Cannabis

What is it?

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family of Cannabaceae. Cannabis contains hundreds of cannabinoids which are compounds that attach to cannabinoids receptors (CB1) in the human brain. The two most prominent cannabinoids are Cannabidiol (CBD) and Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) There are three species of cannabis that is recognized: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Within these three species of plants there are plants that are Hemp which the majority of cannabinoids is Cannabidiol (CBD) and contains less than 0.3% of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and plants that are marijuana with the majority of cannabinoids are THC.

Some people use the term cannabis instead of marijuana, because of the derogatory way marijuana was used towards certain ethnic groups in the early 19th century. PPAC chooses to use cannabis as an overarching term and marijuana to describe adult use products containing THC.