‘Medical’ Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization

Prescription drugs kill about 100,000 people in the world each year. Off the top of your head, do you know how many deaths are caused by using marijuana, either medicinally or recreationally?

Prescription drugs kill between about 100,000 people in the world each year, but marijuana, medical or not, has caused absolutely zero deaths. Weed, pot, ganja, or whatever you want to call it, cannabis has actually been a favorable treatment in the treatment of about 200 different medical conditions. Here are 10 ways marijuana can improve your health, which also act as legitimate reasons as to why legalization should be a serious debate. RELATED ISE FX Japanese Yen: caution. Silver - Daily technial Forecast Geithner: must move fast on new... Rule 40 And The 2012 London Olympics:... Sponsored Link The Volkswagen Beetle "There are no deaths from cannabis use. Anywhere. You can't find one," said Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School. Believe it: In 10,000 years of known use of cannabis, there's never been a single death attributed to marijuana. "I've heard you have to smoke something like 15,000 joints in 20 minutes to get a toxic amount of delta-9 tetrahydrocannibinol," said Dr. Paul Hornby, a biochemist and human pathologist who also happens to be one of the leading authorities on cannabis research. "I challenge anybody to do that." Meanwhile, it's a fact that anyone can die from ingesting too much aspirin, or too much coffee, or too much wine. Marijuana, on the other hand, medical or not, is not only non-lethal, but likely beneficial. Several studies, some published as recently as a few months ago, have shown that marijuana can even be good for your health, and could help treat conditions better than the solutions being cooked up in the labs. The late Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a former national administrator of the U.S. government's marijuana research programs, appeared in a film about the business of marijuana prohibition shortly before his 2007 death called "The Union." (The full movie is available on both Netflix and YouTube.) "After dealing with about 10,000 patents in the last 15 years, I'd say about 200 different medical conditions respond favorably to cannabis," Mikuriya said. We won't go through all 200 conditions here, but here are 10 of the most notable, common conditions, afflictions and diseases that marijuana has been proven to help. Alzheimer's disease - In 2006, the Scripps Research Institute in California discovered that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, can prevent an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase from accelerating the formation of "Alzheimer's plaques" in the brain, as well as protein clumps that can inhibit cognition and memory, more effectively than commercially marketed drugs. Epilepsy - A study performed by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University discovered that ingredients found in natural marijuana "play a critical role in controlling spontaneous seizures in epilepsy." Dr. Robert J. DeLorenzo, professor of neurology at the VCU School of Medicine, added that "Although marijuana is illegal in the United States, individuals both here and abroad report that marijuana has been therapeutic for them in the treatment of a variety of ailments, including epilepsy." Multiple sclerosis - It's long been believed that smoking pot helps MS patients, and a study published as recently as May provided yet another clinical trial as evidence of marijuana's impact on multiple sclerosis patients with muscle spasticity. Even though the drug has been known to cause dizziness and fatigue in some users, most MS patients report marijuana not only helps ease the pain in their arms and legs when they painfully contract, but also helps them just "feel good." How many prescription drugs can say their side effects include "happiness"? Glaucoma - Since the 1970s, studies have called medical marijuana an effective treatment against glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. Researchers say marijuana helps reduce and relieve the intraocular pressure that causes optic nerve damage, but the proponents say it helps "reverse deterioration," too. Arthritis - Marijuana proves useful for many types of chronic pain conditions, but patients with rheumatoid arthritis report less pain, reduced inflammation and more sleep. However, this is not to say that arthritis patients should exchange their medication with pot; marijuana eases the pain, but it does nothing to ameliorate or curb the disease. Depression - A study on addictive behaviors published by USC and SUNY Albany in 2005, whose 4,400 participants made it the largest investigation of marijuana and depression to date, found that "those who consume marijuana occasionally or even daily have lower levels of depressive symptoms than those who have never tried marijuana." The study added that "weekly users had less depressed mood, more positive affect, and fewer somatic complaints than non-users." Anxiety - An article published in the April 2010 edition of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, "Medical marijuana and the mind," said that while "many recreational