Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, C.indica, and C.ruderalis. Alternatively, C.ruderalis may be included within C.sativa, all three may be treated as subspecies of C.sativa, or C.sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species. The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Asia.
The plant is also known as hemp, although this term is often used to refer only to varieties of Cannabiscultivated for non-drug use. Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, hemp seeds and their oils, hemp leaves for use as vegetables and as juice, medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fibre. Various cannabis strains have been bred, often selectively to produce high or low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid and the plant's principal psychoactive constituent. Compounds such as hashish and hash oil are extracted from the plant. (Full article...)
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Fritz the Cat is a 1972 American adult animatedblackcomedy film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi in his directorial debut. Based on the comic strip of the same name by Robert Crumb, the film focuses on its Skip Hinnant-portrayed titular character, a glib, womanizing and fraudulent cat in an anthropomorphic animal version of New York City during the mid-to-late 1960s. Fritz decides on a whim to drop out of college, interacts with inner city African American crows, unintentionally starts a race riot and becomes a leftist revolutionary. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations and the free love movement, as well as serving as a criticism of the countercultural political revolution and dishonest political activists.
The film had a troubled production history, as Crumb, who is a leftist, had disagreements with the filmmakers over the film's political content, which he saw as being critical of the political left. Produced on a budget of $700,000, the film was intended by Bakshi to broaden the animation market. At that time, animation was seen predominantly as a children's medium. Bakshi envisioned animation as a medium that could tell more dramatic or satirical storylines with larger scopes, dealing with more mature and diverse themes that would resonate with adults. Bakshi also wanted to establish an independent alternative to the films produced by Walt Disney Productions, which dominated the animation market due to a lack of independent competition. (Full article...)
Image 16The use of cannabis, at least as fiber, has been shown to go back at least 10,000 years in Taiwan. "Dà má" (Pinyin pronunciation) is the Chinese expression for cannabis, the first character meaning "big" and the second character meaning "hemp". (from Medical cannabis)
Image 23Harvesting hemp in the USSR, 1956 (from Hemp)
Image 24Cannabis female flower with visible trichomes (from Cannabis)
Image 25The Chinese character for hemp (麻 or má) depicts two plants under a shelter. Cannabis cultivation dates back at least 3000 years in Taiwan. (from History of cannabis)
Image 35The Ebers Papyrus (c.1550 BCE) from Ancient Egypt has a prescription for medical marijuana applied directly for inflammation. (from Medical cannabis)
Image 36Evolution of cultivated cannabis strains. The cultivar, Cannabis ruderalis, still grows wild today. (from Medical cannabis)
Image 53A dried bud, typical of what is sold for recreational use
Did you know...
... that the Northwest Cannabis Solutions Satsop facility is operated by the largest grower of legal cannabis in the U.S. state of Washington at the site of a canceled nuclear power plant?
... that according to his memoirs, Howard Marks concluded a drug deal at the Warwick Castle with half a consignment of Thai grass hidden in a car parked outside?