100-300+
an ounce. Product claimed to be organic, exotic cultivars, or in other respects
artisanal can command high prices. Pure oil and extracts are still more expensive.
Strength and Purity: Discussions about “how strong is cannabis” can be confusing. It is important
to look at different factors:
The RATIO of THC to CBD varies from product to product and strain to
strain. Older forms of cannabis resin had lower overall levels of THC and lower,
but significant levels of THC. A typical North African resin could have composition
around 9%THC:3%CBD.
Stronger, crossbred herbal cannabis tends to have negligible levels of
CBD, with a profile around 14%THC:0.1%CBD.
Potency: The potency of a drug is how much of the active material is present.
Extracts (Polm, shatter, BHO) are higher potency and low-quality herbal
material is obviously lower in potency. Buds of cannabis flowers tend to be
around 16%; extracts can be far higher, from 70-100% depending on the processes
involved.
Adulterants: The other major concerns are products that have been cut and contain
little or no cannabis at all. Dried leaves, mixed herbs or any other leafy
produce may be passed off as herbal cannabis.
Herbal material could also be sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids though there
is little evidence that this routinely happens.
Mixtures of wax, henna, plastic or liquorice have been passed off as
cannabis resin. However, most people buy off people they know rather than
dealers on the street, so these risks are reduced.
The low grade "soap-bar" resin sold in the UK is almost
invariably low quality and contains potentially dangerous additives, including
plastic and paraffin wax.
Herbal cannabis buds have also been contaminated, increasingly with
small glass beads that have been sprayed on to the buds. There has been concern
that inhalation of these beads can cause respiratory problems.
Products sold as cannabis oils including CBD oils have been found to
contain synthetic cannabinoids.
There are numerous rumours of cannabis being impregnated with LSD or
crack cocaine but such apocryphal tales are not evidence based and make little
financial or practical sense.
Smoking can be done in JOINTS, PIPES, or though paraphernalia such as HOT KNIVES,
LUNGS or BUCKET BONGS.
Cannabis in joints is often smoked with tobacco, though herbal cannabis
can be smoked on its own. The cannabis is placed in cigarette papers, and, if
used, tobacco is added. A cardboard cylinder ("a roach") is added,
and the prepared joint is smoked. This is the most damaging way of using
cannabis, with strong evidence linking the smoking of cannabis with tobacco to
lung damage and elevated risk of cancer.
Cannabis PIPES allow the smoking of cannabis without tobacco. More advanced
pipes allow the smoke to cool before entering the lungs reducing the amount of
plant oils inhaled.
Water pipes (bongs) allow smoke to pass through water, removing some of the
toxins and carcinogens.
Vapourisers are
increasingly popular. They have become less bulky and more efficient. They heat
up the cannabis to the point where the active compounds can be inhaled. This reduces
the lung damage associated with smoking cannabis. In the past these were mains
powered but increasingly vapes are available both for liquid extracts and for
vapeing dry herbs.
Cannabis can be
mixed into food or mixed into drinks. It may be made into cakes ("hash
cakes") or tea-like drinks.
The sale of pre-made “edibles” is becoming more widespread. Sweets, chews and
gummies with differing levels of THC and CBD became popular in America where
licensed cannabis outlets became more widespread.
Similar products are now being sold in the UK. If they contain THC they are
illegal to possess. They are not always as labelled and so could contain a
different dose or different chemical to what is on the packaging. There have
been hospitalisations and fatalities linked to consumption of illicitly
produced edibles.
When smoked, the effects of cannabis take effect within a few minutes.
Absorption though the stomach is slower and can take up to an hour. The effects
of eating cannabis can last several hours, while they tend to wear off within
an hour when smoked.
Effects: The effects of
cannabis vary dramatically. Factors including user experience and expectation,
the quality and quantity of drug taken, route of administration, use of other
substances, state at time of use and setting can all impact on the how the
person feels during use.
The following symptoms are most frequently recorded at moderate dosages;
some may or may not be present:
Relaxation, tiredness, light-headedness, hilarity, excitability, nausea,
euphoria, anxiety, redness of the eyes, enhanced appreciation of sound and
colour, increased appetite, paranoia.
Unwanted side effects such as nausea, palpitations and anxiety are
sometimes made worse by alcohol.
Health Implications: Smoking cannabis, especially with tobacco, carries health risks. These
relate to lung damage, especially bronchial problems, and an increased risk of
lung cancer. Cannabis when smoked on its own without tobacco can still cause lung
damage and may also be carcinogenic but most of the evidence suggests it doesn’t
cause lung cancer. However, the issue remains unclear.
Using cannabis regularly can cause short-term memory loss, and low mood
and depression.
Many sources argue that cannabis is linked to the development of mental health
problems, most notably "cannabis psychosis." It is also claimed that
cannabis can trigger underlying mental health problems. These various arguments
are hotly disputed by pro- and anti-cannabis lobbyists. However, there is evidence
or a correlation between heavy use of strong cannabis amongst young people and
an increased incidence of serious mental illness in later years.
While it is not PHYSICALLY addictive, people can and do become psychologically
dependent, and find stopping use difficult. Withdrawal symptoms can include
disrupted sleep, vivid dreams, anxiety, irritability and loss of appetite.