users say that smoking marijuana calms them down, for others it has the opposite effect. ... Studies report that about 20 to 30 percent of recreational users experience such problems after smoking marijuana." The article did not mention which "studies" supported this fact, and most marijuana users would call this claim totally erroneous. Here's a story from Patsy Eagan of Elle Magazine, who describes how she prefers marijuana to treat her anxiety over prescription drugs. Hepatitis C - A 2006 study performed by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco found that marijuana helps improve the effectiveness of drug therapy for hepatitis C, an infection that roughly 3 million Americans contract each year. Hepatitis C medications often have severe side effects like loss of appetite, depression, nausea, muscle aches and extreme fatigue. Patients that smoked marijuana every day or two found that not only did they complete the therapy, but that the marijuana even made it more effective in achieving a "sustained virological response," which is the gold standard in therapy, meaning there was no sign of the virus left in their bodies. Morning sickness - In a peer-reviewed study, researchers at the British Columbia Compassion Club Society found that 92 percent of women found marijuana's effect on morning sickness symptoms as either "very effective" or effective." Read the first-hand account from Dr. Wei-Ni Lin Curry, who describes how medical marijuana saved her from a potentially life-threatening situation: "Within two weeks of my daughter's conception, I became desperately nauseated and vomited throughout the day and night. ... I vomited bile of every shade, and soon began retching up blood. ... I felt so helpless and distraught that I went to the abortion clinic twice, but both times I left without going through the with procedure. ... Finally I decide to try medical cannabis. ... Just one to two little puffs at night, and if I needed in the morning, resulted in an entire day of wellness. I went from not eating, not drinking, not functioning, and continually vomiting and bleeding from two orifices to being completely cured. ... Not only did the cannabis save my [life] during the duration of my hyperemesis, it saved the life of the child within my womb." Most prospective mothers will worry about the effect of ingesting marijuana in any form on their baby's development. The only study that showed any effect from smoking pot came from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine in 2008, which showed that heavy smoking "during the first trimester was associated with lower verbal reasoning," while "heavy use during the second trimester predicted deficits in the composite, short-term memory, and quantitative scores." Though this singular study may be enough to scare away some mothers, the majority of studies say prenatal pot exposure "is not a major prognostic factor regarding the outcome of pregnancy," and that "marijuana has no reliable impact on birth size, length of gestation ... or the occurrence of physical abnormalities." Compared to mothers that used tobacco and alcohol, all of whom showed "increased risk of suspect or definite psychotic symptoms (in offspring)," mothers' cannabis use "was not associated with psychotic symptoms" in their children. Cancer, HIV/AIDS and chemotherapy - Though the drug is illegal in the U.S., the FDA and American Cancer Society agree that the active ingredients in marijuana, or cannabinoids, have been approved by officials to "relieve nausea and vomiting and increase appetite in people with cancer and AIDS." The American Cancer Society says that "marijuana has anti-bacterial properties, inhibits tumor growth, and enlarges the airways, which they believe can ease the severity of asthma attacks." Marijuana: Why Is It Illegal Again? This is too big of a question to answer in just one single article, but looking at cannabis through the lens of its medical properties, there seem to be few, if any, reasons to keep marijuana off the market. It doesn't kill, and while it may not be as effective as other treatments, it doesn't seem to get in the way much. When Mikuriya was asked if there was a product out there today - anything - that has as many benefits as medical marijuana, he said simply: "No." Medical marijuana may be beneficial for everyone's health, but it's not very healthy for the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies. And unfortunately for Americans in need of a cheap, all-natural alternative medicine, the pharmaceutical industry is the biggest industry in America with powerful connections in high places. And they don't like marijuana. At all. "It's unlimited," Hornby said of marijuana. "Grow more, get more medicine. Pharmaceutical companies don't want you growing your own medicine." The idea of legalizing a cheap, all-natural medicine that grows out of the dirt is a threat to the pharmaceutical industry's bottom line. Dr. James Hudson, professor emeritus at University of British Columbia's Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, said pharmaceutical companies have a great incentive to recreate the organic compounds in marijuana and sell a drug from it, rather than just release the all-natural version to the public.

