2. What is Cannabis
Family: Cannabaceae
Species: sativa, indica, ruderalis
COMMON NAMES: Marijuana, Pot, Weed, Ganja, Mary Jane
EFFECTS: Intoxicant, Stimulant, Psychedelic, Depressant
DESCRIPTION: Cannabis, a fast-growing bushy annual with dense sticky flowers, produces the
psychoactive THC. It is the most widely used illegal psychoactive and has a long history of
medicinal, recreational, and industrial use. The fibrous stalks of the plant are used to produce
clothing and rope but that is usually in reference to hemp.
Cannabis is the scientific name for a herb that produces a physcotropic cannabinoid called THC
along with an array of cannabinoids. It is the only plant in the world to produce these
chemicals, usually produced in humans and animals.
3. Uses
Cannabis sativa which is the larger species of cannabis, also known as hemp can be used for
many things including
Food and Nutrition
Hempseeds and hemp oil are highly nutritious and delicious. Hempseeds are an excellent
source of protein, minerals, and dietary fibre. Hemp is the only plant that contains all of the
essential fatty acids and amino acids required by the human body.,
Paper
Hemp is an ideal material for making paper. It regenerates in the field in months (unlike trees
which can take 30 years or more to become harvestable after planting.),
Plastic
most plastic is made from fossil fuels using toxic chemicals. Almost everything we buy is
wrapped in cellophane and our landfills are full of it. A variety of alternatives to plastic can be
made from hemp,
Building Materials
Hemp based materials can replace wood and other materials used to build homes and other
buildings including foundations, walls, shingles, paneling, pipes, and paint,
Fuel, Fabric, Textiles, and Rope
