How Does Medical Marijuana Help Cancer?

Medical marijuana is the medical--as opposed to recreational--application of the fruit, or "buds," of the cannabis sativa and cannabis indica plants. Patients can appropriate the effects of marijuana by drinking tinctures, eating food cooked with marijuana-infused butter, ingesting raw marijuana or by smoking the marijuana either in a cigarette, in a cigar or through a pipe. Doctors do not prescribe medical marijuana to directly treat cancer, but rather to relieve negative effects of cancer. History The American Cancer Society explains that various cultures have documented the medical use of marijuana over millenia, applying it to conditions including constipation, malaria, absent-mindedness, insomnia, beriberi, gout, rheumatism, depression, muscle as well as joint pain, coughs and tetanus. Throughout this period, many societies also ingested marijuana casually for the narcotic psychological and physiological effects of the drug. The American Cancer Society explains that due to the prevalence of this application of marijuana, many governments--including the United States--eventually banned its cultivation, sale and purchase. Nonetheless, recreational marijuana use has continued, eventually leading to questions regarding its therapeutic potential, states the American Cancer Society. Sponsored Links 5 Foods to never ever eat Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating these 5 foods. Trimdownclub.com Current State of Medical Marijuana Most recently, the global scientific and medical community has applied extensive research to the medical potential of marijuana and most outcomes are noncommittal, with a few studies with affirmative as well as negative conclusions. The American Cancer Society reports on the federal level as of 2010, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved the active chemical in marijuana for use to treat various terminal conditions, including cancer. According to the website Medical Marijuana, the states that individually permit the cultivation, sale and use of medical marijuana for the treatment of conditions sanctioned by the FDA include Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Colombia, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Function The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the cannabinoid tetrahyrocannabinol, or THC, to treat nausea and vomiting in cancer patients, according to the American Cancer Society. According to the Institute of Medicine (see reference 3), THC is a composite chemical of marijuana and generally accepted as marijuana's "active ingredient," given it both provides the "high" for which some smoke marijuana illegally as well as the therapeutic qualities for which the FDA approved it for medical use. Citing studies published between 1975 and 2005, the American Cancer Society explained how various clinical tests established that THC viably reduced pain, nausea, inhibited vomiting and stimulated appetites in cancer patients. Furthermore, the Institute of Medicine reports that the sense of euphoria and sedation associated with marijuana evidenced therapeutic value, as it was desirous for the patients. The American Cancer Society avers that while some researchers used raw marijuana to conduct these studies, some used pharmaceutical substitutes that contained either THC or a synthetic version. Such pharmaceutical substitutes never required smoking--patients ingested pills and oral sprays or wore skin patches instead. Theories/Speculation Marijuana is associated with compendious speculations and controversy. Both the American Cancer Society and the Institute of Medicine asserts that the majority of the speculation regarding the harm behind legalizing marijuana for medical use includes long term health problems associated with smoking. There also are potential social issues, including increased use among minors, a general belief that marijuana is "safe" when marijuana could be harmful due to the carcinogens present in smoke. According to the American Cancer Society, other drug options can engender the same benefits without the risks associated with smoking marijuana. Support for medical marijuana includes the argument that most terminal patients, such as those with cancer, will not have the opportunity for long-term use, according to the Institute of Medicine. Supporters say health problems resulting from marijuana smoking remain unproven, while its efficacy in assuaging various medical conditions has, states the American Cancer Association. None of the testing of medical marijuana as of 2010 includes an assessment of all means of ingesting marijuana. There are various ways to smoke marijuana; these include in a cigarette, in a cigar, with a pipe, with a water pipe, with an herbal vaporizer, and with a gas mask. Some choose to smoke marijuana with tobacco, effectively reducing average marijuana consumption, but that increases risks associated with tobacco. Other ways to ingest marijuana include in tinctures made from either a lipid or alcohol base, in food, in sprays and in transdermal patches. Though research has explored some of these methods, all must be taken into account in order to fully assess the viability of marijuana as an option for therapy. Other supportive speculation provided by the American Cancer Society includes that marijuana could possess antibacterial qualities, controls seizures, and dilate airways--which can help to control asthma, hinder tumor development and reduce pressure in the eyes for glaucoma patients. Potential The Institute of Medicine asserts that cannabinoids likely regulate pain. Furthermore, the Institute of Medicine confirms that scientific data shows potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, including marijuana, for pain, nausea and vomiting relief as well as appetite stimulation for cancer patients. The Institute of Medicine also concludes that various psychological effects, including euphoria, sedation and anxiety reduction, may be desirously therapeutic for cancer patients, and should thus undergo clinical examination for therapeutic value. In this way, the Institute of Medicine has confirmed that marijuana has various sources of potential for therapeutic value for cancer patients. Thus, the Institute of Medicine urges that researchers should apply further assessment to determine whether there are therapeutic applications of medical marijuana.

