Cannabis
(Also known as marijuana, draw, blow, weed, puff, shit, hash and ganja). Cannabis is a natural substance, which comes from the 'Cannabis Sativa' plant. It either comes as a solid dark lump known as 'resin' or leaves, stalks and seeds called 'grass' or as a sticky oil. It can be rolled with tobacco in a spliff or joint, smoked on its own in a special pipe, or eaten. There are different strengths of cannabis, e.g skunk which is very strong. Cannabis is a Class C drug, but Class A penalties can apply to the oil.

some histrory

Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a Chinese medical compendium traditionally considered to date from 2737 BC Its use spread from China to India and then to N Africa and reached Europe at least as early as AD 500. A major crop in colonial North America, marijuana (hemp) was grown as a source of fiber. It was extensively cultivated during World War II, when Asian sources of hemp were cut off.

Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for various conditions including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Its use as an intoxicant was also commonplace from the 1850s to the 1930s. A campaign conducted in the 1930s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) sought to portray marijuana as a powerful, addicting substance that would lead users into narcotics addiction. It is still considered a ??gateway? drug by some authorities. In the 1950s it was an accessory of the beat generation ; in the 1960s it was used by college students and ??hippies? and became a symbol of rebellion against authority.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Most marijuana at that time came from Mexico, but in 1975 the Mexican government agreed to eradicate the crop by spraying it with the herbicide paraquat, raising fears of toxic side effects. Colombia then became the main supplier. The ??zero tolerance? climate of the Reagan and Bush administrations (1981-93) resulted in passage of strict laws and mandatory sentences for possession of marijuana and in heightened vigilance against smuggling at the southern borders. The ??war on drugs? thus brought with it a shift from reliance on imported supplies to domestic cultivation (particularly in Hawaii and California). Beginning in 1982 the Drug Enforcement Administration turned increased attention to marijuana farms in the United States, and there was a shift to the indoor growing of plants specially developed for small size and high yield. After over a decade of decreasing use, marijuana smoking began an upward trend once more in the early 1990s, especially among teenagers, but by the end of the decade this upswing had leveled off well below former peaks of use.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its stereochemical variants

Substance identification
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is chemically 6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol. Dronabinol (CAS 1972-08-3) is the INN for one of the stereochemical variants of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, namely (-)-trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
Similarity to known substances and effects on the central nervous system
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the main principle of cannabis which is a well known psychotropic substance with the perception-altering effects possessed by cannabis.

Dependence potential
Although cannabis is abused extensively, there is no evidence that dronabinol shares the high abuse liability of cannabis.

Actual abuse and/or evidence of likelihood of abuse
In terms of abuse potential, there may not be a significant difference between delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabis, a natural "preparation" of this psychoactive substance. In terms of likelihood of abuse, however, there is a very significant difference between the two. Cannabis is abused extensively in the world whereas the abuse of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or of its preparations is almost non-existent. Of the 103 countries which responded to the WHO Questionnaire, only two indicated some abuse of this substance: Denmark reported some abuse of "cannabinol", clarifying that it meant the detection of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the exhibit, and USA mentioned 3 cases of abuse reported by the American Association of Poison Control Centres during the period 1992-1994.

Therapeutic usefulness
Dronabinol is indicated for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments and for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. Of the 103 countries which responded to the WHO Questionnaire, only six countries reported the regular availability of pharmaceutical products containing dronabinol.
Recommendation
The abuse liability of dronabinol is expected to remain very low so long as cannabis continues to be readily available. Therefore, the abuse liability of dronabinol does not constitute a substantial risk to public health and society. In accordance with the established scheduling criteria, dronabinol should be rescheduled to Schedule IV of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. In order to avoid placing different stereochemical variants of the same substance under different control systems, it is recommended that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and its stereochemical variants be moved to Schedule IV of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.