Cannabis oil

Production is pervasive. A total of 82 countries explicitly reported the illicit cultivation of cannabis on their territory over the 1995-2005 period. In addition, Member States identified 134 source countries for the production of cannabis. Moreover, 146 countries reported seizing cannabis plants over the 1995-2005 period, which is an indirect indicator for the existence of cannabis plant production in a country, as cannabis plants are usually not trafficked across borders (only the end-products cannabis herb, cannabis resin or cannabis oil). Combining these data suggests that cannabis production is taking place in at least 172 countries and territories. 

Cannabis oil (hashish oil) is an oily mixture resulting from extraction or distillation of THC rich parts of the cannabis plant. It is less widely used, accounting for 0.01 per cent of all cannabis seizures in 2005. 

Cannabis herb seizures amounted to 4,600 mt and cannabis resin seizures to 1,300 mt in 2005. Small quantities of cannabis oil (700 litres) were also seized. Seizures of all three products declined in 2005 as compared to a year earlier, thus reversing the upward trend observed until 2004. Herb seizures dropped by 35 per cent, resin seizures by 11 per cent and cannabis oil seizures by 15 per cent. While changes in law enforcement priorities in some countries may have played a role, for the majority of countries lower seizures meant less trafficking as compared to the previous year. Taken together, cannabis herb and resin seizures are now back to the levels reported over the 2000-2002 period. 

Most cannabis oil seizures were made in the Russian Federation (34%) and the Ukraine (10%), followed by Canada (7%) and Morocco ( 5%). 

The purest form of the drug produced for illicit use is cannabis oil. This is prepared by solvent extraction of the resin followed by further purification to produce an oil that comprises up to 60% cannabinoids. Cannabis oil is generally added in small quantities to tobacco and smoked. 

The final type of cannabis product that is likely to be encountered is cannabis oil, more commonly known as hash oil which is obtained by solvent extraction of the herbal or resinous material. There is debate in the legal literature as to whether this constitutes a Class A or Class B drug, the key to which appears to be the presence of cannabidiol. If the latter is present, then the material is treated as a purified form of resin (Class B), while if it is absent, the material is considered to have been prepared, and therefore falls under Class A. 

Cannabis oil and leaf juice were employed externally for various skin diseases, wounds and even in leprosy. The topical antibiotic properties of cannabinoids as known today justify the use in appropriate skin diseases. Cannabis was also used against vomiting. This use was widespread in India as well. It was rediscovered during the 19th century in Europe and again in the 1970 s in the U.S. (vide infra). None of the modem articles on the subject refers to the Chinese, the Indian or even to the 19th century use and experience. 

CHAllENCtl Synthesis of the sesquiterpene bergamotene, a trace component of cannabis oil, proceeds from the alcohol shown here. Suggest a sequence to complete the synthesis. 

Dronabinol. Marinol ( ii7R-/n7 j )-6i7,7,8,I0i7-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6JT-diben2o(B,D) pyran-I-ol is the principal psychoactive substance present in Cannabis sativa F., ie, marijuana. It is a controlled substance, formulated in sesame oil and encapsulated in soft gelatin capsules for oral adrninistration. 

A sesquiterpene has been isolated from the essential oil of Cannabis Indica. This may fairly be considered a definite body, as it has been isolated by many different observers and described by them at different times. Valenta first mentions it. Vignolo describes it as a mobile liquid boiling at 256°, of specific gravity -897 at 15°, and slightly laevo-rotatory. Wood, Spivey, and Easterfield give the boiling-point as 258° to 259°, the specific gravity as -898 at 18°, and the rotation as - 8-6°. 

A9-THC (2.1 in Fig. 2) is the only major psychoactive constituent of C. sativa. It is a pale yellow resinous oil and is sticky at room temperature. A9-THC is hpophihc and poorly soluble in water (3 p,g mL ), with a bitter taste but without smell. Furthermore it is sensitive to light and air [4]. Some more physical and chemical data on A9-THC are fisted in Table 1. Because of its two chiral centers at C-6a and C-lOa, four stereoisomers are known, but only (-)-trans-A9-THC is foimd in the Cannabis plant [5]. The absolute configuration of the... 

Native to Central Asia and long cultivated in Asia, Europe, and China. Now a widespread tropical, temperate, and subarctic cultivar. Cannabis saliva has been cultivated for more than 4500 years for different purposes, such as fiber, oil, or narcotics. The oldest use of hemp is for fiber, and later the seeds were used for culinary purposes. Plants yielding the drug were discovered in India, cultivated for medicinal purposes as early as 900 BC. In medieval times, it was brought to North Africa, where currently it is cultivated exclusively for hashish or kif. 

Hendriks, H., T. M. Malingre, S. Batterman and R. Bos. Mono- and sesqui-terpene hydrocarbons of the essential oil of Cannabis sativa. Phytochemistry 1975 14 814—815. Thorbum, M. J. Jamaican bushes and human chromosomes. Jamaica J 1975 8(4) 18. 

CS062 Bercht, C. A. L. and M. R. Paris. Oil of Cannabis sativa. Bull Tech Gattefosse Sfpa 1973 68 87. 

El Sohly, M. A., J. H. Holley and C. E. Turner. Constituents of Cannabis sa tiva L. XXVI. The delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol content of confiscated marijuana, 1974-1983. Proc Oxford Symp Cannabis 1985 1984 37-42. Morita, M. and H. Ando. Analysis of hashish oil by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry. Kagaku Keisatsu Kenkyusho Hokoku Hokagaku Hen 1984 37(2) 137-140. 

Lemberkovics, E., P. Veszki, G. Verzar-Petri and A. Trka. Study on sesquiterpenes of the essential oil in the inflorescence and leaves of Cannabis sativa L. var. Mexico Sci Pharm 1981 49 401-408. 

More than half (57 %) of all seizure cases involved cannabis (herb, resin, oil, plants and seeds). Opiates (opium, morphine, heroin, synthetic opiates and poppy seeds), accounted for 17 per cent, with heroin alone accounting for 14 per cent of the total. This is followed by seizures of the amphetamine-type stimulants (12 %). About half of these seizures (or 5.5 % of the total) is accounted for by methamphetamine, followed by amphetamine (2.5 %) and ecstasy (2%) the rest (2 %) includes Captagon tablets (Near East) and Maxiton Forte (Egypt), ephedrone (methcathinone) and various undefined amphetamines. Coca products account for 9 percent of global seizure cases the bulk of coca related seizure cases concern cocaine (8 % of total). 

The largest seizures worldwide are for cannabis (herb and then resin), followed by cocaine, the opiates and ATS. All cannabis related seizures amounted to more than 9,700 mt in 2005, including 5,947 mt for cannabis end products (herb, resin and oil). Cocaine seizures amounted to 752 mt, opiate seizures, expressed in heroin equivalents, amounted to 125 mt and ATS seizures (methamphetamine, amphetamine, non-defined amphetamines and ecstasy) amounted to 43 mt. 

---