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The Pharmacology of Cannabis

The Pharmacology of Cannabis G. A.BENTLEY* THROUGHOUT history man has used a variety of drugs to produce plea­ surable mental effects, and amongst these "satisfaction poisons" prepara­ tions of the cannabis plant have a most respectable antiquity. It has been used in China for at least 3000 years, and in India and the Middle East also there are reports of its use for many centuries. In the Odyssey, Homer recounts how Helen of Troy, in order to banish sorrow from her guests, slipped a drug into the drinking bowl, and it is not unlikely that this was a preparation of cannabis. In Mohammedan countries also its use has long been widespread, largely because the Prophet omitted specifically to for­ bid it as he did alcohol. The "bhang" that the Caliph Haroun al Raschid in the Arabian Nights used to bemuse his drinking companions was made from cannabis, and the notorious Assassin Sect used it as a part of their recruiting technique, thus giving rise to the name "hashish". But despite its widespread and prolonged usage there is still a great deal of disagreement about the dangers of this drug. For example, in the Ciba Symposium on the Chemistry and Pharmacology of Hashish (1965), http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology SAGE

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References (14)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
Copyright © by SAGE Publications
ISSN
0004-8658
eISSN
1837-9273
DOI
10.1177/000486586900200203
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

G. A.BENTLEY* THROUGHOUT history man has used a variety of drugs to produce plea­ surable mental effects, and amongst these "satisfaction poisons" prepara­ tions of the cannabis plant have a most respectable antiquity. It has been used in China for at least 3000 years, and in India and the Middle East also there are reports of its use for many centuries. In the Odyssey, Homer recounts how Helen of Troy, in order to banish sorrow from her guests, slipped a drug into the drinking bowl, and it is not unlikely that this was a preparation of cannabis. In Mohammedan countries also its use has long been widespread, largely because the Prophet omitted specifically to for­ bid it as he did alcohol. The "bhang" that the Caliph Haroun al Raschid in the Arabian Nights used to bemuse his drinking companions was made from cannabis, and the notorious Assassin Sect used it as a part of their recruiting technique, thus giving rise to the name "hashish". But despite its widespread and prolonged usage there is still a great deal of disagreement about the dangers of this drug. For example, in the Ciba Symposium on the Chemistry and Pharmacology of Hashish (1965),

Journal

Australian & New Zealand Journal of CriminologySAGE

Published: Jun 1, 1969

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