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Cannabis Sativa

Cannabis has been used for over 10,000 years and not one single death has
EVER been recorded.
It is not addictive and is actually far less addictive than caffeine
If legalized, far less more minors would be using Cannabis
or weed would be sold in stores, valid ID must be given and the user must be
at least 21 years of age. After customers start buying from these weed
dispensaries, drug dealers would vanish and the ones that stick around
would be most likely dealing hard drugs
Marijuana is not a gateway drug, it's just the dealers persistently
persuading their customers to try harder drugs because they know marijuana
is not addictive. If they were to get them to at least try the harder drugs,
they would get addicted and come back for more, giving the dealer never
ending business
Marijuana cures and prevents Alzheimer and Glaucoma, helps relieve
stress, anxiety, depression, slows down tumor growth, and helps relieve pain
for chemo/radiation therapy patients as well.
If legalized, marijuana can be taxed which would produce billions of dollars
annually in profit which in turn would help our nation get out of debt.

Cannabis farms can be set up as well, and growing and harvesting marijuana
can become a profession thus lowering the unemployment rate.
Does not lead to or cause lung cancer.
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?

"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 lifethreatening 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."
Cannabis in the Clinic: The Medical Marijuana Debate

Until its prohibition in 1937, extract of Cannabis sativa(marijuana) was one of the top three most
prescribed medicines in the US. When it became illegal, its use as a medicine became restricted.
Despite these regulations, research on the medical use of marijuana continued.
In recent years, when some states decided to legalize smoked marijuana for certain patients,
medical marijuana became a subject of contentious debate. Should patients be allowed to grow
their own plants? Might medical use inevitably lead to recreational use?

The Endocannabinoid System

We have two types of cannabinoid receptors: CB1 receptors are expressed on the surface of
neurons, and CB2 receptors are expressed on cells of the immune system.
The active compounds in marijuana are similar to a class of molecules in our bodies called
endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system influences our immune system, protects nerve
cells from premature death, and influences mood, memory, appetite, sleep, sensation, and
movement. Both endocannabinoids and the compounds in marijuana bind to proteins called
cannabinoid receptors in the brain and throughout the body.
"Endocannabinoids regulate every one of the systems in our bodies." --Dr. Robert Melamede

Defining Medical Marijuana

As of October, 2013, 20 states plus Washington, DC, have legalized medical marijuana. Two
states (*) also allow recreational use. The trend is moving toward legalization. (The Wikipedia
page Medical cannabis in the United States has up-to-date legal information.)
Each state has its own regulations to control details such as allowable quantities and registration
requirements. However, in June of 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that individuals in all states
can still be prosecuted under federal law, under which medical marijuana remains illegal under
the Controlled Substances Act
"There are different kinds of pain." --Dr. Robert Melamede
In 1970, Congress classified cannabis and THC (one of the active compounds in cannabis) as
Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs are defined by Congress
as having no medicinal value. The one exception to this classification allows for use in FDAapproved research programs.
Who

can

benefit?

Research suggests that there are conditions for which medical marijuana may be an effective
treatment:

Cancer - Relieves nausea during chemotherapy treatment, may prevent the spread of
some cancers.

HIV/AIDS - Increases appetite in patients experiencing severe weight loss, eases


neurological symptoms.

Neurological disorders (including spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis) - Reduces
pain and spasticity resulting from nerve damage.

Inflammatory pain - Cannabinoids seem to be more effective than opiates in treating


long-term, chronic pain. (Opiates are better for treating short-term acute pain.)

Autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis) - Suppresses the immune system, decreasing


pain and inflammation.

Cannabinoid Delivery Methods


The active compounds in marijuana are available in several forms and can be administered in a
variety of ways. Each delivery method has benefits and disadvantages.
Smoking

(+) Delivers all of the plant's active compounds.

(+) Easy to regulate dose (patients smoke until symptoms are eased, but are not
intoxicated).

() No standardization. Amounts of active ingredients may vary.

() Burning marijuana produces toxins which can cause emphysema and lung cancer.

() Illegal in most states.

Marinol - Synthetic THC in pill form

(+) Legal in the US.

(+) Delivers some of the benefits of the whole plant.

() Difficult to control dose.

() Contains only one of the plant's active compounds (THC).

() Patients report fewer of the positive effects and more negative side effects.

Vaporizor

(+) Converts the active compounds to inhalable form without releasing toxins.

(+) Delivers all of the plant's active compounds.

(+) Easy to control dose.

() No standardization. Amounts of active ingredients may vary.

() Illegal in most states.

Sativex (nabiximols) - Extract from plants delivered as a spray

(+) Contains all of the plant's active compounds.

(+) Concentrations of active ingredients are standardized.

(+) Relatively easy to regulate dose.

(+) Legally approved for the medical treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

() Legal in a limited number of countries.

Marijuana contains approximately 66 active compounds with different properties, collectively


called cannabinoids. Scientists are studying cannabinoids to understand their individual and
combined effects and their potential benefits.
"Studies show that Sativex (marijuana extract) is not as addicting as legal prescription
medications such as opiates." --Dr. William Notcutt, Director of Sativex trials

Social Implications

Some argue that Congress should change marijuana's classification under the Controlled
Substances Act. If it were no longer a Schedule I drug, its medicinal benefits could be recognized
legally. But if medical marijuana were legalized, there could be repercussions outside the realm
of medicine.
Opponents worry that legalizing medical marijuana might lead teens to believe that marijuana is
safe for recreational use and increase availability of the drug. On the other hand, some supporters
think changing the perception of marijuana from a party drug to a medication might make it less
attractive to teens wanting to defy or rebel.

Legal Implications
Legalized medical marijuana also presents lawmakers with challenges. How would federal, state,
and local governments control and regulate the production, distribution, and sale of medical
marijuana? Who would define what is recreational versus medical use of the drug, and how
would that be enforced?

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