Marijuana is a drug obtained from the female plant of Cannabis Sativa. It is often smoked as a cigarette or ingested via food products such as cakes and cookies. Its effects differ greatly depending on how it is used. When consumed through smoking, the user will feel an immediate effect due to the fast-acting nature of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which has been found to be one of about 400 chemicals in marijuana and buy by mail order marijuana way. The smoke gets trapped in the lungs, where it passes into the bloodstream that carries it throughout the body, including all brain parts. While taking marijuana orally rather than inhaling produces less intense effects, among other things, its effects are longer lasting – between 1-3 hours compared to only 15-30 minutes when smoked. It is worth noting that when marijuana is used, its THC remains unchanged in the body and brain. This is why its use often causes long term effects, some of which are mild while others can be quite severe.
The active ingredient in marijuana greatly impacts its users both in terms of benefits and detriments. The main constituent is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which accounts for about 10% of the chemical composition of dried herbal cannabis. Other constituents include cannabinol (CBN) and cannabidiol (CBD). While each of these affects the body differently, they all work by attaching to receptors that lie within cell surfaces throughout our bodies, known as cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. These receptors lie in many tissues of the body, including but not limited to the brain, uterus, testes, and glands such as the hypophysis (part of the brain). They each play a different role:
The CB1 receptors are mainly found in the central nervous system and connect with other neurotransmitters that affect our thoughts and emotions while the CB2 receptors work by connecting with neurotransmitters that influence appetite, pain sensation and inflammation. Different types of cannabinoids will attach themselves to each receptor depending on which site is predominant within any one person’s body – this explains why one response may take longer than another despite having been administered the same amount of intake at identical times. It also explains why the effects of smoking and ingesting differ. For example, if a person’s body has more CB1 receptors than CB2, then his reaction to THC will be stronger – he will feel its effect for longer and it will be much less pleasurable.
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