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Cannabis comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa and can be brown, grey or green in colour. Cannabis contains hundreds of chemical substances, and more than 100 of these substances are known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are made and stored in the plant's trichomes. Trichomes are tiny, clear hairs that stick out from the plant’s flowers and leaves. Cannabinoids have effects on cell receptors in the brain and body. They can change how those cells behave and communicate with each other.
The two main cannabinoids found in cannabis are the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). While the plant/smoked version of cannabis contains both THC and CBD, some oils and edibles contain only one or the other and often in significantly higher concentrations than the smoked version.
The most researched cannabinoid is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is responsible for the way your brain and body respond to cannabis, including the high and intoxication. THC has some therapeutic effects but it also has harmful effects. Harmful effects may be greater when the strength of THC is higher.
The potency (concentration or strength) of THC in cannabis is often shown as a percentage of THC by weight (or by volume of an oil). THC potency in dried cannabis has increased from an average of 3 per cent in the 1980s to around 15 per cent today. Some strains can have an average as high as 30 per cent THC.
Cannabis that contains very low amounts of THC in its flowers and leaves (less than 0.3 per cent) is classified as hemp.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is another cannabinoid. Unlike THC, CBD does not produce a high or intoxication. There is some evidence that CBD may block or lower some of the effects of THC on the mind. This may occur when the amount of CBD in the cannabis is the same or higher than the amount of THC. CBD is also being studied for its possible therapeutic uses.