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:

Jason Como, Pennsylvania Man Accused Of Growing Marijuana, Says He Didn't Know It Was On Church Property

GROVE CITY, Pa. (AP) – A western Pennsylvania man who was arrested and charged with growing marijuana on a church's property says he had no idea who the land belonged to. State police arrested 28-year-old Jason Como last week after the Beloved Disciples Church reported that two suspected marijuana plants were growing on their property in Grove City, about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. Como says he's a Christian and that he wouldn't have planted the pot there if he'd known the land belonged to a church. Como also says it was for personal use. Authorities found a small path that led from the plants to the backyard of a nearby home. Como was charged with manufacturing and cultivating a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Federal Regulations Forcing Some In Medical Marijuana Business Back To Street Dealing

As federal regulations tighten on medical marijuana growers and dispensary owners, some may find their best bet for business is to bring the product back to the streets, a reality highlighted in a new report by the Los Angeles Times. "Ricky," a veteran of the pot business, is the subject of the Times article. He claims that federal and local regulations, along with felony drug possession and cultivation charges, have forced him back to the streets where he began dealing drugs as a teenager in the 1970s. He finds certain benefits to operating outside of the often ambiguous legal framework for the medical marijuana industry. Saying he deals only to those with medical clearance, Ricky cites no taxes, no permits and no paperwork as the best way to avoid a potentially troublesome paper trail. New laws and enforcement raids have been especially tough on medical marijuana businesses, while avoiding cracking down on individuals who grow the plant in the privacy of their homes for personal use. Washington saw the DEA close 23 dispensaries in late August. Across the pond, crackdowns on legal pot in the Netherlands, and particularly in Amsterdam, have led to similar results. The illegal market for drugs is gaining popularity there, as foreigners and even Dutch residents avoid registering to use the drug legally at marijuana shops. Stateside, medical marijuana dispensary closures not only affect business owners, but also patients who use the shops as a safe means to obtain their medicine, creating a vacuum that can easily be filled by those who already have the skill set to run a street-level marijuana operation. For Ricky and other street dealers, the only difference from 30 years ago is a broader clientele and a better product. "A huge demand has been created," Ricky tells the Times. "It's back to the underground. Anyone who is smart is just going to take it back to the streets." Prosecutors in California have denied that medical marijuana dispensary closures have forced legitimate patients to illegal sellers. President Obama's and the federal government's war on weed has proven to be of particular concern in California, where sales of the drug generate upwards of $100 million in tax revenue annually. In July, the L.A. City Council voted unanimously to ban all dispensaries, a sweeping move that would shutter 700 shops in the area. The ban has been temporarily suspended thanks to a referendum. Other California cities are also feeling the sting. Notable Oakland shops with clean records like Oaksterdam and Harborside -- the biggest dispensary in America -- are as vulnerable to closure as the hundreds of other pot shops that have shut their doors in the past year.