Marijuana Medical Facts

Medical science has learned much about marijuana, but both opponents and proponents claim scientific support for their respective positions. Academicians writing for the Berkman Center at Harvard University acknowledge both social and scientific controversy over whether use of marijuana, Cannabis sativa, is beneficial or hazardous. All investigators agree that the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is a powerful substance. It interacts with many body systems. Benefit or detriment may depend on a user's needs. Smoke Effects Smoking, whether marijuana or tobacco, deposits hundreds of combustion products and smoke particles throughout your lungs. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, reports that in one marijuana cigarette, a joint, over 400 chemicals and four times the tar of a single filtered cigarette are inhaled. The DEA cites a National Institutes of Health study documenting that five joints a week deliver as many cancer-causing chemicals as a pack-a-day tobacco smoker receives. Smokers all know that smoking delivers nicotine, but the amount depends on how much of a cigarette is smoked. Smoking is not a precise dose-delivery system for medical marijuana administration. The benefit of any smoke-delivered marijuana ingredient should be weighed against its variability and hazards. Marijuana can also be ingested. Sponsored Links Woman is 53 But Looks 27 53/YO Mom Reveals 1 simple Wrinkle Trick that has angered doctors... www.NecessarySkinCare.com Hormonal Effects In 2002, physicians reporting in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reviewed 74 controlled research studies investigating the effects of THC on the human hormonal system. They found that marijuana suppresses male and female reproductive hormones, sperm production and lactation, and growth and thyroid hormones. These responses diminish with chronic use, though some males develop irreversible gynecomastia, or breast enlargement. The researchers concluded that most long-term hormonal consequences are mild and subtle. Psychological Effects A 2008 British Journal of Psychiatry report searched through more than 15,000 research studies to identify the effects of marijuana use on the outcome of care in patients with psychotic disorders. They reported only low confidence that marijuana use could be correlated with either good or bad outcomes and concluded that the dangers of marijuana in such cases remained unproven. College students who use marijuana heavily, according to research cited by the American Council for Drug Education, suffer deficits in attention, short-term memory and organization up to 24 hours after use. Another study, reported from the Berkman Center at Harvard University, documented that memory deficits can be detected for up to six weeks after the last marijuana use. If you use marijuana, you may want to weigh these potential deficits against your professional, social and educational goals. Appetite Effects The 2002 Journal of Clinical Pharmacology report identified a THC-mediated appetite stimulation effect. This effect is due to activation of your brain's "feeding center," which controls the sense of hunger. Marijuana's appetite stimulation has been exploited to improve nutrition for AIDS and cancer chemotherapy patients. Drug Testing If you use marijuana in any form, sensitive blood tests may detect it up to four weeks later, according to the American Council for Drug Education. THC accumulates in your fatty tissues including the liver, lungs and testes. Forty-eight hours after using marijuana, up to one-quarter of the THC is still detectable in your body.

