What is Cannabis?
Cannabis is a type of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae. The Cannabis plant is a tall blossoming plant with a firm upright stem, isolated by serrated leaves and glandular hairs. Historically, the entire cannabis plant was used by various cultures to fill a wide variety of needs. However, for medicinal purposes our focus is primarily on the cannabis flowers.
Cannabis leaves and blossoms are coated with trichomes, which are small organs of resinous oil containing cannabinoids and terpenes. It’s these cannabinoids and terpenes of the plant which give the physical and psychoactive effects that many people find beneficial.
Cannabinoids and terpenes are found in each strain of cannabis, but with varying types and quantities. Cannabinoids and terpenes are essentially the chemicals that provide relief to patients by embedding themselves into special receptors in the tissues and cells of the human body.[2] These special receptors are part of what is known as the endocannabinoid system. This mechanism, which helps modulate many bodily functions including appetite, sleep, anxiety level, and cognition, is closely linked to the nervous and immune systems. In fact, specific cannabinoids target particular types of receptors situated on the surface of cells.[2] There are more than 85 sorts of cannabinoids, many of which have documented medicinal value.[3]
