Cannabis sativa L. (marihuana): VI. variations in marihuana preparations and usage - chemical and pharmacological consequences

Relatively little is known regarding the drug effects of marihuana in man, vis-à-vis the different methods of preparing the plant material prior to actual use. A search of the scientific literature reveals cryptic references which lead one to believe that there may indeed be subtle as well as frank pharmacological differences in the marihuana induced effects in humans. These differences may depend on the sundry methods whereby various hemp products are prepared and used throughout the world. Although marihuana is usually employed in this country by means of smoking the crushed and dried plant material, recent reports related to us from certain fringe groups of the drug subculture describe a heretofore unknown and novel method of marihuana preparation and use. Reputedly, the simultaneous ingestion of marihuana teas together with smoking cigarettes prepared from previously water-boiled marihuana plant material, results in increased psychotropic effects both in terms of intensity as well as duration. The known aspects of this ritual will be briefly described. In our laboratories, using experimental conditions chosen to simulate the extemporaneous manner of preparation, it was found that the boiling water treatment of marihuana led to marihuana that was significantly enriched in cannabinoid substances, including delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is considered to be the major psychoactive component of marihuana. This may explain, at least partly, the alleged claims made for the increased biological potency of marihuana so prepared. Furthermore, preliminary animal experiments indicate that marihuana teas may indeed exhibit biological activities. Finally, the potential health hazards inherent in this newly described practice, based on the fact that illicit marihuana is frequently misrepresented and adulterated with other drugs, will be discussed. (Author' s abstract)