Cannabis is considered a gateway drug due to its’ ever growing popularity and acceptance by popular cultural icons from the 60’s onward. Cultivated varieties have grown exponentially in THC potency since it first made its’ debut on the hippy flower power scene however. The rise in potency may be directly related to an increase in mental health and anxiety disorders associated with cannabis abuse. This in turn leads to an increase in admissions to cannabis rehab and cannabis detox programmes.
Cannabis is one of the most widely produced, trafficked and consumed psychoactive drugs in the world and comes in three main forms: marijuana, hashish and hash oil. All three forms contain the psychoactive chemical delta-9 tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) in varying degrees of potency. THC levels vary considerably between the three drug products, but all derive from the same Cannabis Sativa plant originally native to Asia.
Street names for cannabis products include: weed, pot, skunk, marijuana, mary jane, hash, resin, ganja, dope, hydroponic, grass.