Medical Uses of Marijuana

Where Cannabis hemp differentiates from Cannabis marijuana is the amount of THC (Tetrahydrocannabiniods, what gives you the high) each contain. Hemp contains at most 1.5% and as little as 0.3% THC where marijuana can contain from 5% to 20% THC. Cannabis hemp also contains a higher amount of Cannabidiol also known as CBD which counteracts the effects of THC and reduces the neurological effects of THC. The hemp plant itself cannot contain more than the 1.5% THC because of its composition addressed on Hempethics.weebly.com, "The reason for the low THC content in hemp is that most THC is formed in resin glands on the buds and flowers of the female cannabis plant. Industrial hemp is not cultivated to produce buds, and therefore lacks the primary component that forms the marijuana high." Some dispute that if hemp is legalized it will be made to produce marijuana products which is scientifically impossible. Besides its chemical breakdown, the fibers in hemp are so durable they can be used as a substitute in place of wood materials. Its density is like that of bamboo and produces four times as much fiber per acre as pine trees which can help with problems like deforestation and green house effects.

Marijuana, more botanically referred to as “Cannabis sativa” or “Hemp,” is a multiuse plant valued for its tough hemp fibers

Illnesses can also be treated by cannabis. Illness is something that someone gets over time but it eventually goes away. (The Union, Brett Harvey) Cannabis is an excellent and healthy way to relieve pain from migraine headaches. (The Union, Brett Harvey) Migraines are often caused by nausea, flashes of light, and photosensitivity. (How Weed won the west, Kevin Booth) When cannabis is taken in to a person’s body it impacts the Autonomic Nervous system which causes that person to breathe easier and relax. (The Union, Brett Harvey)

The use of medical marijuana (slang: Acapulco gold, ace, bhang, cannabis, hash, dope, ganja, grass, weed, hashish oil, hemp, home-grown, honey oil, indica, Jamaican roach, sativa, sinse, sinsemilla, tea, weed oil) has a been a major topic of debate for countless years. People all around the United States have seen propaganda of some sort regarding the legalization of marijuana. For example, with the ongoing discussion of legalization throughout the states, it’s abruptly mentioned in the news, everyday conversations, school topics for debate, and within stories of social media. In the article, “Is marijuana prohibition coming to an end”, Michelle Johnson a North Carolina journalist, states “Legalizing marijuana for a medical or recreational

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

While marijuana was not actually outlawed until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 it was a part of the country and society since before the arrival of its current transplanted inhabitants. Hemp is the name of a species of Cannabis that has been used throughout history for many things including rope, clothing, medicine, oils and other such novelties. Marijuana and hemp are both of the species Cannabis Sativa and occur naturally along with a score of other variations of the plant. Marijuana is simply a form of hemp that is higher in delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s naturally occurring psychoactive chemical. Today we hear many nicknames for marijuana including: weed, pot, budda, grass, and bud to name a few. Marijuana has long been used by the indigenous peoples of North and South America for many things, from medical to religious purposes. Of course a select few Europeans exploited narcotics and different types of marijuana. However, in Europe it was not a widespread phenomenon, and neither was it from the time of colonization or even industrialization in America. It was not until the era of the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution, known as prohibition, that marijuana became a widely used substance in the U.S..

Many populations have grown hemp for its seed. Most of them eat it as `gruel ', a food similar to oatmeal. Hemp seeds do not contain any marijuana, so they do not cause a 'high '. Hemp seed protein closely resembles protein as it is found in the human blood, and it is easy to digest. In fact, people who have trouble digesting foods are given hemp seeds prescribed by their doctors. Hemp seed oil provides the human body with essential fatty acids and is the only seed that contains oils with almost no saturated fat. As a supplement to the diet, these oils can reduce the risk of heart disease. With hemp seed, a vegan or vegetarian can survive and eat virtually no saturated fats. One handful of hemp seed per day will supply adequate protein and essential oils for an adult.

One of the first things about marijuana history that the American public still doesn 't understand is that cannabis, was once very legal to grow in the United States. In fact, up until 1883 it was one of the largest agricultural crops in the world, including America.(The Union) But it wasn’t grown for the psychoactive plant cannabis sativa. Cannabis hemp, which carries a fraction of the amount of THC, (the compound in marijuana that attributes to the high feeling) was and is used all over the world, producing the overall majority of Earth’s fiber, fabric, paper, and medicines.(Herer,20) Hemp has a deep American History as well, from the gardens of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin to the 8,327 American hemp plantations counted in the 1850 census.(Herer,15) Yet the Federal government now recognizes cannabis as a Schedule I drug with no medical value, and 23 States have legalized cannabis for medicinal use. (The Union) Even though some western states such as Oregon and Colorado are making legal changes to marijuana policy at the state level, the most beneficial marijuana law we could pass is and always has been the Nationwide legalization of industrial Cannabis Hemp.

