What is Marijuana?
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. It is used as a psychoactive drug or as medicine.
Marijuana
What is THC?
THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the major psychoactive chemical component of marijuana. When used, either through ingestion or inhalation, THC binds to specific receptors in the brain called cannabinoid receptors. In low doses, THC causes some pain reduction, may reduce aggression, can stimulate appetite, and help reduce nausea. Higher doses may cause the “high” associated with marijuana, leading to altered perception of time and space, feelings of happiness, or feelings of fatigue.
I knew that ^. What other role does THC play?
THC is self defense mechanism that the cannabis plant has developed through evolution.
What? Really?
Yes! Most of the THC is concentrated in stalked trichomes. Trichomes are outgrowths that resemble thorns on a rose plant.
Trichomes
They have the ability to deter predators by irritating their mouths when attacked. Moreover, small insects, who do not have as big a mouth as other predators but still try to feed on the cannabis plant, end up rupturing the trichomes. The rupturing of trichomes causes the release of sticky resins that capture the insects. Thereby, preventing them from damaging the plant.
Another stress to which plants are subjected results from their daily exposure to sunlight. While it is necessary to sustain photosynthesis, natural light contains biologically destructive ultraviolet radiation. A preliminary investigation indicated that, THC had the property of adsorbing the UV-B (280-315 nm) rays.
In this manner, THC protects the cannabis plant from the harmful UV rays, predators and insects.
