By Guest Writer Alan Wood,

When people hear about marijuana, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic high associated to it. As a psychedelic drug, marijuana has been notoriously used by many enthusiasts for its “high” and other hallucinogenic effects. However, for most people, marijuana is their only source of comfort. For many people who are suffering from different physical and mental health conditions, marijuana use is the only way they can property manage the symptoms of their conditions or the side effects of the medications that they are using. 

This is how medicinal marijuana has come about.

Medical marijuana has not been fully legalized in many states of the US. Still, more and more people are starting to use marijuana for its medicinal value. This disconnect is being mirrored by the fact that of al purported medicinal properties of marijuana, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved marijuana-based treatment on a couple of very rare and severe forms of epilepsy which are Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. 

But things are not getting any worse. In fact, the future of medicinal use of marijuana is very bright more and more scientists are taking the interest to study this plant. Through this renewed interest of scientists, we are now starting to get a better understanding of this marvelous plant.  We now know more about its active compounds. We now have more idea of how to harness these active compounds. Even better, we now have better understanding on the medicinal and health benefits of marijuana to people.

A plant of marijuana contains more than 100 different chemicals that have different effects to a human being. These chemicals are collectively called as cannabinoids. However, just because they are being called under one name, this does not mean they are the same. Each one of these chemicals is different and may create various effects on your body. For instance, the two primary active compounds known are the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is psychoactive and can produce the very specific “high” that people who use marijuana recreationally are looking for. The other important chemical in marijuana is the CBD.

UNDERSTANDING CANNABIDIOL

Cannabidiol is one of the more prominent active compounds of Marijuana. It is non psychoactive, therefore it is not addictive and does not produce and psychoactive effects. 

Cannabidiol oil has become increasingly popular recently because it is the active compound that is primarily being harnessed for medicinal or health purposes. In the last few years, CBD Oil (as it is now commonly called) is all everyone seems to be talking about. This substance is what people harness to produce the beneficial medical use of marijuana. CBD oil is often used as an agent for managing and treating various diseases or conditions. 

Of course there are different types of strains of marijuana. Different strains have varying amount of CBD and THC ratio. There is so much to understand and research about the strain of weed that can bring health benefit and we advise you to read more about this.

WHAT ARE THE MEDICINAL AND HEALTH USES OF MARIJUANA?

The biggest proof for the medicinal and therapeutic value of marijuana’s CBD oil is strongly related to its capability in reducing long-term pain and other physical symptoms of discomforts such as nausea and vomiting and muscle spasticity or stiffness. Due to these capabilities, marijuana’s CBD oil is often used to treat or manage health conditions that result in chronic pain, nausea, vomiting, and muscle spasticity. Examples of conditions that marijuana is used to manage these types of symptoms include the following:

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Appetite loss
  • Cancer
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Eating disorders such as anorexia
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma of the eyes
  • Mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Muscle spasms
  • Nausea
  • Pain
  • Wasting syndrome also known as cachexia

But it’s not yet proven to help many of these conditions, with a few exceptions, Bonn-Miller says.

For these diseases, the active compounds (especially the CBD) found in marijuana sends chemical signals to your body’s receptors for pain, nausea, vomiting and muscle tightness. In many ways, the CBD the body makes that are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain. For your brain to realize that you are feeling these symptoms, your pain receptors need to get the signals from your body. However, molecules of CBD mimic the action of the pain signals and combine directly to the pain receptors. When this happens, the feelings of pain and other symptoms associated with health conditions written above are numbed.

Research on CBD also suggests that this compound can help patients manage their sufferings. Although CBD does not produce psychedelic effects, it still has effects on the brain. In particular, it is a very strong sedative. It relaxes people. This drug action is especially important in the management of the following diseases:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Inflammation and relieve pain
  • Poor appetite 
  • Weight loss in people with cancer and AIDS

Another interesting benefit of marijuana is its positive use for controlling seizure disorders. The press has given a lot of attention a few years ago with cases of parents using medicinal marijuana as a way to help control seizures in their children. A few years ago, this was very controversial because for many people this is akin to parents giving prohibited drugs to their children. But the legalization of medicinal use of marijuana has turned things around. Now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Epidiolex. This drug is made from CBD and is found to be an effective agent for therapy for people with longstanding and severe cases of seizure. 