Black Market Street: Inside a Thriving Open-Air Drug Business

The hustler asks it with a nonchalant air, neither friendly nor imposing. Smooth. Like a pro. The customer is startled, shoulders stiffening beneath his gray v-neck. "Huh?" "You need weed?" he repeats. The customer, a thin man in his 20s walking down Market Street, stops and looks around. Through his aviators he notices the dozen or so young men in loose jeans and hoodies lingering around the corner of Market and Jones. Some keep to themselves, leaning against the walls of a Western Union check-cashing joint. Others huddle in groups of two and three beside parked cars. The hustler, 6-foot-2 and lean with a beanie pulled to his eyebrows, is perched on a chain railing near the intersection. The customer stutters, searching for an adequate response, before mumbling, "How do you know I'm not a cop?" "I can just tell." "How much for an eighth?" "Thirty for a regular, 50 for a smoker's eighth." "What's the difference?" "Fifty's little more than an eighth." "Okay, yeah," says the customer, slowly nodding. "I'll take the regular." As he reaches for his wallet, the hustler leads him back up Jones. It's a one-way street, so the hustler only has to peek forward to catch any incoming police cruiser. The customer crumples two bills into his fist and slaps it into the hustler's palm. The hustler whips his backpack around, unzips the top, and fishes out an orange prescription pill container. He doesn't keep his product in Ziploc bags or plastic wrap. And he never carries more than an ounce on him. When he needs a re-up, he just walks to his supplier's apartment on Seventh Street. If he ever gets stopped by a cop, he can pull out his medical marijuana card (he has mild scoliosis) and go on his way; the card lets him legally carry the ounce. He's been frisked without being arrested more than 10 times over the past few years. Tilting the container sideways, the hustler taps out several nuggets into his own palm, measuring out 30 bucks' worth with his eye. The customer nervously glances around, both hands stuffed into skinny jeans pockets. This is a strange place for a drug deal, he thinks to himself, this corner along the city's busiest downtown thoroughfare, two blocks west of the Westfield Mall, two blocks south of the Tenderloin police station, five blocks east of City Hall. The hustler pours the green buds into the customer's hand, stray stems and leaves fluttering to the pavement. Seconds later, with the buyer disappearing into the Market Street flow, a fiftysomething man with bills folded between his calloused fingers shuffles up to the hustler. It feels like a busy day. The hustler goes by the name Bishop. He is 27 and has been commuting to Market Street to slang weed for nearly a decade, often posting up at the epicenter of the street-level pot business on Jones and Market. He started dealing at 15, as a high schooler in the Lakeview neighborhood of San Francisco. He knew a bunch of his classmates smoked weed and saw a business opportunity. Some older friends told him about the weed rush on Market Street. When he checked it out, he found a market that was more profitable and less risky than his native neighborhood. The police harassed him more in Lakeview than they do on Market, he says. On Market, there is a deep-pocketed, built-in consumer base and little tension among the many dealers. With the constant stream of foot traffic, there are more than enough lungs to go around. Bishop sets up shop three or four days week — though never on Sunday — and works from morning to sunset. He usually grosses upward of $100 an hour, $200 during an especially busy day, like on Pride Weekend. From his spot on the corner on this late summer morning, Bishop watches the remnants of the off-to-work crowd bustle by. Some march past a fenced-off lot filled with construction workers and loud machinery. New and exciting things are coming to Mid-Market, this enigmatic stretch of porn theaters, family businesses, and art galleries between Fifth and 10th streets, crunched between downtown, SOMA, and the Tenderloin, where techies, winos, hipsters, suits, and tourists collide. "San Francisco's up-and-coming neighborhood," they've been saying for decades. Only this time's gonna be different. Eager to turn the area into San Francisco's — no, America's next business-technology-culture hub, city leaders are tossing around tax breaks like tennis balls at a dog park. "A total resurgence is coming," said Mayor Ed Lee. Twitter is here. And Zendesk. Dolby, too. Real estate moguls from Dallas and financiers from New York City just plopped down major cash to construct a five-story glass-walled retail center called Market Street Place. "We're on the move," Lee said in May. "This is all for real. No more talk." But these development plans are riding into a neighborhood that's already had a booming industry for years. And that infamous drug trade has only benefited from the recent vacuum created by contradicting local and federal marijuana policies. While city policy orders law enforcement to be lenient to smokers and street dealers, a federal crackdown has closed seven San Francisco medical cannabis dispensaries over the past year, driving more customers to the corners.

