THC History
Many people have had their minds made-up over marijuana for years and are either dead set against it or they are all for it. There are many misconceptions out there floating around and people have been giving misinformation for many years.
Part of this was due to the federal government now wanting to legalize marijuana because of the belief that it was a powerful drug that was harmful. Some called it a gateway drug, saying it would lead to harder drug use. Is this true though?
The real reason that marijuana was criminalized was likely because of the lumber barons who lobbied congress to have all cannabis plants made illegal because they knew that hemp could be used to create any product that was made from wood.
They worried that this would kill their fortunes and they wanted hemp out of the picture. It worked. From 1937 to 2014 it was criminal to have in your possession any hemp product or the plant itself.
In 2014, the Farm Bill made it possible to have hemp in your possession and for it to be grown in very controlled settings. As early as 1996, California made medical marijuana legal in their state, which also started the ball rolling in getting cannabis back in the eye of the public.
During the time that it was criminalized, the public were told many untruths to help keep those profiting from lumber and also from the cotton industry in control and rolling in money. Hemp is also a fiber that can replace cotton in many forms of textile products, you see.
Today
Now we know that there are many reasons to use medical marijuana for health and longevity. It has provided such beneficial aid to those with Epilepsy that the FDA even gave their stamp of approval for a product that contains a cannabinoid called cannabidiol, or CBD, as the main active ingredient.
This medication, Epidiolex, is the medication that doctors turn to when all else has failed in treating a patient with severe seizures. This is the first time that mainstream medicine has met with cannabis to gain approval for a new drug but it will likely not be the last.
Some of the chronic conditions and illnesses that we know marijuana can help include:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cancer Patients
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcers
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Arthritis
- Lupus
- Pain
- Inflammation
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- PTSD
This is a short list of things that people have been using marijuana for and the list gets longer all the time. As people find it necessary to search for more natural options due to side-effects of prescription drugs and to avoid drugs that are addictive, they turn to medical marijuana, or CBD oil in states where medical marijuana is not an option yet.
CBD is one of the cannabinoids in marijuana but there are approximately 100 others, THC included. THC is also known by its proper name, Tetrahydrocannabinol.
THC is a psychoactive compound when it is heated. When marijuana is smoked, decarboxylation causes the THC to form as a compound that causes you to get high, sometimes even to hallucinate. Baking it has the same effect when used in edibles.
Because of the high that is experienced from marijuana, it has been treated as the bane of existence by many people. America’s war on drugs targeted marijuana specifically, while medical practitioners were prescribing opioids to patients, a highly addictive and dangerous drug that causes addiction in four days for many people. Deaths from opioids are so common that it is being referred to as the ‘Opioid Crisis in America’ and it isn’t stopping anytime soon.
Is THC Addictive?
Marijuana can become habitual and problematic for some people, especially if they begin using it at an age earlier than 18. The most common issues associated with quitting marijuana is an increase in irritability, lack of sleep, physical discomfort, lack of appetite and cravings.
This is due to the effect that it has on the body to introduce cannabinoids that are used by the body, prompting the body to create less of its own endocannabinoids.
The withdrawal symptoms are just these things. You’ll experience no throwing up, body aches, chills, or sweats. You will not have the painful withdrawals as if you were trying to quit heroine cold turkey. In fact, some say it is less problematic or similar to quitting cigarettes.
Marijuana disorder, as the addiction is called, is a primary issue when regular use turns into a constant use that often interferes with the ability to perform normal daily tasks and enjoy life. When you can’t operate a car most days because you are very stoned, this is likely part of being addicted to the feeling of being high. This is from THC.
Quitting or cutting back, as people do with nicotine (which is also addictive by the way) is going to make you somewhat irritable and crabby. You may experience aches and pains that you’ve not felt because the marijuana was actually working to block this pain in the body.
That part is normal and the reason why people use it medically, but overuse can lead to issues for some people and this should be paid attention to.
When you reach a point that you feel you simply cannot function without marijuana, they you absolutely could be addicted to THC and the best course of action is to cut back and use less as you can tolerate it.