With the arrival of medical marijuana onto the global scene, people all around the world are wondering what all the fuss is about. Humans have been using Marijuana plants for hundreds if not thousands of years for medicinal purposes, for making tea and making rope out of the stems of the plant.
The Health Benefits of Marijuana
There are two active chemicals found in Cannabis which are responsible for the medicinal effects of marijuana. These are CBD which is Cannabidiol, which works mainly on the brain and then there is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, which has pain relieving properties. Let’s take a look at some of the medicinal uses of Cannabis:
- Glaucoma, which is an increase of intraocular pressure within the eye, and if left untreated will lead to damage to the optic nerve and eventually blindness; has been very successfully treated and almost reversed by Marijuana.
- Marijuana increases the lung capacity of non-smokers and has helped improve the function of tobacco smoker’s lungs.
- Miraculously, Marijuana controls and prevents seizures, to the extent that it is given to those suffering with Epilepsy and a severe form of Seizure disorder called Dravets Syndrome, where sufferers have up to 300 seizures a week.
- Marijuana will stop the spread of cancer. There is a chemical compound in Marijuana which stops cancer in its tracks which is being widely researched worldwide.
- Marijuana is commonly given to cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for two reasons: it suppresses nausea, and it kills the pain caused by the treatment.
- Marijuana relieves the muscle spasms of those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.
- Marijuana is used extensively in patients undergoing treatment for Hepatitis C, which is so vicious that many a patient gives up on the conventional treatment. Marijuana makes the pain of the disease more bearable for the patient.
- People suffering from Parkinson’s disease have found relief from tremors by using Marijuana.
- Veterans are using Marijuana to assist with their Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome or PTSD.
- Marijuana has been known to stop nightmares and ease the pain of Arthritis.
This probably sounds too good to be true; however, it is important to note that we are talking about medical grade Marijuana, not the variety of Cannabis which is used as a recreational drug. Medical Marijuana is dispensed, monitored and controlled by medical professionals.
You cannot just go and find any random marijuana plant in an open field and expect it to be the cure you are searching for. A lot of research and testing has gone into finding the correct type and variety of marijuana that can be used for medicinal purposes. If this treatment is not properly handled by the doctors who specialize in this kind of medicine, self-treatment can lead to serious health and dependency problems.
Marijuana is well documented as a gateway drug to more dangerous and addictive drugs, and while there are many in favor of using Marijuana for medicinal purposes, there is a lot of controversy and outright opposition to its use for medicinal purposes. This is due to its various possible side effects; as a result, much more research has to be done before the use of medical Marijuana becomes universally accepted.