Medical Marijuana Versus Prescription Drugs

There is a lot of debate as to whether or not medical marijuana is a safe and healthy alternative to prescription medication regimens these days. With the number of people becoming addicted to pain killers and other prescription drugs on the rise, most people who are pro medical marijuana are quick to point out the key differences that make medical marijuana a great alternative. A great place to begin in this debate is to take a serious look at the pros and cons of both medical marijuana and prescription drugs. It is a proven fact that nobody has ever died as a direct result from consuming marijuana, nobody has ever overdosed in other words. Marijuana is not lethal and overdose is an impossibility. Take a look at other remedies such as percocet, vicodin, and oxycontin. People are becoming seriously addicted to these medications in droves and are often times purchasing these drugs off the streets. Prescription medications are now killing more people in the United States than illegal street drugs and the numbers are increasing all the time. Those who are addicted to these drugs go through serious withdrawal when they are without them and often times resort to theft and other illegal methods to acquire more medication just so they can feel normal again. Then we come to the good old “Gateway Drug” theory, which has been scientifically proven to be false. There is absolutely no correlation whatsoever that creates a cause and effect chain of reactions that leads someone to smoke marijuana and then decide that they need to try heroin, it simply just does not work that way. That would be like saying that caffeine or sugar is going to lead to cocaine use, it is absurd when one really considers how the government has used mind control tactics to brainwash the masses. All in all, society as a whole does not suffer with medical marijuana in the world. Those who are qualified patients in their respective states are reaping the benefits of a healthy and bonafide alternative to a serious addiction problem and possibly death. One can’t even take a Tylenol or Aspirin without there being serious side effects to the liver and other organs in the body. Medications are not healthy and create a host of health problems in millions of people. Medical marijuana is not lethal, prescription and even non-prescription pills, powders, liquids, and injections are.

Giants did it again specials all day at Releaf

Medical Marijuana Policy and the Virtues of Federalism

We analyze the policy issue of medical marijuana to illustrate how key virtues of federalism can be used to make a threshold determination as to whether a particular public policy should be subject to federal regulation or reserved for states. When the substantive merits of the policy issue are currently debated and unresolved, and that issue area has traditionally been regulated by states, we employ a three-prong test for determining as a threshold matter whether the federal government should assert preemptive jurisdiction over the policy. That test has is roots in well-established theories of federalism that comprise what we refer to as the “classic virtues of federalism.” Based on our analysis, medical marijuana is a policy that should be left to the states.

Our President must know what our Patients feel

Medical Marijuana Advocates Want Drug Reclassified

WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court in Washington is considering whether marijuana should be reclassified from its current status as a dangerous drug with no accepted medical use. Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration rejected a petition by medical marijuana advocates to change the classification, which kept marijuana in the same category as drugs such as heroin. The DEA concluded that there wasn't a consensus opinion among experts on using marijuana for medical purposes. The petition had been filed in 2002. A medical marijuana group, Americans for Safe Access, want the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to force the agency to hold a hearing and conduct findings based on the scientific record. The group's lawyer, Joe Elford, said that the DEA had misapplied the law. He added there are numerous studies that show marijuana is effective as a medical treatment. The group's legal brief said marijuana could help people with chronic pain and the negative side effects of chemotherapy, among other things. Marijuana is classified under "Schedule I" of controlled substances, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use. It's lumped in with drugs like heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Americans for Safe Access want to see it reclassified to a less restrictive schedule. Justice Department lawyer Lena Watkins said that marijuana is properly classified. "It's the most widely abused drug in the United States," she said. Tuesday's hearing was packed to capacity with many medical marijuana supporters in the audience. The judges who will decide the case are Karen LeCraft Henderson, a Republican appointee, and Harry T. Edwards and Merrick B. Garland, both Democratic appointees.

Court To Review Marijuana's Medical Benefits

It started with a coalition of disgruntled Americans, then a handful of governors took up the cause last year, and now -- for the first time in nearly 20 years -- a federal court will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the classification of cannabis as a dangerous drug without medical benefits. In the case, Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration, the court will be presented with scientific evidence regarding the medicinal effects of marijuana, and is expected to rule on whether or not the Drug Enforcement Administration acted appropriately in denying a petition to reclassify cannabis, filed by a collection of public interest organizations back in 2002. "Medical marijuana patients are finally getting their day in court," Joe Elford, chief counsel with ASA, said in a recent statement. "This is a rare opportunity for patients to confront politically motivated decision-making with scientific evidence of marijuana's medical efficacy." Under federal law, a schedule I prohibited substance is defined as having “a high potential for abuse” and “no currently accepted medical use in treatment.” Heroine and LSD are classified alongside marijuana as schedule I, while cocaine, opium and methamphetamine are classified as schedule II, meaning they have "some accepted medical use." Other groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians, support medical access to the drug or its reclassification, while the California Medical Association has called for full legalization. Donald Abrams, chief of hematology-oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, recently described the effectiveness of medical marijuana in the treatment regimens of cancer and HIV/AIDS patients. "I see patients who have loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting from their chemotherapy, pain on and off of opiates, anxiety, depression, and insomnia," he said in a press briefing last week, adding that these are just some of the conditions that can be alleviated by the use of medical marijuana. In its rejection of the ASA’s rescheduling petition in 2011, the DEA cited a 4-year-old Department of Health and Human Services paper that found no consensus on medical uses for marijuana, but it did not take into account studies showing the medical benefits of marijuana on the grounds the studies did not meet the standard of double-blind FDA approval trials. "[T]here are no adequate and well-controlled studies proving (marijuana's) efficacy; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts..." wrote DEA administrator Michele Leonhart in a July 8, 2011 letter. "At this time, the known risks of marijuana use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy." A similar petition calling for marijuana to be reclassified as a schedule II drug was filed with the DEA in 1972, and in 1988, following a federal hearing, Administrative Law Judge Francis Young ruled that marijuana should indeed be reclassified. But that verdict was rejected by then-DEA administrator John Lawn and in 1994, his rejection was upheld by the D.C. Court of Appeals. The current case will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Oct. 16.

Is marijuana close to being legalized?

Once again, medical-marijuana advocates are taking to the courts to eliminate the biggest barrier to legal use—the federal law that classifies marijuana as a dangerous drug with no valid medical use. On Oct. 16, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the federal appeals court that usually handles cases involving government regulations, will hear oral arguments onAmericans for Safe Access v. DEA. It will be the first time in almost 20 years that federal courts have considered the science of medical marijuana, says ASA spokesperson Kris Hermes. Specifically, ASA, a California-based patient-advocacy group, is trying to get the Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana out of Schedule I, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970s category for drugs with “a high potential for abuse,” “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” and no “accepted level of safety for use under medical supervision.” Heroin, LSD, and PCP are also in Schedule I. Cocaine, methamphetamine and OxyContin are in Schedule II, legal for medical use but strongly restricted. Two previous attempts to get the DEA to reschedule marijuana failed, but advocates believe there is enough new evidence to convince the courts. “There’s simply more science now,” says ASA chief counsel Joseph D. Elford. Since 2000, says Igor Grant of the University of California at San Diego’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, the center has done six studies that showed “efficacy for marijuana over a placebo” in relieving pain caused by peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage). This current attempt began in 2002, when a coalition of medical-marijuana and legalization advocates filed a petition with the DEA. It contended that cannabis “has an accepted medical use in the United States, is safe for use under medical supervision, has an abuse potential lower than Schedule I or II drugs, and has a dependence liability that is also lower than Schedule I or II drugs.” It requested that marijuana be moved to Schedule III (Vicodin, acetaminophen with codeine), Schedule IV (Valium, Xanax), or Schedule V (codeine cough syrup)

Marijuana Recipes: 'High Times Cannabis Cookbook' Author Gives Edible Weed Advice

When most people think of stoner food, they typically think of fatty, greasy items like nachos or chili cheese fries. When most people think of food to get you high, the first thought is usually pot brownies. But there is a whole realm of marijuana cuisine that goes beyond the obvious. Enter "The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook" by Elise McDonough and the editors of High Times magazine. This cookbook might have some familiar favorites, but it also offers interesting riffs on more advanced cannabis cuisine like farmers' market risotto and potato gnocchi with wild mushroom ragu. McDonough, a 10-year veteran of High Times magazine, stresses that you can't just throw some marijuana in food and call it a day. Like all forms of cooking, technique is key. Her version of stoner cuisine isn't about what to eat once you're high -- it's about how to create tasty meals that can give you a nice buzz. In the book's introduction, McDonough explains: Mention the word "marijuana" or better yet pull out your stash, and the first thought that springs to most stoner's minds is rolling a joint, packing a pipe, toking a bowl, hitting a bong, or putting a flame to some other smoking accessory. But it wasn't always that way.

