Where Does the Cannabis High Come From?
If an image of David Suzuki using cannabis on a beach at sunset isn’t enough to grab interest, nothing is. The outgoing host of The Nature of Things talks about where the cannabis high comes from in a new episode, Science & Cannabis. In it, Suzuki investigates the interesting history behind the science of cannabis – and it doesn’t go back that far.
To be clear, cannabis has been used medicinally for millennia. Queen Victoria’s personal doctor, Dr. John Russell Reynolds, even wrote about it in the medical journal Lancet.
“When pure and administered carefully, (cannabis) is one of the most valuable medicines we possess,” Dr. Reynolds wrote.
However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that scientists first glimpsed exactly where the cannabis high comes from. Raphael Mechoulam, a scientist in Israel, first defined the chemical properties of THC. Then, in 1988, other scientists found how THC reacts with receptors in the brain. This led to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) – and that completely changed the way scientists and medical professionals looked at how the body works. It plays a role in how we experience pain and can affect mood, sleep, brain function, and memory.
“Scientists have compared its function to a thermostat, which sends signals to change the temperature when needed: the ECS works to maintain balance in many of our body’s systems,” the preamble to the episode continues. (Please see link below.) “For example, the ECS helps to regulate appetite by sending endocannabinoids that bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, resulting in hunger.”
Clearly, there is a lot more to it than just where does the high come from.
How Science and Social of Cannabis Intersect – LPC
However, discovering where the high comes from has both scientific and social implications. And therein lies the problem. Socially, cannabis stigma has been passed down over the decades and centuries – at least in the Western world.
On the other side, science is naturally cautious. Doctors in Canada and elsewhere openly question the medical cannabis risks and benefits. Part of this may be driven by stigma. But part is definitely driven by the fact that there isn’t enough cannabis research to date. And, depending on where in the world you live, that research is definitely hampered by cannabis stigma. That includes most notably the United States where the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has to review all cannabis research. This despite the fact that cannabis research has been identified as a public health priority.
So does that mean once cannabis is fully understood, cannabis stigma will decrease? Not necessarily. Other drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are more understood, but can have stigma attached. But it will help. And, if people like David Suzuki are seen to be advocates of cannabis use, that will help reduce stigma even further.
Sometimes it’s not about where the high comes from, but how it reflects on the freedoms in our society.
Find out more about The Nature of Things: Science & Cannabis here
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