Kush (cannabis)
Kush refers to a subset of strains of Cannabis indica. The origins of Kush cannabis are from landrace plants mainly in Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan and North-Western India [1] with the name coming from the Hindu Kush mountain range. "Hindu Kush" strains of cannabis were brought to the United States in the mid-to-late 1970s and continue to be available there to the present day.[2]
Kush strains were among those cultivated by the British firm GW Pharmaceuticals for its legally licensed commercial trial of medicinal cannabis.[3]
[edit] Legal Issues
US Congressman Mark Kirk, a Republican and current member of the Senate from Illinois, introduced legislation to increase the penalties for selling kush.[4] The High-Potency Marijuana Sentencing Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2848)[5] would increase the penalties for the possession with intent to distribute, manufacture, import or export to maximum fines of $1 million for an individual and $5 million for a group, with a maximum sentence of 25 years from the standard sentencing for marijuana which calls for a maximum fine of $250,000 for an individual, $1 million for a group and up to five years in prison.[6] Kirk believes that as kush may sell for up to $500 (USD) per ounce these increases are justified, saying that "if you can make as much money selling pot as cocaine, you should face the same penalties." [6].
[edit] References
- ^ Guy, Geoffrey William; Brian Anthony Whittle, Philip Robson (2004). The Medicinal Uses of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Pharmaceutical Press. p. 61. ISBN 0853695172. http://books.google.com/?id=AznCzOxvrtwC&pg=PA61&vq=Kush.
- ^ ElSohly, Mahmoud A. (2006). Marijuana And The Cannabinoids. Humana Press. p. 10. ISBN 1588294560. http://books.google.com/?id=fxoJPVNKYUgC&pg=PA10&dq=kush+cannabis.
- ^ Jackson, Trevor (November 10, 2001). "Cannabis the wonder drug?". British Medical Journal (British Medical Association) 323 (7321): 1136. doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1136. PMC 1121619. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1121619. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
- ^ "Congressman Wants to Tackle "Super Pot"". WGIL News. http://www.wgil.com/localnews.php?xnewsaction=fullnews&newsarch=062009&newsid=189. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "111th Congress 1st Session: H.R. 2848" (PDF). United States Government Printing Office. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr2848IH/pdf/BILLS-111hr2848IH.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ a b "Kirk and Law Enforcement: Super-Marijuana "Kush" Hits Suburbs". June 15, 2009. http://www.house.gov/list/press/il10_kirk/kush.html. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
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