Cannabis, marijuana, hashish: what's the difference

Today, there is more and more information about cannabis, so it is important to learn to distinguish the basic concepts. Many people confuse cannabis, marijuana, and hashish, although they are far from being the same thing.

Cannabis (Cannabis) is the Latin name for a genus of annual flowering plants.

Currently, scientists believe that in reality, there is only one species—cultivated hemp, or Cannabis sativa. You have probably heard of the division into "sativa" and "indica," which allegedly have different effects on humans [1]. However, science says that this division is outdated. Previously, these names were used to describe appearance:

• sativa was tall and thin with light leaves

• indica was short and dense with dark greenery.

But today, due to constant crossbreeding, almost no "pure" species are left; there are only hybrids around us [2]. The main thing to remember is that the effect of the plant depends not on its shape or height, but on how many special substances—cannabinoids and terpenes—it contains.

Cannabinoids are those active compounds produced by the plant. The most famous of them is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and it is one of the most researched substances, which gives a strong psychoactive effect. In contrast, CBD (cannabidiol) is another important component that does not alter consciousness and is not prohibited for use. In addition to these two, researchers have found another 113 types of other cannabinoids in cannabis [3], and many of them, as scientific papers show, can be beneficial to health [4].

The word "marijuana" itself also has an interesting history. This name became very popular in America in the 1930s when cannabis began to be actively prohibited. Although no one knows for sure where this word came from, it is believed that it was spread intentionally. The goal was to instill fear in people and associate the plant with Latin American migrants, whom the authorities at the time portrayed in a bad light [5]. Because of this past, the term "marijuana" is today often considered racist, and many experts advise against using it to avoid negative associations [6].

Speaking of hashish, this word came from the Arabic language and literally means "dried grass." In reality, it is a very potent concentrate made from the plant [7]. Small droplets of sticky resin, where most of the active substances are concentrated, appear on the mature flowers of cannabis. The old method of making hashish was that these flowers were rubbed in the palms until the resin stuck to the skin, and then it was collected and rolled into dark balls [8]. In hashish, the THC content is very high and can reach up to 60% [9].

Separately, industrial hemp, or hemp, is distinguished. In such plants, there is almost no THC (less than 0.3%), so they do not intoxicate and are not used for recreational purposes [10]. Hemp is an extremely useful raw material for industry: it is used to make paper, clothing, plastic, biofuel, and to extract beneficial CBD oil [11].

There is also the practice of using cannabis for medical purposes. These are medicines based on the plant or their artificial substitutes prescribed by doctors. Some people think that there is no THC in medical cannabis, but this is not the case. This substance, like other components of the plant, has important therapeutic properties [12]. Treatment with cannabis-based drugs is now officially permitted in 36 American states and in dozens of other countries, including:

• United Kingdom

• Canada

• Poland

• Finland

• Denmark

• Greece

• Switzerland [13].

Understanding the difference between the botanical characteristics, chemical composition, and areas of application of the plant allows us to look at cannabis through the prism of objective scientific data, rather than prejudice. Whether it is eco-friendly industrial production from hemp or complex drugs based on THC and CBD, it is precise terminology that forms the foundation for the progressive development of medicine and industry. Ultimately, in today's information space, knowing the facts is the best way to distinguish a useful resource from dangerous myths.

Resources:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/sativa-vs-indica  
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5576603/   
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoid  
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009279718307373   
5. https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/where-did-the-word-marijuana-come-from-anyway-01fb  
6. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/29/marijuana-name-cannabis-racism   
7. https://www.britannica.com/science/hashish 
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashish 
9. https://www.renaissancerecovery.com/drug/cannabis/what-is-hash/  
10. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1605/hemp%23:~:text=Hemp%2520(Cannabis%2520sativa)%2520is%2520the,species%2520of%2520plant%2520as%2520cannabis.&text=Both%2520hemp%2520and%2520cannabis%2520also,to%2520no%2520more%2520than%25200.3%2525   
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp#:~:text=Hemp%2520is%2520used%2520to%2520make,bioplastics,%2520insulation,%2520and%2520biofuel 
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425767/ 
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis