Cannabis
<p >The <b>effects of cannabis</b> are caused by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoids" title="Cannabinoids" class="mw-redirect" >cannabinoids</a>, most notably the chemical substance <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol" title="Tetrahydrocannabinol" >tetrahydrocannabinol</a> (THC). </p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)" title="Cannabis (drug)" >Cannabis</a> has both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological" title="Psychological" class="mw-redirect" >psychological</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiological" title="Physiological" class="mw-redirect" >physiological</a> effects on the human body. Because it is psychoactive, it is an
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis" title="Legality of cannabis" >illegal substance</a> in most of the world<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup>. Five European countries, Canada, and eighteen US states<sup id="cite_ref-USleg_0-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-USleg-0" >[1]</a></sup> have legalized <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis" title="Medical cannabis" >medical cannabis</a> if prescribed for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausea" title="Nausea" >nausea</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain" title="Pain" >pain</a> or the alleviation of symptoms surrounding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_illness" title="Chronic illness" class="mw-redirect" >chronic illness</a>.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup></p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_toxicity" title="Acute toxicity" >Acute</a> effects while under the influence can include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphoria" title="Euphoria" >euphoria</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety" title="Anxiety" >anxiety</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-osborne2008_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-osborne2008-1" >[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-acutememory_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-acutememory-2" >[3]</a></sup> Concerns have been raised about the potential for long-term cannabis consumption to increase risk for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia" title="Schizophrenia" >schizophrenia</a>, bipolar disorders, and major depression,<sup id="cite_ref-mentaldisorders_3-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-mentaldisorders-3" >[4]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-adolescenceschizo_4-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-adolescenceschizo-4" >[5]</a></sup> but the ultimate conclusions on these factors are disputed.<sup id="cite_ref-DeLisi2008_5-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-DeLisi2008-5" >[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-decreased_depression_6-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-decreased_depression-6" >[7]</a></sup> The evidence of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_cannabis" title="Long-term effects of cannabis" >long-term effects</a> on memory is preliminary and hindered by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confounding_factor" title="Confounding factor" class="mw-redirect" >confounding factors</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-memorylongterm_7-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-memorylongterm-7" >[8]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-memoryhindered_8-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-memoryhindered-8" >[9]</a></sup> For thousands of years people have said that cannabis has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_and_spiritual_use_of_cannabis" title="Religious and spiritual use of cannabis" >religious and spiritual effects</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis#cite_note-9" >[10]</a></sup></p>