Appearance and use of cannabis

 

Various forms of cannabis are used, such as the resin (bhang, ganja and hashish), the dried flowering tops and leaves (grass, marijuana and weed) and Skunk, which is stronger due to an increased concentration of the active component, delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The THC concentration is 2-3 times higher than the street cannabis used 15 years ago due to growth under lights in a hydroponic environment.

 

In the UK, most cannabis is home grown, due to a loophole in the law, whereby cannabis seeds are legal to be bought on the internet.

 

Usually the resin or leaves are mixed with tobacco and smoked as a spliff or a joint, but it can also be smoked in a pipe. The smoke is inhaled and held in the lungs for a few seconds before exhaling. It can also be brewed in tea or baked in to cakes.

 

Many of the psychologically active components are readily absorbed in to the blood when smoked and can build up in the fatty tissue, therefore it remains in the urine for up to 56 days after smoking.