Harm Reduction:
To reduce lung damage measures could include:
To reduce risk of unpleasant effects due to excess use:
To manage symptoms of cannabis OD:
To reduce risk of triggering or worsening mental
health problems:
·
Ideally hold off using until late teens if you use at
all. There’s evidence that using strong cannabis when the brain is still developing
increases risk;
·
If you do use, less often, less strong, and less in
each session will be safer;
·
If you think you may be struggling with your mental
health, cannabis may help in the short term but is likely to worsen things in
the longer term. So trying to manage unpleasant symptoms with cannabis risks
making these symptoms worse.
·
Keep a track of your mood; do you find your anxiety,
low mood or other symptoms get worse after heavy cannabis use? If so it’s
probably not helping.
·
Keep a note if you have really unpleasant symptoms from
cannabis use – severe paranoia, delusions, panic or being very altered.
If symptoms like this happen more often or last longer it could be a sign that
you and strong cannabis don’t get on so well anymore and continuing use could
result in persisting mental health problems.
Legal Status: Cannabis resin
and herbal cannabis were moved back to Class B in 2008. It had previously been moved
to Class C in 2004 following advice from the ACMD.
Herbal Cannabis is always a Controlled Drug regardless of the CBD
content. Some suppliers sell CBD-only weed, and sites claims it is legal in the
UK. It isn’t and possession is a criminal offence.
The maximum penalty for possession of Class B drugs is 7 years. The
maximum penalty for supply remains at 14 years. In reality possession of
cannabis will rarely result in a custodial sentence.
Possession of cannabis is an arrestable offence though most people over
the age of 18 will get a "cannabis warning" for their first cannabis
offences. For a second offence, adults are likely to be offered a PND (Penalty
Notice for Disorder) which will result in a fine but not a Criminal Record. Subsequent
offences will result in police charges and a criminal record.
Most forms of cannabis are Schedule 1 meaning that it is illegal to
produce, possess and supply without a Home Office license. Such licenses were
previously only granted for research and then under a Home Office scheme to
allow for treatment. This has now been expanded making it possible for
specialist Doctors to prescribe cannabis for medical purposes.
CBD is not covered by the MoDA and where CBD is not in plant or resin
form it is legal to possess provided it has no detectable THC in it.
Where CBD products are sold without claims to medical efficacy, they
fall outside the Medicines legislation as well so CBD products are routinely
sold as “food supplements.” Advocates of CBD say it may help a range of ailments
including management of anxiety, pain, inflammation, sleep and other physical or
mental health issues. Foods containing CBD are meant to seek Novel Food Authorisation
under the Food Standards Agency but not all do or have done so.
CBD is widely considered not to be psychoactive (though this is contested), and
so supply is not covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act.
While possession of seeds is not illegal, the cultivation of plants is.
Allowing premises to be used for the consumption of cannabis is an offence. Driving
under the influence of cannabis is illegal.
Internationally the legal status of Cannabis is rapidly changing. Variously,
countries have depenalised it, made it available for medical use, decriminalized
it or, as in the case of Canada, made it fully legal for recreational use.
Cannabis as medicine
UK: There is growing and belated international recognition
as to the medicinal benefits of cannabis.
The UK has slowly started to change the legilsation to make Cannabis more
accessible but it is still a restictive and expensive situation.
The first whole-cannabis derived medicine to be licensed in the UK was Sativex,
an oral spray with a 50:50 THC:CBD ratio. It was made a Class B, Schedule 4i
drug in 2013.
CBD-related products are available without prescription and without
medical assessment. However, there is a lack of reputable information about
doses, interactions and utility. Not everyone derives benefit from CBD-only treatments
and may write off “cannabis as medicine” when THC and CBD may have been more
useful.
CBD only medicine in the form of Epidyolex is now prescribed in the UK but its
use is limited to childhood epilepsy.
Following widespread coverage in the media of children with epilepsy
seeking treatment with cannabinoids, the Home Office made further changes to
the regulations, creating a new family of “cannabis-based products for medicinal
use in humans.” These fall under Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs regulations.
This does not mean that Doctors can now prescribe cannabis. Only clinicians
listed on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council can prescribe
cannabis-based products and they must adhere to the regulations from the MHRA
relating to unlicensed “specials.”
Such provision is now increasingly available through private clinics
which may charge for an initial consultation, follow-ups, repeat prescriptions
and the cost of the cannabis itself.
For most people the costs are the same or greater than buying street
drugs. The benefits – a legal, labelled product of known strength – is only
available to people who can afford it.
Other Information: Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug, and is popular across
age, class, gender and race. It is widely available.
Trends in Use: Cannabis use had been declining
since 1998 but use has been increasing since 2012/13.
While levels of use are not back to the previously high levels the
increase is significant and sustained.
Testing:
Cannabis
urine tests are looking for THC metabolites. These
are detectable in urine for as long as thirty days, far longer than most other
drugs. A person who is exclusively using good-quality CBD or Hemp Oil should
not test positive for THC. A positive test result could be as a result of CBD
products with a level of THC above the legal limits, Hemp Oil made with hemp
seeds that have not been adequately cleaned or use of other cannabis products. A
positive test result could result from passive inhalation especially if sustained
exposure took place in a confined environment.
This is a shorter briefing. A full cannabis resource pack is available on the
KFx Website here: http://www.kfx.org.uk/resources/Cannabis%20Distribution%20Pack%20v.4.pdf
There is a toolkit for working with cannabis dependency here: http://www.kfx.org.uk/resources/cannast2015.pdf
Drug Facts: