Hash and marijuana

Marijuana and hash are made from different parts of hemp. For hash, resin and pollen of inflorescences are used, and for marijuana, leaves and inflorescences are used. The main difference between hashish is a 5-6-fold increase in the concentration of the psychoactive component – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A variety of effects from the use of hemp drugs arise due to the effect of active substances on the numerous cannabinoid receptors of the central nervous system.

Cannabis drugs

Cannabis drugs include marijuana and hashish.

• Marijuana is the dried and crushed parts of a plant, and hemp (leaves, flowers, inflorescences) containing psychotropic substances (cannabinoids).
• Hashish – products in the form of solid, flexible or powdery briquettes made from hemp. The product has a psychoactive effect on humans.

Hemp drugs contain more than 400 various chemicals, of which more than 50 are cannabinoids. The main psychoactive component of herbal drugs is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

How hash and marijuana work

The effect of cannabis-based drugs is due to the effects on the cannabinoid receptors found in the central nervous system.

With smoke, narcotic components enter the lung membrane and are distributed throughout the body with blood. With oral administration, the effect does not appear immediately and is less pronounced, but lasts much longer. Cannabinoids are distributed in lipid-rich tissues.

Among them:

• brain;
• body fat;
• cell membranes;
• reproductive organs;
• endocrine glands.

Psychoactive substances enter the cell nucleus through the outer membrane, changing biochemical processes and intracellular metabolism, pathologically affecting the synthesis of cellular components (proteins, DNA, RNA). Such an effect slows down or stops cellular activity, which has an overwhelming effect on the functioning of organs.

The main symptoms caused by the use of hemp:

• redness of the eye proteins;
• a significant decrease in concentration;
• muscle relaxation;
• dry mouth and nasal cavity;
• lack of coordination;
• panic;
• slow or sudden movements;
• increased number of respiratory movements;
• dilated pupils;
• dizziness;
• increased thirst;
• anxiety;
• fuzzy speech;
• disturbances in thermoregulation (fever or chills);
• decrease in intraocular pressure;
• lowering or increasing blood pressure;
• increased heart rate;
• decrease in short-term and random access memory at the time of drug intoxication;
• nausea.

How to use hash and marijuana

Options for using cannabis drugs:

• smoking in pure (marijuana) or mixed with tobacco using different devices;
• chewing;
• as a food supplement;
• mixing with other drugs.

Smoking is the most famous and popular way to use cannabis drugs to get intoxicated.

Effect of cannabinoids

Effects on the body:

• increased motor activity;
• slight dizziness;
• heaviness in the limbs;
• an illusory increase in attention and perception;
• feeling of invulnerability;
• carelessness;
• tremor of limbs;
• mood elevation;
• significant relaxation;
• lightness in the body;
• increased sexual desire;
• increased desire to communicate, talkativeness;
• distortion of information from the senses (vision, hearing);
• decrease in spatial orientation;
• violation of the sense of time (everything around is slow or vice versa quickly);
• mockery;
• exacerbation of the sensitivity of receptors responsible for the recognition of taste and change in the perception of the taste of products;
• increasing the saturation and brightness of the colors of the world, enhancing the clarity of contours and details;
• often dull colors and fuzzy contours of objects;
• the appearance of hypertrophic perception of their limbs (they seem longer and thicker than the real size);
• softness and muffled sounds of the outside world;
• occasionally increased hearing acuity;
• the appearance of an erroneous assessment of the remoteness of objects, which leads to risk when engaging in potentially hazardous activities or when outdoors;
• hallucinations;
• increased appetite after the end of drug intoxication.

The main differences between marijuana and hashish

Despite the fact that hash and marijuana are derivatives of the same plant, they have some differences.

The main differences between hemp drugs:

• composition (marijuana includes leaves and inflorescences, hash includes pollen and resin);
• the content of psychoactive substances in hash is much higher due to their greater concentration in the components of which the drug is made;
• higher toxicity of hash due to the use of various chemicals (solvents, synthetic cannabinoids) in its production;
• difference in taste and smell when consumed;
• marijuana can be smoked in its pure form, cannabis is used as part of smoking mixtures, including mixtures with marijuana;
• pollen and tar from female plants are used to produce hashish;
• with cannabis, narcotic effects are more pronounced due to the higher concentration of cannabinoids than in marijuana.

Marijuana and hashish are derivatives of the same plant – hemp. For production, different parts of the plant are used, differing in the content of psychoactive substances, which affects the intensity of drug intoxication.

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Emiliya Morgan

Психолог, инструктор по развитию. Магистр психологии Northeastern University (Boston). В 2017 году переехала из Бостона в Санкт-Петербург. Путешественница и автор блога VrednyePrivychki 😉