Essay about Medical Attributes of Cannabis sativa - Marijuana

Marijuana has survived the passing of time and still helps the sick today. The advanced stages of treatment for patients with Cancer, AIDS and other diseases often include, terrible nausea, vomiting, and different types of pain. Patients have reported much relief from

Arguably, medicinal marijuana has proven to be most effective for the relief of nausea and anorexia associated with cancer and AIDS/HIV treatments. For cancer patients who not only go through the unimaginable pains and discomforts of the disease itself but also the process of treatment through chemotherapy, the option of using marijuana may prove to be helpful in relief of the symptoms. In an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Kate Scannell, M.D. wrote "From working with AIDS and cancer patients, I repeatedly saw how marijuana could ameliorate a patient's debilitating fatigue, restore appetite, diminish pain, remedy nausea, cure vomiting and curtail down-to-the-bone weight loss" ("Do"). Dr. Scannell concluded by claiming "...almost every sick and dying patient I've ever known who's tried medical marijuana experienced a kinder death" ("Do"). This example alone is worth allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana. If marijuana brings relief by easing the pain and suffering of just one patient, isn't that enough reason to legalize its use for medicinal purposes?

It is accepted in medical circles today that marijuana use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. Marijuana smoking, however, does cause changes in the heart and body's circulation characteristic of stress, which

Doctor Donald L. Sweet explains some patients who said that when they were "high" from smoking "pot," experienced less or none of the severe nausea and vomiting that usually accompanied their cancer chemotherapy treatments.

On the other hand, cannabis has positive effects, especially if you have a severe illness. These illnesses include cancer, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, and much more. Cannabis has been proven to help combat nausea, and many treatments for cancer, including numerous chemotherapy treatments and radiation, has nausea as one of the top side effects. Many patients who have tried pharmaceuticals did not like the effects they had on them, or sometimes it did not help combat the nausea at all. However, patients who have used cannabis have felt almost an immediate relief of nausea, if smoked or vaporized. This is due to a cannabinoid in cannabis. This cannabinoid is called cannabidiol, or more popularly known as CBD. CBD, when ingested or absorbed, activates a unique compound called

Marijuana, also call “cannabis” is a plant grown all over the world. In the resin of this plant are multiple variations of “cannabinoids”, according to the National Cancer Institute cannabinoids are “active chemicals in cannabis that cause drug like effects throughout the body, including the central nervous system, and the immune system” (National Cancer Institute). This being said many people would argue that anything altering the mental, or cognitive function of an individual should be made illegal, and yet many pharmaceutical drugs, as well as alcohol do just that. One active cannabinoid in cannabis is “cannabidiol” (National Cancer Institute), this cannabinoid can reduce anxiety, pain, and lower inflammation. These effects can even be harnassed without activating the cannibinoids giving the user a “high”. Many cancer patients are exposed to chemotherapy, causing high levels of vomiting and nausea, the effects of cannabidiol could greatly reduce the

Medical marijuana has been known for its instrumental role in the treatment of several ailments both physical and psychological. It has been found to play a role in the treatment of chronic pain, muscle spasm, multiple sclerosis, nausea, vomiting, appetite stimulation, stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia. The effects of marijuana are produced by the active ingredient found in it - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Because of these findings according to Hoffmann & Weber (2010) experts in the medical field have had to be revisiting the evidence as it relates to the medicinal benefits of marijuana and the American Medical Association (AMA) has been the driving force behind the petition for marijuana as a ‘Scheduled I controlled substance’ so that further research and development can be done on the plant. Further value is added to the advantages of medical marijuana when regardless of its criminalization, the FDA and American Cancer Society agree that the active ingredients in marijuana, orcannabinoids, have been approved by officials to “highlight increased nausea and vomiting and appetite in people with cancer and AIDS”. The American Cancer Society says that "marijuana has anti-bacterial properties, inhibits tumour growth, and enlarges the airways, which they believe can ease the severity of asthma attacks"

