top of page
Search

What is Cannabis?

Cannabis is the most widely used drug in the UK and the USA, and arguably, the world. Most of the cannabis bought in the UK is now actually grown here. Its positive & negative effects on the mind and the medical benefits are widely debated. This blog aims to arm you with the facts and links to further information.


What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a plant that can be grown naturally in most hot countries. However, due to the easy access to growing equipment, it can also be grown indoors. It is the flowers (buds) of the female plant that users use to get high. It falls into the hallucinogenic category of drugs because it mildly affects your five senses (smell, sight, taste, touch and sound).


The two main chemicals in cannabis are THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol). These chemicals are known as cannabinoids, and it is reported that there are over 100 different cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.




Common street names

The names used for cannabis that you may be familiar with depends on where you are in the world. There are hundreds of names, but the most common ones that we've heard over the years are weed, green, skunk, wacky backy, the devils' lettuce, puff & smoke.


How is it made?

Cannabis takes between 3 and 5 months to grow fully. A lot of the cannabis on the streets of Lanarkshire today is grown in Scotland. Growing cannabis in the UK is illegal and can lead to up to 14 years in jail if you are caught.

You need a lot of equipment and a decent bit of knowledge to grow cannabis indoors. We can't tell you too much about that, but here is what we can tell you about the production process:

What types of cannabis are there?

Herbal cannabis is the most common type of cannabis used in Lanarkshire.

Cannabis comes in a few other different types (or forms). To find out more, read our types of cannabis blog.


How do people use cannabis?

The most common way people use cannabis in the UK is in a joint with tobacco. ​

Some other methods are:

  • Bong

  • Bucket

  • Pipe

  • Vaporizer

  • Blunt

  • Edibles



Long-term use

People who use high-strength cannabis every day over a long period of time are at risk of developing a dependence or addiction. More research is needed in this field. However, it is widely accepted that regular users of cannabis might be at risk of the following:

  • Difficulty making decisions

  • Difficulty learning new things

  • Difficulty making plans

If you, like most UK users of cannabis, smoke joints with tobacco, you are at risk of many different illnesses and cancers.


Find out more about tobacco-related harms on the NHS website, and learn more about the long-term and short-term effects of cannabis through our how cannabis affects you blog.


Is cannabis addictive?

The short answer is, yes, it is. If you are concerned about your cannabis use or someone else's, your doctor can help by linking you to some local help services. Contact your family GP or doctor for further help. You will also find some helpful links below to other cannabis information pages if you would like to read more.


Further information

Have a look at the links below for further reading and information.

You can also read about cannabis on our other LANDED blog posts.

83 views
bottom of page