What is cannabis?
Cannabis is a flowering plant with fibrous stalks. The leaves, flowers, and roots are used for medicinal purposes. On the mature plant, the leaves and flowers are covered with trichomes – tiny glands of resinous oil containing cannabinoids and terpenes that, when consumed, can provide physical and psychoactive effects.
What is medical cannabis?
Also called “medical marijuana,” medical cannabis is cannabis and cannabinoids (chemical compounds in the plant) that can be medically recommended to treat certain conditions and symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and pain that can be associated with numerous conditions.
What are cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds secreted by cannabis flowers. There are also compounds called terpenes – chemical compounds that give cannabis its unique aroma. The concentrations and combinations of the cannabinoids and terpenes vary from plant to plant and among the different strains of cannabis. When inhaled, consumed as an edible, or used on the skin as a topical preparation, the cannabinoids bind to cannabinoid docking sites or receptors in the human body and alter nerve transmission in the brain.