Marijuana is a schedule one drug, and has no medicinal purpose. Cocaine and morphine on the other hand are schedule two and do have medicinal value. Gen. McCafferey says "a physician who tries to prescribe a schedule one drug with or without the referendums in California or Arizona, is subject to prosecution under federal law." (Simmons112) This quote has come under great duress since the DEA is the only group which can arrest someone who uses pot and slap someone with a petty misdemeanor. People will not care if they run the risk of a misdemeanor and likely use the drug anyway. Dennis Peron, one of the leading activists of marijuana legalization, has devoted twenty years to the legalization of marijuana. He says that when friend Jonathan West, developed AIDS, Dennis saw the potential uses for medical marijuana when he saw Jonathan feel better after smoking weed. (Rist and Harrison 75-76) Peron fought wildly to pass a bill to legalize medicinal marijuana. "Any other drug that eased nausea, increased appetite, and reduced pain, would be prescribed everywhere." says Peron. (Rist and Harrison 75-76) A Harvard Medical psychiatrist calls the drug a "wonder drug" for pain, nausea, and appetite. However, there are many cons to the pros in prescribing marijuana for nausea and pain. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active drug in marijuana used to help relieve nausea in cancer

Some say that marijuana does not help with any medical problem that some people may have. However, marijuana has many natural healing properties, from curing lack of appetite to nausea relief. Anne Harding from WebMD Feature states that pain is the main reason why people ask for a prescription. Barth Wilsey, a MD at the University of California Davis Medical Center says that marijuana could be used for headaches, helping people with diseases like cancer, or long term conditions, such as glaucoma and nerve pain. Doctors who live in states where the use of medicinal marijuana is legal often prescribe people with a marijuana card if they think it will help them with their discomfort. Before an individual is allowed access to buy medicinal marijuana, one must be put on a waiting list. Approval allows them to buy from a legal seller called a dispensary. Doctors also prescribe marijuana to people who suffer from muscle spasms caused from sclerosis or cancer patients who are going through chemotherapy. People of all ages who struggle with seizures or Crohn's diseases. The Federal Drug Administration(FDA) also approved thc a main ingredient in marijuana that treat nausea and increases appetite. How does medical marijuana work on your body? 'Your body already produces marijuana like chemicals that deals with pain. Laura Borgelt, PharmD from the University of Colorado says that medical marijuana can be smoked, vaporized (heated until active ingredients are released, but no smoke is formed). It can even eat it usually in the form of food or taken as a liquid. Consuming marijuana can cause effects to the body such as dizziness, drowsiness, increase in appetite more serious effects can include anxiety. Even though medical marijuana is not officially approved by the Federal Drug Administration(FDA) as a medicine but

state laws permitting medical marijuana typically define appropriate indications as serious, chronic, or deliberating medical conditions such as 1. Severe nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy or other causes, 2. Weight loss associated with deliberating illnesses such as HIV and cancer, 3. Spasticity secondary to neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. Marijuana has been used alone and in combination with other antiemetics to treat the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

Cannabis has cured some Cancer symptoms for many patients, “A number of studies of smoked marijuana found that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy...studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves)” ("Marijuana and Cancer." Marijuana and Cancer. Web. 13 Nov. 2015) meaning that inhaling medical marijuana can actually help you with some symptoms that cancer does on your body. “More recently, scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in laboratory

Cannabis Sativa is a drug derived from the Cannabacea or hemp family. Cannabis originated from the mountainous districts of India, north of the Himalayan

It is important to distinguish between the two familiar subspecies of the cannabis plant, Warf said. Cannabis sativa, known as marijuana, has psychoactive properties. The other plant is Cannabis sativa L. (The L was included in the name in honor of the botanist Carl Linnaeus.) This subspecies is known as hemp; it is a nonpsychoactive form of cannabis, and is used in manufacturing products such as oil, cloth and fuel.

Marijuana, also known as weed, hemp, cannabis, pot, herb, grass, etc., is the most common illegal drug in the United States. Marijuana is also known to be a gateway drug because it can lead people to do more serious drugs. Marijuana is a dried plant often smoked like a cigarette or in a bong or pipe.

Experts from the National Institute of Health or NIH have confirmed that marijuana is an effective, safe and inexpensive alternative for treating nausea caused by AIDS medications and cancer treatments other such ailments as glaucoma, muscle spasms, intractable pain, epilepsy, anorexia, asthma, insomnia, depression and other disorders (Iversen 23). Other such ailments in which marijuana has been said to help are Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, repetitive migraines, and Alzheimer’s, but the NIH has not reported those results (<a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html">http://www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html). The National