The issue of legalizing marijuana, also known as Cannabis Sativa, has been controversial for a long time, and has become even more so in recent years. Cannabis Sativa is a plant that has been used for a variety of purposes by many cultures for thousands of years. Not only does the Cannabis Sativa plant produce Marijuana, it also produces Hemp. Hemp was used to make food, clothes, shoes, ropes and paper, making it a very useful cash crop. Legal up until 1937, Marijuana was used in America for recreational use, medicinal, and industrial products as well. In the 1960’s the government’s war on all drugs was created putting Marijuana in the same category as Cocaine, Heroin, and Morphine. Today Marijuana remains a

On October 1, 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was enacted and it prohibited all forms of cannabis sativa. Although the bill was targeted towards the banning of marijuana and both forms of cannabis on separate ends of the sativa spectrum, there was no specification on which form was directed for the ban. Thus both were prohibited from being grown in the United States of America. In November of 2016, marijuana officially became legal to grow in all fifty states, yet industrial hemp is still currently legal to be grown in 13 states within the USA.  Hemp is largely exported to the US from other countries. It is imperative that hemp becomes legal to be grown around the entire country, for hemp will help retain the USA’s revenue by using hemp grown in America, has can be used for many different purposes such as clothing or food for example, has the potential to reduce American citizen’s carbon footprint as a substitute for paper and gasoline, and has no major threat to the industrialization of hemp in factories.

Hemp seed oil can be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, inks, lubrication, household detergents, varnishes, resins, and paints due to it is low in saturated fats. Hemp is a great source for ethanol production which would help the fuel usage that Americans use daily. Hemp can be grown very easily in different soil types. The plant requires no pesticides and leaving it a very low key plant to grow. This is a plant that can be used for many different necessities and goods that are used today.

Although the recent political crusade against marijuana is worthy of notation, the real history regarding cannabis predates the politicalization. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, along with being legal, was once one of the largest agricultural crops in the world, including the United States. Cannabis can also be hemp. Hemp is unarguably the most natural soft fiber on the earth, retaining thousands of uses, including but not limited to fabric,

As the issue of legalizing marijuana remains complicated and highly controversial, a lesser-known yet increasingly significant side effect continues to transpire in the background: the suppression of its incredibly useful and diverse distant cousin, industrial hemp. Both marijuana and hemp have a long history in the United States. Unfortunately, because both plants are from the cannabis species, hemp was pigeonholed into a “dangerous drug” classification along with marijuana, representing the beginning of the end for hemp as a major agricultural asset to the United States. Industrial hemp contains no psychotropic qualities that create a “high” like marijuana. Considering that hemp’s

Some may read the title of this section and think to themselves "is he going to talk about a drug?" No, here is my disclaimer, hemp/industrial hemp as it is sometimes called, is cannabis, but is not marijuana. It does not contain any psychoactive properties so therefore it is not a "drug" which is a common misconception or lie people believe to be true. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) levels in hemp are too low to have any effect whatsoever and are in such low quantities that it cannot be detected by any screening. A person cannot get high by smoking hemp. There is however great potential for this plant though.

The true medical benefits of marijuana are nearly endless. Marijuana has been utilized by ancient peoples all the way up to the modern society. “The first recorded use of marijuana as a medicinal drug occurred in 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung.” (Hill, N/A). According to (Hill, N/a) the Chinese emperor discovered and well documented just some of the few medicinal benefits of marijuana, he learned how it controls pains in simple medical issues such as: rheumatism, and the gout. Whilst he just found out a couple benefits of medicinal marijuana. Other ancient civilizations discovered more uses, according to (Ghaly, N/A) “The Ancient Egyptians used cannabis and applied it as suppositories for treatment of hemorrhoids.” so it was essentially it was used once again as a pain reliever. In India, people discovered multiple uses: “Cannabis was used for a plethora of medicinal and spiritual purposes, ranging anywhere from nausea and diarrhoea to headaches and insomnia. But the Indians were using