ABSTRACT
Marijuana, though illegal, is one of the illicit drugs most commonly used by a significant proportion of the world population. It is the most used illegal drug in a number of countries, including Australia, the UK and the US. About 2.5 percent of the world population use marijuana (UNODCCP, 1999, p.91). It is usually a green, brown, or grey mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of hemp plant, cannabis sativa. All forms of marijuana are mind altering. The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol). Today’s marijuana is considered to be 10 to 15 times stronger in terms of the THC concentration than that which was available 30-40 years ago. The use of marijuana has a long history and was until the turn of the century, largely used for medical purposes mostly in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Towards the end of 19th century only Western societies took a serious interest in marijuana. During the period 1880-1900, several research studies were published on the therapeutic use of marijuana. Its medical uses varied from its use in the treatment of malaria to the relief of pain during childbirth. However, the unreliable supply and the discovery of alternative medicines for pain relief led to a reduced level of use of marijuana in the medical field.