Brain Tumors

The active compound in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has shown that it not only will help prevent brain tumors from forming, but that it can also cure them. This medical wonder works by the THC inducing a process called autophagy, in which the cancerous brain cells begin to consume themselves. Rather than growing in size by feeding on other healthy brain cells, these cancer cells feed on themselves until there is nothing left. This all comes without the risky side effects provided by most synthetic drugs, meant for this purpose. Spanish researchers at Complutense University were the first to note this phenomenon, in 2008. They began by administering THC to test subjects and noticed drastic improvements within as soon as 2 weeks of dosing. A little over a year later, after further research had been done, two subjects with glioblastoma multiforme enrolled in an experiment, in which they would receive THC injections directly into their brain, rather than their bloodstream. Glioblastoma multiforme is a ruthless and often reoccurring tumor that rarely sees long-term survivors. After the administration of the THC into the brain, researchers noted drastically increased autophagy and reduced tumor size. Perhaps most amazingly was the fact that the patients had zero reported or noticed negative effects from the THC injections. Standard medication could have killed them or caused highly undesirable side effects.

Brownies Anyone?

Ever since the 1968 theatrical masterpiece I Love You, Alice B Toklas, pot brownies have been helping people all over the planet feel better. Smoking marijuana and eating marijuana are two different ball games. When you eat a cannabis brownie for instance, you may not begin to feel it effects for up to an hour. However, most people report that when eating medicinal cannabis, instead of smoking it, their highs last longer. Still, old school pot smokers sometimes have a difficult time centering in on the more subtle edible marijuana buzz; they still prefer smoking. Those same old school tokers will still have a difficult time denying the facts that pot brownies: •Provide a powerfully euphoric body buzz; •Taste extra delicious when cooked properly; •Are less dangerous for consumption because they do not have to be ignited; How to Bake Homemade Pot Brownies from Scratch Let's keep this simple and effective. Here's a checklist that you'll need for your kitchen before you begin making your marijuana brownies: •A nonstick baking pan; •A stick of butter, melted; •One level cup of brown sugar; •1/2 cup of all purpose flour; •One level cup of powdered cocoa mix; •Three large eggs; •1 cup white granulated sugar; •1 tablespoon vanilla extract; •1/2 to 3/4 cup delicious marijuana buds (grind them up very finely); Cannabis Brownies Baking Instructions •Preheat oven to 355° F; •Beat that three eggs until they aerated; •Add in all other ingredients and stir until very well mixed; •Add your pot brownie batter to your baking pan and place in oven; •Bake for 40 minutes and then check with a toothpick in the center; •You will probably need to finish off for about another 10 minutes; Bake some of your own weed brownies today and gift them to your family and friends. Everybody loves pot brownies!

