Marijuana (cont.)

There are many, many ways of referring to marijuana. The technical term for marijuana is cannabis. Some terms like pot, hemp, herb, reefer, ganja, and weed refer to the substance itself. A higher potency form of marijuana is often called hashish or hash. Other words like joints, blunts, backwoods, buds, or bongs refer to the way that marijuana is smoked. Marijuana is also often smoked in pipes or baked in food, like brownies.

The history of marijuana goes back for thousands of years. It was only made illegal in many countries during the 20th century. In the past 20 years in the United States, the legalization pros and cons of medical marijuana have been intensely debated as it has become legal to use it in 15 states and the District of Columbia. In those jurisdictions, people for whom medical marijuana has been specifically recommended by a physician must carry a (medical) marijuana card that indicates their use of the substance for a clear medical purpose. Individuals who do not carry such a card risk prosecution for marijuana possession. Different states that allow for legal use of marijuana have different guidelines for the legality of possessing and using medical marijuana. For example, at least one bans home cultivation, and there are regulations concerning the operations of dispensaries in some states.

Federal laws continue to deem marijuana possession, as well as its distribution, as illegal, whether it is used for medicinal purposes or not. While the prosecution rates of individuals who carry small amounts of the substance along with a medical marijuana card tend to be low, dispensaries in states that have legalized medical marijuana remain criminalized and are therefore often raided by law-enforcement agencies.

Attempts to completely legalize the use of marijuana, whether for medicinal purposes or not, remain strongly contested in most jurisdictions. For example, in 2010, Proposition 19, a measure that would have completely legalized possession and growing marijuana then taxed and regulated its use was defeated in the state of California. However, California already reduced legal sanctions for possessing small amounts of marijuana to the level comparable to the penalty for speeding on a freeway.

There are a variety of marijuana types, also called strains. Strains tend to be based on leaf color as indicated in pictures, as well as the strains' potency and medical purpose. Medical strains of marijuana are specifically grown for a particular health benefit, like pain management or reduction of nausea. Some states place restrictions on the strains of marijuana that may be legally used and sold. Marijuana dispensaries often sell hydroponic marijuana seeds through mail order, which can be grown in nutrient solution, with or without soil.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/marijuana/article.htm