Patient's Choice Medical Cannabis Competition Brings Out The Bay Area's Finest Marijuana

What's a medical cannabis competition in San Francisco like? Relaxed. Dark. And surprisingly un-smoky, believe it or not. Think vapor bags -- lots and lots of vapor bags. Like, an unending parade of 6-foot vapor bags, passed around for six hours at Cafe Cocomo on Sunday evening at the sixth annual Patient's Choice Medical Cannabis Competition. There was that. There was a few jokes from the lovely and charming comedian Shanti Charan. And apparently, potheads make bad superheroes. Here are a few fleeting scenes, plus where to obtain the best cannabis in the Bay Area, and the winners listed after the jump. Strains: •1st Place: (101) Strawberry Cough, Larry Bollman, The Green Diamond Collective •2nd Place: (125) Dutch Treat, Kevin Brown, Mission Organics •3rd Place: (104) Animal Cookies, Fortune Wellness Center Edibles: •1st Place: (306) Dark Chocolate Caramel, The Green Cross, Incredimeds •2nd Place (305) Bhang Bite, Jon Paul, Bhang Chocolate •3rd Place (307) Strawberry Gummies, The Green Cross, Incredimeds For more San Francisco politics and beyond, follow The Snitch on Twitter.

Marijuana’s good qualities outweigh bad

The legalization of marijuana has been blown way out of proportion in the last few decades. Think about all the parents, professors and leaders of this country. They all grew up in an age that was pretty “groovy” and “psychedelic,” but most of them turned out just fine. Today, marijuana is viewed as being addictive, dangerous and a gateway to harder drugs.Yet on Tuesday, Colorado and Washington residents became the first two states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The issue seemed to be overlooked this year, but that is probably because American’s as a whole were more concerned with the economy, health care and the national debt. However, it did not fly under the radar for many young Americans voting for the first time, who definitely exercised their opinion that the legalization of marijuana should not be a big deal. With more young people voicing their opinions, the old fashioned, conservative and elderly citizens are getting outnumbered. Behind alcohol and tobacco – both legal in the United States – marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug. Instead of refusing to acknowledge this fact, our laws should reflect this reality, because marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. With the prohibition of marijuana, it is costing the government billions of dollars which could be used elsewhere. These costs include the campaigns and propaganda used against marijuana, law enforcement and the prosecution of lawbreakers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 37,000 deaths are caused from alcohol each year in the U.S. Alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs, and can lead to death from overdose. Marijuana on the other hand is not nearly as toxic and would take a thousand times the dose to have the same effect to kill someone. To this day, there is no report of someone dying from marijuana overdose. Violent crimes can often be initiated through the consumption of alcohol. Instead of being aggressive, marijuana has the opposite effect. After smoking marijuana, users often feel more relaxed, happy and enjoy whatever situation they are in, whether it is a movie, party or concert. Unlike alcohol, which is just for recreational use, marijuana has actually been documented as a helpful drug when used for medical purposes. It can be used as a natural medicine that is safe and can help people suffering from several diseases. That is why 18 of the 50 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana. The prohibition of alcohol can be closely compared with what the U.S. is dealing with now. Although the consumption of alcohol was never illegal, in the coming years, marijuana will follow and be legalized. Our children will never remember a time when smoking was not legal. The U.S. is known for fighting the “war on drugs,” but many countries in Europe have strayed from this approach, and instead see it as a health issue rather than a criminal one. If our country viewed marijuana this way, it would make a lot more sense and save money. It is only a matter of time before the rest of America realizes that the legalization of marijuana will actually do more good for our country than the bad it is doing now. With the huge step that Colorado and Washington took, they voted to regulate the production, possession, distribution and recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and older. Marijuana use should not be a crime.

Health Effects of Marijuana Compared to Prescription Drugs

Lately, I've been reading and listening to many of the marijuana debates. One of the more recent articles stated that the "health Effects of marijuana are being overlooked." I have strong feelings on this issue. I have known many people with many different types of illnesses from cancer to multiple sclerosis that experienced such bad side effects from the synthetic medications prescribed by their physicians, it was almost worse than living with the illness. One patient nearly died twice when doctors insisted he take a chemotherapy medication in pill form without explaining what it was and what the side effects were. When they quit these medications and used marijuana for relief from pain and nausea, they were finally able to live. They had energy again, slowly started getting their health back, and recovered from depression. Take a look at this article: http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-10-14/bay-area/24134026_1_legalization-debate-marijuana-dependence-addiction-research The author and the several medical professionals quoted talk about people who are addicted to marijuana. Some people may develop a dependence, but there is no physical withdrawal to marijuana as there is in both many anti-depressant medication and pain medications. There are people with addictive personalities who have a tendency to develop a dependence on many things, and there is usually a lot more going on than meets the eye. The woman in the article who states she was "addicted" for 19 years, as far as we know, not in need of marijuana to relieve pain or other issues. Why must we continue to punish people who have chronic illnesses, pain or deadly diseases by stigmatizing and prohibiting the use of the one medication that works? People need to be educated on how deadly and addictive prescription medications are. Prescription medications can cause severe physical withdrawal (even anti-depressant medications). Synthetic medications can ruin lives, and they can literally kill you! Marijuana grows naturally for a reason and you can't overdose on it. Addiction to pain medication has gone up to 400 percent over the last decade: Some state that they are afraid the legalization of marijuana will encourage people to develop the habit. Do they realize how many teens and adults develop an addiction to pain medications? The addictions are so severe they will do anything to obtain it. The United States has had a "war on drugs" for years that it is not winning. For example, in Portugal where marijuana was decriminalized, they experienced the lowest rate of marijuana use in the European Union, at 10 percent. In America, that same figure is 39 percent. Decriminalization has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country does. I hope that someday people will look at the true facts and open their minds to a natural medication that has been on the earth and used for thousands of years.