Legal Weed – Cannabis Use and Cannabis Substitutes

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Cannabis is – according to the United Nations – the most widely used illegal substance in the World. Although in some countries (and, at the time of writing, thirteen US states) the plant has been licensed for medical use, recreational use of the plant is prohibited in all Western Nations, (yes, including the Netherlands, except in very small amounts and in certain designated places) with penalties for possession or supply of the drug ranging from fines to custodial sentences.

Cannabis normally contains a number of psychoactive compounds that are said to produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria, of which the most common and potent is the compound delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Several studies have indicated that long term exposure to this drug, or exposure to high concentrations of THC over shorter periods, can lead to an increased chance of developing mental illnesses, particularly depressive disorders and some forms of schizophrenia.

Worries over the effects of cannabis use upon mental health, coupled with (statistically unfounded) assertions that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug' likely to lead users on to taking more dangerous substances form the core of the argument for the plant's continued illegality. Whether or not cannabis should be legalised, decriminalised or remain illegal is an argument that lies well beyond the scope of this article, though it is undeniable that current legislation means that all wealth generated from the production and sale of the plant (a considerable sum of money, estimated in the US alone at $36 billion annually) lies in the hands of criminals, and that efforts to reduce consumption of the drug through prohibition are extremely expensive and almost completely ineffective.

While millions of people are willing to flout the law and use cannabis recreationally, the desire to achieve a similar effect legally has led to a large range of herbal and synthetic substitutes being produced. These products – known as legal weed or legal bud – normally take the form of legal plants with mild psychoactive properties, or plants that produce flowers that look similar to cannabis, which are then infused with synthetic legal highs.

Chief among the legal plants used as a cannabis substitute is Leonotis leonurus, or Lions tail. This plant, which is native to southern Africa, has long been known for its medicinal properties and has been used to treat headaches, fever and snakebite. The plant also has mild sedative properties at low doses, and can produce mild hallucinations and an altering of perception at higher doses.

Also commonly used in legal weed preparations is the common plant Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). This plant is sometimes called a ‘dream herb' because of its purported effects upon dream intensity, control and recall. It also has mild psychoactive and sedative effects.
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