A Scientific and Societal Review of the Cannabis Domain: Exploring the Plant’s Properties and Cultural Context
The cannabis plant, encompassing both the high-THC varieties and the low-THC industrial hemp varieties, has been utilized for millennia for its fiber, seed, and psychoactive or therapeutic properties, giving it a profound, complex history intertwined with global human societies. A modern, objective review moves beyond commercial metrics to focus on its complex **phytochemistry** and the broad spectrum of its impact on human physiology, recognizing the plant as a rich source of hundreds of unique compounds, most notably the cannabinoids. This approach seeks a deeper understanding of the plant’s fundamental mechanisms of action within the human body and its evolving place in global culture and public policy.
At the heart of the plant's function are the **cannabinoids**, such as Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which interact with the body's **endocannabinoid system (ECS)**. The ECS is a vast regulatory network composed of receptors (CB1 and CB2), endogenous compounds (endocannabinoids), and enzymes that…