Some believe that marijuana is more addictive than other drugs such as alcohol or cocaine, but that is not so. In fact, studies have shown that marijuana does not increase the risk of psychosis or schizophrenia, and is not physically addictive. One reason why some consider marijuana to be less addictive than other drugs is that it is smoked rather than ingested.
No Addictive Properties
Although smoked, marijuana has no addictive chemical properties, it does contain some of the same compounds as tobacco. This means that marijuana can be a “gateway drug”, delivering a certain amount of THC or CBD into the system before other substances can be absorbed into the body. Once there, the individual may experience effects similar to those of other drugs, without the harmful side effects.
So what are marijuana concentrates? A cannabis concentrate (or also known as marijuana concentrate, cannabis extract, or cannabis concentrate) is a high potency concentrated mass created from cannabis, usually with a high percentage of THC. Marijuana concentrates often contain very high levels of CBD and may contain as much as 60% CBD. Marijuana concentrates can vary greatly in quality; although some contain only trace amounts of THC, others can be highly potent and extremely expensive, commanding prices in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Forms of Cannabis
Other forms of cannabis include buds and leaves, which are dried and sold as a single product. Buds and leaves can have varying amounts of CBD, as well as varying amounts of THC. Different types of marijuana buds or leaves may contain different ways in which the THC and CBD are expressed, and this has implications for their cost, strength and availability.
One type of marijuana concentrate is kief. Kief comes from a coffee-like plant called Cinnamomum zeylanicum and is concentrated from the flower buds and stems. While it may sound strange to some, life is actually one of the most widely used and best-known forms of concentrated cannabis extracts. Its high concentration of THC makes it highly effective in relieving the symptoms of many diseases, including nausea and chemotherapy patients.
Liquid Concentrates
Another popular form of marijuana concentrates are liquids. The two most common liquid extracts from marijuana buds and leaves are ethanol and butanol. While ethanol is derived from the same plants as the bud, butanol is made by dissolving the butanol in pure water, which gives it a sweet, herbal taste. Many different types of liquids are currently being developed and tested for different ways in which they relieve certain symptoms.
THC and CBD Extracts
There are currently two general types of marijuana extracts. One is THC-based, which is created through the means of extracting THC from the cannabis buds and leaves and into the dilution that can be used in vapor form. The second type is CBD-based. This type of extract is created by extracting CBD from the buds and leaves, while keeping the amount of THC at a minimum. Both these forms have proven effective in treating different ailments, so they are definitely worth investigating further. Some people report only feeling slightly more “high” or alert after using CBD-based marijuana extracts than when they use diamond extracts.
