The origins of the Cannabis
The origins of the Cannabis plant are not entirely clear but today it is generally recognized by most biologists and cannabis researchers that it began its life somewhere in the Himalayas.
Today, human intervention has caused the Cannabis plant to grow under more controlled conditions and in areas where the plant would not have had a previous history. It is estimated that in most countries there must be at least 2 - 12 different cannabis strains growing wildly.
Wild Cannabis plants are rare in countries that have tried to eliminate the plant by burning fields and conditioning woodlands. In certain countries the Cannabis plant has been identified as a dangerous drug and has been killed off by human beings and law enforcement officials. It is treated as a weed and as a plant that causes social, mental and physical problems. None of these reasons for removing the plant are well founded but the cull of cannabis has occurred anyhow.
The Cannabis plant was used for many things other than the extraction of THC (to be discussed later). Our ancestors, up until the late 1800’s early 1900’s, used the Cannabis plant to create clothing and other materials. The Cannabis plant or ‘hemp’ as it is called in the textile industry is a very strong material and will withstand large amounts of stress applied to it. Hemp material is widely regarded as one of the best possible materials for producing fabrics. A pair of trousers made from hemp, or a shirt made from hemp will withstand the test of time. It is a far more superior material than cotton. This should give you some clues as to why the fabrics industry wanted to put a stop to the cultivation of marijuana in the late 1800’s. Hemp fabric products will last longer than cotton fabric products thus the buyer buys less over longer periods of time. This is the first instance of the Cannabis plant being subjected to ridicule for capitalist gain.
The Cannabis plant has been subjected to a number of stereotypical formats. The first one is that the resin produced by the plant is physically addictive. This is not true and I will explain why. In psychiatry there is a list of classifications for addictions of all abusive substances. It is contained in a paper called - ICD-10 (classifications of Mental and Behavioral Disorders)
Medical doctors are not informed clearly about the use and abuse of cannabis. This is because cannabis research is illegal in most countries or if research is allowed most of the results are suppressed.
The only way a medical doctor can help a person with a cannabis problem is by having some experience with people who have had cannabis problems in the past. There are no special books to turn too. There are no references which explain clearly what to do or IF cannabis is physically addictive. There are no pills for cannabis addiction (there are for alcoholism).