Marijuana or its more commonly used term weed. Weed is a drug that comes from the cannabis plant. Most people use marijuana for fun and recreation. But a growing number of doctors are prescribing it for specific medical conditions and symptoms. Marijuana contains mind-altering compounds that affect both the brain and the body. It can be addictive and harm the health of some people. The experience with marijuana is not pleasant for everyone. It can often make you feel anxious, fearful, panicky, or paranoid. Marijuana use can increase your risk of clinical depression or worsen symptoms of any mental disorder you already have. Scientists still don’t know exactly why. In high doses, it can make you paranoid or lose touch with reality, so you can hear or see things that aren’t there.

Types of Cannabis

The two main types of cannabis, sativa and indica, are used for various medicinal and recreational purposes. Sativas are known for their “mental high”, an uplifting and energizing effect that can help reduce anxiety or stress and increase creativity and concentration. Indicas are generally associated with whole-body effects such as increased deep relaxation and reduced insomnia. It is responsible for the “high” or euphoria associated with cannabis use. THC levels have increased as growers try to create hybrids with a higher concentration of the compound. CBD is neither overwhelming nor euphoric, it does not cause a “high”. However, it can produce many physical benefits, such as reducing pain and nausea, preventing seizures, and relieving migraines. Cannabinol (CBN) is used to relieve symptoms and side effects of neurological conditions, including epilepsy, seizures, and uncontrollable muscle stiffness. Tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA) is similar to THC, but does not cause psychoactive effects. It may also help reduce symptoms of neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and ALS. 

Cannabis sativa is mostly found in hot, dry climates with long sunny days. You might find them in Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia and Western Asia. Sativa plants are tall and slender with finger-like leaves. They can reach over 12 feet and take longer to mature than other types of cannabis. Sativa will have lower CBD and higher THC. According to Holland (2021), “Three popular sativa strains are Acapulco Gold, Panama Red, and Durban Poison.” Sativa often produces a “mental high” or an energizing high that reduces anxiety. If you use sativa-dominant strains, you may feel productive and creative, not relaxed and lethargic. Thanks to its uplifting effect, you can use sativa throughout the day. 

Cannabis indica is native to Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Turkey. The plants have adapted to the often harsh, dry and turbulent climate of the Hindu Kush mountains. Indica plants are short and stocky with bushy vegetation and thick leaves that grow wide and wide. They grow faster than sativa and each plant produce more buds. Indica strains often have higher CBD levels, but the THC content is not necessarily lower. Indica is sought after for its intensely relaxing effects. It can also help reduce nausea and pain and increase appetite. Due to its deep relaxing effects, Indica is best consumed at night. Three popular indica strains are Hindu Kush, Afghan Kush, and Granddaddy Purple.

Hybrids are usually grown on farms or greenhouses from a combination of sativa and indica strains. The appearance of hybrid strains depends on the combination of parent plants. Many hybrid cannabis plants are bred to increase the THC percentage, but each type has a unique relationship between the two cannabinoids. Farmers and growers select hybrids for their unique impacts.  According to Holland (2021), “Popular hybrids include Pineapple Express, Trainwreck, and Blue Dream.” They can range from reducing anxiety and stress to relieving symptoms from chemotherapy or radiation therapy.This is due to the predominant effects of the hybrid. Hybrids are generally classified as indicative (or indicadom), sativa-dominant (sativadom), or balanced. 

There is also a third type of cannabis, Cannabis ruderalis. However, it is not widely used as it usually does not produce strong effects. Ruderalis plants adapt to extreme environments, such as Eastern Europe, the Himalayan regions of India, Siberia and Russia. These plants grow quickly, which is ideal for the cold, low-sun environments in these locations. These bushy little plants rarely grow taller than 12 inches, but they do grow quickly. You can go from seed to harvest in just over a month. This strain typically contains low THC and higher amounts of CBD, but that may not be enough to produce effects. Due to its low potency, ruderalis is not commonly used for medicinal or recreational purposes. This cannabis plant produces very little effect, so it can be used at any time. By itself, ruderalis is not a popular cannabis option. However, cannabis growers can breed ruderalis with other types of cannabis, including Sativas and Indicas. The plant’s rapid growth cycle is a positive attribute for growers, so they may want to combine more potent strains with ruderalis strains to create a more desirable product.

Cannabis in Medication

Cannabis is not legal everywhere. A few years ago, all cannabis products were illegal in most of the United States. Today, many states have legalized cannabis for medical or recreational use, or both. The CBD laws are also changing. Some states allow it for medical purposes, but heavily regulate the source to prevent CBD products containing THC. Before attempting to purchase or consume cannabis, you should familiarize yourself with the laws in your state. Please note that cannabis is still illegal under federal law. If you don’t know the laws and you live in the United States, you could face legal consequences. Marijuana has long been celebrated in the world of music and song. In the world of film and television, most cannabis-loving characters tend to get caught between goofy idiots and dangerous outcasts. If a character gets high in a comedy, it’s usually a shortcut to turning them into a jerk. If they get high on a drama, it’s still code for them to be a weird outcast. They could be the hero or a sidekick, but there’s definitely something wrong with them, some sort of stalled development. 

Cannabis in media

Our knowledge and perception of marijuana has changed dramatically over the past few decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was part of a social movement, but was still very much associated with a cultural minority. In the decades that followed, attention to weed faded with the advent of much heavier drugs: cocaine, crack, heroin and opioid painkillers – and in the face of all this, cultural views on the marijuana have become more positive in comparison. Today, there are countless news reports, social media threads, and articles about marijuana that portray it not as a danger but as part of everyday life in many places in the United States. And, as an example of the media’s influence on drugs and alcohol, this exposure has made marijuana use more “normal” than ever.

With the recent shift in perception, people who engage in “weed farming” now have enough exposure to become a marketable group. Dispensaries actively advertise in states where the drug is medically or recreationally legal. Billboards, magazines, websites, and newspapers market different strains for certain purposes and for a variety of experiences. The growing number of marijuana users has given the behavior even more credibility and acceptance. This has advantages, but it’s not without potential drawbacks. When marijuana first became popular in American society in the 1960s, it was much less potent than what is available today. It contained a lower concentration of psychoactive molecules, so it had less impact on some consumers. Marijuana today is not harmful in itself, but it is much stronger. This means that anyone who may have addiction and dependency issues can be triggered by smaller amounts of the substance. 

Although owned by Facebook and adopting many of the same restrictive stances on cannabis content, Instagram is arguably the mainstream social media platform of choice for business owners of cannabis. This is largely due to two things: the platform’s emphasis on beautiful images and the demographics of the site. If you’re a small business, probably the most accessible and affordable tools to advertise your products are:  social media. half of the digital advertising market. Unfortunately for cannabis companies, the advertising platforms of Google and Facebook are out of the question. The media constantly portrays marijuana as a dangerous substance that leads to problems with psychological addiction, drug lords, mental problems, and the inevitable abuse of other drugs. However, when it comes to describing the recreational or medical use of marijuana, adequate examples are few or non-existent. but it was by patients who lied about their condition in order to access the drug.

Summary

In summation, although recreational cannabis use has been legalized in 18 states in the United States and its capital state Washington, DC, it remains unclear if federal legalization is on the horizon. If this were to happen, it would also change the additional complexities that marketers in the industry have to work around. For now, cannabis brands must navigate a tangle of state regulations, platform restrictions, and stigma.