History of cannabis

 

Cannabis comes from the plant species Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica which is a psychoactive plant from the nettle family. It is believed to have originated from central Asia, where it was cultivated for use as food, fibre materials and medicine, but its psychoactive properties were known for thousands of years and used for spiritual rituals. Renewed interest in the drug began in 1964.

 

Cannabis can be viewed as harmless and used as a relaxation aid and is better for health than alcohol or cigarettes; but research indicates it can have serious consequences with the development of psychotic illness, particularly if a person is genetically predisposed.

 

Medicinal claims for the use of cannabis include managing chronic pain, nausea and muscle spasm, such as in cancer patients, but it is only licenced for use in the UK as Sativex®, for treating spasms associated with multiple sclerosis.

 

In 2009, 9.9 million 16-59 year olds in the UK admitted to having ever taken cannabis. It is the most widely used drug in the UK and is currently a Class B drug, however, it has declined in popularity since 1996. Frequent use is twice as likely in the younger population and is more common in the UK than the rest of Europe. A drugs study of drug use in adolescents aged 15-16 over 31 European countries in 2010 found there was an average of 10% having taken the drug within the last 30 days, however in the UK the percentage was 19-22%.