MARIJUANA

History and Terminology of Marijuana

Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. In botanical terms, “marijuana” is defined as Cannabis sativa L. Legally, marijuana is defined as all parts of the plant, Canabis sativa L. (and any of its varieties) whether growing or not, the seeds thereof, the resin extracted from any part of the plant, and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant; its seeds and resins. Such terms do not include the mature stalk of the plants, fibers
produced from such plants, oils or cakes made from the pressed seeds of such plants, any other compound, manufacture, salt derivative, mixture or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil or cake, pressed seed, or the sterilized seed which is incapable of germination.1 Pharmaceutical preparations that contained the resinous extracts of cannabis were available on the commercial market from the 1900s to 1937. These products were prescribed for their analgesic and sedative effects. In 1937 the Food and Drug Administration declared these products to be of little medical utility and they were removed from the market in 1937. Cannabis, in the forms of the plant material, hashish, and hashish oil, is the most abused illicit drug in the world.

Cannabis is cultivated in many areas of the world. Commerical Cannabis sativa L. is
referred to as “hemp”. The plant is cultivated for cloth and rope from its fiber. A valuable drying oil used in art and a substitute for linseed oil is available from the seeds. Bird seed mixtures are also found to contain sterilized marijuana seeds. In the early days of the U.S., hemp was grown in the New England colonies. Its cultivation spread south into Pennsylvania and Virginia. From there it spread south and west most notably into Kentucky and Missouri.

Its abundance in the early days of the country is still evident by the fact that it still grows wild in many fields and along many roadways. The plant is now indigenous to many areas, and adapts easily to most soil and moderate climatic conditions.

Marijuana is classifed as a hallucinogenic substance. The primary active constituents in the plant are cannabinol, cannabidiol, and the tetrahydrocannabinols, The tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs) are the active components responsible for the hallucinogenic properties of marijuana. The THC of most interest is the Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol. The other THCs of interest in marijuana are the Δ 1 cis- and trans- tetrahydrocannabinols, the Δ6 cis- and trans- tetrahydrocannabinols, and the Δ 3- and Δ4- tetrahydrocannibinols. The concentrations varies dramatically from geographic area to geographic area, from field to field, and from sample to sample. This concentration range varies from less than 1% to as high as 30%. In recent hash oil exhibits, the highest official reported concentration of Δ9-THC is 43%. 2 Five other terms associated with marijuana are:

Hashish: Resinous material removed from cannabis. Hashish is usually found in the form of a brown to black cake of resinous material. The material is ingested by smoking in pipes or by consuming in food.

Hashish oil: Extract of the marijuana plant which has been heated to remove the extracting solvents. The material exists as a colorless to brown or black oil or tarlike substance.

Sinsemilla: The flowering tops of the unfertilized female cannabis plant. (There are no seeds on such a plant.) Sensemilla is usually considered a “gourmet” marijuana because of its appearance and relatively high concentrations of the THCs.

Thai sticks: Marijuana leaves tied around stems or narrow diameter bamboo splints. Thai sticks are considered a high quality product by the drug culture. The THC concentrations of the marijuana leaves on Thai sticks are higher than domestic marijuana. Unlike hashish and sinsemilla, seeds, and small pieces of stalks and stems are found in Thai sticks.

Brick or Kilo: Marijuana compressed into a brick-shaped package with leaves, stems, stalk, and seeds. The pressed marijauna is usually tightly wrapped in paper and tape. This is the form of marijuana encountered in most large scale seizures. These large scale seizure packages weigh approximately 1000 g (1 kg). This is the packaging form of choiced for clandestine operators because of the ease of handling, packaging, shipping, and distribution.