Chapter 5 - Cannabis: From Plant to Joint

Properties of cannabis

Classified in the pharmacopoeia as a hallucinogenic, psychodysleptic or psychotomimetic, cannabis is a disrupter or modulator, that is to say that it alters perceptions and emotions. Classified in the international conventions and national legislation as a narcotic, cannabis belongs to the class of psychotropics which comprises five major groups: depressants (alcohol, Valium), stimulants, minor (coffee, nicotine) and major (cocaine, amphetamines), disrupters (cannabis, LSD), antipsychotics and medication for mood disorders (lithium).

More than 460 known chemical constituents are present in cannabis.[1][24] Of that number, more than 60 are identified as cannabinoids. The main active ingredient in cannabis, which was identified by the team of Dr. Mechoulam in 1964,[2][25] is D⁹‑tetrahydrocannabinol, common called THC. Other cannabinoids present in Indian hemp include delta‑8‑tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol and cannabidiol, but they are present in small quantities and have no significant effect on behaviour, compared to D^9‑THC,[3][26] although they can modulate the product's overall effect.[4][27] Cannabinol also has anti‑inflammatory effects.

For a better understanding of the effects of cannabis discussed in the following chapters, we will first consider its pharmacological properties. Consequently, readers may skip this technical section without risk of not properly understanding the rest of the report. In the following paragraphs, we first discuss D⁹THC levels and, second, specifically examine the pharmacological properties of that substance.