Medical Marijuana for Pain and Depression

Marijuana is one of the most beneficial and therapeutically active substances known to man. Medical Cannabis refers to the use of the drug cannabis as a physician-recommended herbal therapy, most notably as an antiemetic. Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for approximately 4,000 years. Writings from ancient India confirm that its psychoactive properties were recognized, and doctors used it for a variety of illnesses and ailments. These included a whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, headaches and as a pain reliever frequently used in childbirth. In the 1970s, a synthetic version of THC, the primary active ingredient in cannabis, was synthesized to make the drug Marinol. Due to the prohibition of marijuana however; it's use as a medicine is restricted. However, recent Canadian government legislation have made it more available to patients. Patients are now able to apply for personal possession and even a limited cultivation license. Few herbs offer a wide variety of therapeutic applications like these: Relief of muscle spasms Relief of chronic pain Reduction in interlobular pressure inside the eye Suppression of nausea Weight loss - increase and restore metabolism AIDS - Marijuana can reduce the nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting from the condition itself and the medications as well. Glaucoma - Marijuana relieves the internal eye pressure of glaucoma, and therefore relieving the pain and slowing or even stopping the condition. Cancer- Many side effects of the medication to stop cancer can be relieve with Marijuana, some studies suggest that Marijuana tends to slow down the progress of some types of cancer. Multiple Sclerosis - Muscle pain, spasticity, tremors and unsteadiness are some of the effects caused by the disease that can be relieved by Marijuana. Epilepsy - in some patients, epileptic seizures can be prevented with Marijuana use. Chronic pain - Marijuana helps to alleviate the pain caused from many types of injuries and disorders. Anxiety, Depression or Obsession - Even though mild anxiety is a common side effect in some users, cannabis can elevate your mood and expand the mind "With the expansiveness that occurs with marijuana, the subject may begin to notice infinite possibilities to raise the quality of his/her life that would otherwise have remained hidden from normal, defensive consciousness. And feelings of health and happiness naturally lead to hope, which of itself can be curative." - Joan Bello Many obsessions or quick fixes to psychological problems can be eleviated by Marijuana as well. Many people eat because they're depressed. If the depression is treated, the obsession to eat should be gone as well. Any of these phycological conditions can be treated by a psychiatrist; marijuana should be an alternative therapy, used in conjunction with psychiatric therapy. Physical Addictions There have been testimonies from opiate users that report an easing of addiction cravings. Some cannabinoids in cannabis are believed to have similar effects as ibogaine, a medication used to treat heroin addiction. The cannabinoids in Marijuana mimic the healing effects of a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called Anandimide. However, this naturally occurring cannabinoid also produces the negative effects that one would experience from high concentrations of cannabinoids in marijuana. Medical marijuana can also benefit you psychologically and spiritually. Marijuana can be used to enhance personal Spirituality. The herb tends to reveal your true self. It uncovers inner confusion and reveals your true direction - if you let it. Marijuana offers an effect that is both energizing and relaxing at the same time. This balanced effect will help some to think more clearly and more efficiently afterwards. "Marijuana will not tolerate repression. Tranquillizers and depressants relax the body and release tension, but the state of mind associated with these drugs is "unconsciousness" whereby we escape rather than resolve our dilemmas. Alcoholism is an extreme need of both the body and personality sometimes to release the nervousness that has accumulated and continues to build up to an unbearable degree. It serves the same function for the collective personality for the society, as well A culture in which alcohol and tranquillizers are the prevalent form of release prefers not to witness internal confusion and actually choose to act without conscious participation, maintaining a semi-numb condition." - Joan Bello "Marijuana can act as the loosening agent, so that whatever has been banned from consciousness may come cascading forth. To uncover our deceptions without our usual rationalizations can be unpleasant, an experience that has turned many psychologically fragile individuals away from marijuana despite its therapeutic catharsis." - Joan Bello. Cannabis also acts as an antispasmodic and anticonvulsant and is indicated for neurological conditions such as epilepsy especially complex partial seizures, multiple sclerosis, and spasms. As an analgesic and an immunomodulator it is indicated for conditions such as migraine, arthritis, spinal and skeletal disorders. As a bronchodilator it is beneficial for asthma. It also reduces the intraocular pressure and is indicated for glaucoma. Recent studies have shown the drug to be efficacious in treating mood disorders and mental health issues such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder. It is also indicated for premenstrual syndrome, hypertension, and insomnia. It is also reported to be an effective treatment for constipation and alcohol hangovers. A pharmaceutical product, Marinol, is widely available through prescription. It comes in the form of a pill and is also being studied by researchers for suitability via other delivery methods, such as an inhaler or patch. The active ingredient of Marinol is synthetic THC, which has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients and to assist with loss of appetite with AIDS patients. Illegal, Legal, and Semi Legal Marijuana use by country and state Citation: Disabled World News - Article looks at medical marijuana and which countries and states marijuana is legal to buy and grow: http://www.disabled-world.com/medical/pharmaceutical/marijuana/#ixzz28ptBz2We

Facts about medical marijuana

Cannabis was first cultivated in China around 4000 B.C. and the U.S. Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. Twelve Americans receive prescribed marijuana from the U.S. government. There are three main types of Marijuana: Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Ruderalis. Cannabis Sativa grows taller and it gives more of a head high. Indica is a short bushy plant and the high is more muscle relaxing throughout the body. Cannabis Ruderalis grows in colder climates (Eastern Europe and Russia). Skunk is the strong Cannabis Indica hybrid. Interesting fact about marijuana is that marijuana cures/prevents more than 100 diseases including cancer and depression. We advise you to watch following videos: