Cannabis is a plant. People use the dried leaves, seed oil, and other parts of the cannabis plant for recreational and medicinal purposes. It can have a pleasurable effect and may soothe the symptoms of various conditions, such as chronic pain.

Ways of using it include:

• smoking or vaping it
• brewing it as a tea
• consuming it in the form of edibles, such as brownies or candies
• eating it raw
• applying it as a topical treatment
• taking it as capsules or supplements

Some of the ingredients in cannabis are psychoactive (mind-altering), but others are not. The potency and balance of the ingredients vary, depending on how the manufacturer grows and processes the plant.

Cannabis contains at least 120Trusted Source active ingredients, or cannabinoids. The most abundant ones are cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Some cannabinoids can have euphoric or psychoactive effects. THC produces both effects.

CBD is present in various forms, including:

• oils for applying to the skin
• capsules, to take as a supplement
• gummy candies

So far, most studies have focused on CBD and THC, but scientists are looking into the effects of other cannabinoids, too.