<unk>  is used for a wide variety of purposes. History According to genetic and archaeological evidence,<unk>  was first domesticated about 12,000 years ago in East Asia during the early Neolithic period. The use of<unk>  as a mind-altering drug has been documented by archaeological finds in prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa. The oldest written record of<unk>  usage is the Greek historian Herodotus's reference to the central Eurasian Scythians taking<unk>  steam baths. His (c. 440 BCE) Histories records, "The Scythians, as I said, take some of this hemp-seed presumably, flowers, and, creeping under the felt coverings, throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it smokes, and gives out such a vapour as no Greek vapour-bath can exceed; the Scyths, delighted, shout for joy." Classical Greeks and Romans also used<unk> . In China, the psychoactive properties of<unk>  are described in the Shennong Bencaojing (3rd century AD).<unk>  smoke was inhaled by Daoists, who burned it in incense burners. In the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545,<unk>  spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America,<unk> , in the form of hemp, was grown for use in rope, cloth and paper. Recreational use Comparison of physical harm and dependence regarding various drugs alt<unk>  is a popular recreational drug around the world, only behind alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco. In the United States alone, it is believed that over 100 million Americans have tried<unk> , with 25 million Americans having used it within the past year. The psychoactive effects of<unk>  are known to have a triphasic nature. Primary psychoactive effects include a state of relaxation, and to a lesser degree, euphoria from its main psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol. Secondary psychoactive effects, such as a facility for philosophical thinking, introspection and metacognition have been reported among cases of anxiety and paranoia. Finally, the tertiary psychoactive effects of the drug<unk> , can include an increase in heart rate and hunger, believed to be caused by 11-OH-THC, a psychoactive metabolite of THC produced in the liver. Normal cognition is restored after approximately three hours for larger doses via a smoking pipe, bong or vaporizer. However, if a large amount is taken orally the effects may last much longer. After 24 hours to a few days, minuscule psychoactive effects may be felt, depending on dosage, frequency and tolerance to the drug. Commercial<unk>  extract Various forms of the drug<unk>  exist, including extracts such as hashish and hash oil which, because of appearance, are more susceptible to adulterants when left unregulated.<unk> iol (CBD), which has no psychotropic effects by itself (although sometimes showing a small stimulant effect, similar to caffeine), attenuates, or reduces the higher anxiety levels caused by THC alone. According to Delphic analysis by British researchers in 2007,<unk>  has a lower risk factor for dependence compared to both nicotine and alcohol. However, everyday use of<unk>  may be correlated with psychological withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability or insomnia, and susceptibility to a panic attack may increase as levels of THC metabolites rise.<unk>  withdrawal symptoms are typically mild and are not life-threatening. Risk of adverse outcomes from<unk>  use may be reduced by implementation of evidence-based education and intervention tools communicated to the public with practical regulation measures. Medical use Medical<unk>  (or medical marijuana) refers to the use of<unk>  and its constituent<unk> oids, in an effort to treat disease or improve symptoms.<unk>  is used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to treat chronic pain and muscle spasms.<unk> oids are under preliminary research for their potential to affect stroke. Evidence is lacking for depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychosis. Two extracts of<unk>  – dronabinol and nabilone – are approved by the FDA as medications in pill form for treating the side effects of chemotherapy and AIDS. Short-term use increases both minor and major adverse effects. Common side effects include dizziness, feeling tired, vomiting, and hallucinations. Long-term effects of<unk>  are not clear. Concerns including memory and cognition problems, risk of addiction, schizophrenia in young people, and the risk of children taking it by accident. Industrial use (hemp)<unk>  sativa stem longitudinal section The term hemp is used to name the durable soft fiber from the<unk>  plant stem (stalk).<unk>  sativa cultivars are used for fibers due to their long stems; Sativa varieties may grow more than six metres tall. However, hemp can refer to any industrial or foodstuff product that is not intended for use as a drug. Many countries regulate limits for psychoactive compound (THC) concentrations in products labeled as hemp.<unk>  for industrial uses is valuable in tens of thousands of commercial products, especially as fibre ranging from paper, cordage, construction material and textiles in general, to clothing. Hemp is stronger and longer-lasting than cotton. It also is a useful source of foodstuffs (hemp milk, hemp seed, hemp oil) and biofuels. Hemp has been used by many civilizations, from China to Europe (and later North America) during the last 12,000 years. In modern times novel applications and improvements have been explored with modest commercial success. Ancient and religious uses<unk>  Museum in Amsterdam<unk>  leaf pictured in the coat of arms of Kanepi Parish The<unk>  plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years across many cultures. The Yanghai Tombs, a vast ancient cemetery (54 000 m2) situated in the Turfan district of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China, have revealed the 2700-year-old grave of a shaman. He is thought to have belonged to the Jushi culture recorded in the area centuries later in the Hanshu, Chap 96B. Near the head and foot of the shaman was a large leather basket and wooden bowl filled with 789g of<unk> , superbly preserved by climatic and burial conditions. An international team demonstrated that this material contained tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of<unk> . The<unk>  was presumably employed by this culture as a medicinal or psychoactive agent, or an aid to divination. This is the oldest documentation of<unk>  as a pharmacologically active agent. The earliest evidence of<unk>  smoking has been found in the 2,500-year-old tombs of Jirzankal Cemetery in the Pamir Mountains in Western China, where<unk>  residue were found in burners with charred pebbles possibly used during funeral rituals. Settlements which date from c. 2200–1700 BCE in the Bactria and Margiana contained elaborate ritual structures with rooms containing everything needed for making drinks containing extracts from poppy (opium), hemp<unk> , and ephedra (which contains ephedrine). Although there is no evidence of ephedra being used by steppe tribes, they engaged in cultic use of hemp. Cultic use ranged from Romania to the Yenisei River and had begun by 3rd millennium BC Smoking hemp has been found at Pazyryk.<unk>  is first referred to in Hindu Vedas between 2000 and 1400 BCE, in the Atharvaveda. By the 10th century CE, it has been suggested that it was referred to by some in India as "food of the gods".<unk>  use eventually became a ritual part of the Hindu festival of Holi. One of the earliest to use this plant in medical purposes was Korakkar, one of the 18 Siddhas. The plant is called Korakkar Mooli in the Tamil language, meaning Korakkar's herb. In Buddhism,<unk>  is generally regarded as an intoxicant and may be a hindrance to development of meditation and clear awareness. In ancient Germanic culture,<unk>  was associated with the Norse love goddess, Freya. An anointing oil mentioned in Exodus is, by some translators, said to contain<unk> . Sufis have used<unk>  in a spiritual context since the 13th century CE. In modern times, the Rastafari movement has embraced<unk>  as a sacrament. Elders of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, a religious movement founded in the United States in 1975 with no ties to either Ethiopia or the Coptic Church, consider<unk>  to be the Eucharist, claiming it as an oral tradition from Ethiopia dating back to the time of Christ. Like the Rastafari, some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that<unk>  is the Tree of Life. Other organized religions founded in the 20th century that treat<unk>  as a sacrament are the THC Ministry, Cantheism, the<unk>  Assembly and the Church of Cognizance. Rastafarians tend to be among the biggest consumers of modern<unk>  use.<unk>  is frequently used among Sufis – the mystical interpretation of Islam that exerts strong influence over local Muslim practices in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and Pakistan.<unk>  preparations are frequently used at Sufi festivals in those countries. Pakistan's Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sindh province is particularly renowned for the widespread use of<unk>  at the shrine's celebrations, especially its annual Urs festival and Thursday evening dhamaal sessions - or meditative dancing sessions.
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Phencyclidine
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