Cannabis, also known as marijuana[1], marihuana,[2] or ganja (from Nepali/Urdu/Hindi/Sanskrit: ?????/????? gañj?, hemp) refers to any number of preparations of the cannabis plant intended for human consumption as a drug, the most common of which being the natural herbal form.
The herbal form of the drug consists of mature female flowers and sub-tending leaves of pistillate (female) plants. The resinous form, known as hashish,[3] consists primarily of glandular trichomes collected from the same plant material. The major biologically active chemical compound in cannabis is ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), commonly referred to as THC.
Humans’ consumption of cannabis pre-dates history.[4] In the 20th century there was a considerable increase in its use for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. It is estimated that about four percent of the world’s adult population (162 million) use cannabis annually and 0.6 percent (22.5 million) daily.[5] The possession, use, or sale of psychoactive cannabis products became illegal in most parts of the world in the early 20th century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of cannabis prohibition while others have reduced the priority of enforcement.