What is hashish? |

History of Use

According to some studies, people have been using cannabis for thousands of years. It now is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide. Hashish, a potent substance derived from cannabis, has a long history of its own. The word hashish is of Arabic origin and refers to preparations made from strong resins, plant oils, and sometimes flowers, which are dried and shaped into various forms; these can then be smoked or, after being dissolved in a liquid, baked into foods.

Hashish originally was used for religious purposes in what is now Pakistan, but its use had spread throughout India and the Middle East by the Middle Ages. Marco Polo and other medieval writers thought that the drug was used to motivate a particularly fierce group of warriors in northern Syria. Somewhat later, hashish was experimented with in Europe, most famously by French writers and doctors in the mid-nineteenth century. Several of these persons believed the hallucinations associated with the drug could be of use in psychotherapy.

Effects and Potential Risks

Like other forms of cannabis, hashish contains dozens of substances called "cannabinoids," the general functions of which are not well understood. The most psychoactive substance is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which binds to specific receptors in the human forebrain and cerebellar cortex. The flowering top and the resins and oils of cannabis are comparably richer in THC than are the other parts of the plant. Once bound to receptors, THC affects motor activity, reward and reinforcement, memory, and the sensation of nausea.

In practical terms, the person consuming small amounts of hashish may experience hallucinations and euphoria. Larger doses may produce increased anxiety and paranoia. With chronic and heavy use, users can experience disorganized or scattered thinking, cognitive deficits, decreased motivation, social withdrawal, and decreased range of affect.

Like other psychoactive substances, THC use can induce dependence. Dependent users tend to experience anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite without the drug.

Bibliography

Benjamin, Walter. On Hashish. Ed. Howard Eiland. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2006. Print.

Breivogel, Chris, and Laura Sim-Selley. “Basic Neuroanatomy and Neuropharmacology of Cannabinoids.” International Review of Psychiatry 21.2 (2009): 113–21. Print.

"DrugFacts: Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse. Natl. Insts. of Health, Sept. 2015. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

"Effects of Hashish Use." Narconon. Narconon International, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

Sewell, R. Andrew, Mohini Ranganathan, and Deepak Cyril D’Souza. “Cannabinoids and Psychosis.” International Review of Psychiatry 21.2 (2009): 152–62. Print.