Because we (legally!) got high

The way the world sees cannabis is changing. A year on after the first official marijuana store opened in Colorado, and medical and recreational use is beginning to be accepted all over the world…including our very own United Kingdom.

But what does this change mean for you or me? What does it mean for your daily pot smoker, currently crafting an arse print into the sofa, whilst blazing a zoot and watching the Family Guy boxset? Well, it means a lot. Changes in cannabis laws affect the economy, the pharmaceutical industry, the health service, research centres, growers, dealers and buyers. And whether you’re a smoker or not, these changes will eventually trickle down to the likes of me and you.

For many of us, our first taste of Mary-Jane was at school. Lighting up our first joint in the pouring rain, in the corner of the park where no-one goes because that’s where the dogs pee, and the homeless guy goes to talk to himself….No? No-one else?…Ok, just me then. But for Colorado these dodgy antics are a thing of the past. On January 1 of last year, ‘Green Friday’ saw the first government-controlled cannabis store open its doors to the public. So is it better to stroll into a shop and buy from a ‘budtender’ as opposed to that dodgy dealer on a street corner who has a name like ‘Blazer’ and never shows up on time?

Colorado is certainly profiting from the change. Current projections are on track to earn the state $184million in cannabis tax revenue by July, and there has been a 10 percent drop in crime compared to 2013. Conversely, there has also been a 13 percent increase in marijuana related A&E visits and a 17 percent increase in Driving Under the Influence (DUI’s). Despite its controversies, weed has been decriminalised in several European cities and over 24 states, including Washington and California, and many more authorise its medical use. It is in this field where the plant really has an opportunity to show its worth.

Photo: Danny Birchall / Flickr

First, let me take you on the journey of the mystical marijuana leaf, as it propels its way through your brain. It all comes down to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). This is the primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, and the culprit for the curious phenomena we call ‘getting stoned’. THC is thought to be an evolutionary defence mechanism to protect against herbivore feeding. Unfortunately for the marijuana plant, evolution didn’t count on the carnivores becoming potheads.

From the moment you inhale, chemicals are already zipping through your body. THC is passed from the lungs to the blood in milliseconds, and moments later, it will have crossed the blood-brain barrier and reached its destination – your cerebral cortex. Once in the brain, THC mimics your natural neurotransmitter, anandamide. This neurotransmitter binds cannabinoid receptors at the synapses of neurons, activating your brain cells.

THC exerts an effect on areas of your brain where there are the most cannabinoid receptors available for binding. These are the hippocampus for short term memory, the cerebellum for coordination, and the basal ganglia responsible for muscle coordination. As a result we experience forgetfulness and distorted perception. We feel mellow, hazy and relaxed. However THC can also increase your heart-rate, and many users report paranoia and panic.

The other main ingredient is CBD (cannabidiol). This is the compound that’s getting the medics all hot under the collar, and the main reason behind the use of medical marijuana.

CBD possesses analgesic (pain-relieving), anti-inflammatory and anti-psychiatric properties. Combined with THC, this allows cannabis to affect the nervous system and relieve muscle spasms that are characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS). Its euphoric and analgesic effects can dampen nausea and pain, and is therefore useful to those undergoing chemotherapy as cancer treatment. Marijuana’s appetite stimulatory property is not just an inconvenience that forces you to spend your overdraft on Doritos. The ‘munchies’ can be beneficial for HIV/AIDS sufferers experiencing chronic weight loss.

But medical marijuana use is not just happening in America. In September 2014, a drug called Santivex was made available on the Welsh NHS for the first time. Santivex contains extracts of THC and CBD, all packaged up into a handy little mouth spray. But before half of you pack your bags and plan your relocation to the valley, this treatment is available only on prescription for MS sufferers.

It’s clear that the world’s perception of marijuana is changing, but if you’re waiting for the UK to become the new Colorado, I wouldn’t hold your breath. However as America realise the potential of its medicinal properties, the rest of the world is catching on, and while the UK is a little slow off the mark, we certainly won’t want to get left behind.