NEW CONCERNS IN THE TRADE AND USE OF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

Concerned consumers have recently reacted to the use of marijuana. But this is not due to the usual complaints of drug use and morality. Instead, people have been concerned with the fact that marijuana has the same chemicals found in tobacco. People were concerned that smoking marijuana could lead to the same health problems caused by tobacco. 

There are also concerned about the lack of standard in food products that contain marijuana. The FDA does not check food products. As such, marijuana-laced products are not properly measured for their marijuana content. The biggest cause of complaints from consumers nowadays is the fact that these products may not exactly have the amount of CBD they say they do. In one study conducted by the FDA, they found that traces of marijuana in some brownies sold in cafes has very little amount of CBD.

These new concerns combined with the old ones call for bigger attention from both the government and civil society groups. Legalization of marijuana is an ongoing process and it brings a great hope for many people who are suffering from various medical maladies.

 

 

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Disclaimer: We at Prepare for Change (PFC) bring you information that is not offered by the mainstream news, and therefore may seem controversial. The opinions, views, statements, and/or information we present are not necessarily promoted, endorsed, espoused, or agreed to by Prepare for Change, its leadership Council, members, those who work with PFC, or those who read its content. However, they are hopefully provocative. Please use discernment! Use logical thinking, your own intuition and your own connection with Source, Spirit and Natural Laws to help you determine what is true and what is not. By sharing information and seeding dialogue, it is our goal to raise consciousness and awareness of higher truths to free us from enslavement of the matrix in this material realm.

6 COMMENTS

  1. “Hallucinogenic” properties of cannabis…?! Please share with me the strain that you are referring to as I would love to sample it. Last I checked, ‘psycoactive’ does not include ‘hallucinations’.

  2. It’s not the MJ plant itself, but the Pesticides sprayed (with ANY crop) which is the reason for Estrogen dominance in male humans, animals or even frogs and of course, for women too, causing many health issues for all.

  3. HEMP, which is the male part of the marijuana plant, that has many uses, including wood similar to trees. Hemp trees (or hemp wood) grows in a matter of months, where trees take years. Therefore, I support hemp.

    I have heard many stores of the medical benefits of cannabis, but have never used it so I don’t know.

    There are reports of the danger of using non-organic marijuana (cannabis) because the insecticides are very toxic, causing serious health problems.

    It is my understanding that smoking marijuana puts holes in the aura, allowing dis-incarnated spirits (spiritual laggards and dark forces) to enter the aura and take control. I have met people this has happened to, but their sense of personal responsibility was weak before taking the drug. it just made it worse.

    The plant that is smoked is called Mary-Jane for a reason. It is a female estrogen and the reason some men develop round hips and breasts. (It also may be a contributing factor to the male loss of ‘Y’ chromosomes, I don’t know.)

    • I’ve been using cannabis on a regular basis for over two decades. No holes in my aura and no increase in my breasts nor hips either.

      In fact, none of my friends who are regular smokers have the latter problems you mentioned. If someone is getting more curvey whole using cannabis, it will be on account of an allergy or succumbing to excessive “munchies”.

      My doctor recently informed me that 20mg of THC is equal to 60mg of codeine for pain relief. What would you rather take…?

      Basically everything you just claimed, I find to be quite naive and based on no real facts. So if you’re going to post such an uninformed opinion, why don’t you acknowledge it as such. Or better yet, if you don’t know what you’re talking about – don’t talk at all ;). Someone thinking of using cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceuticals could read a comment like yours, steeped in ignorance and decide to forego a healthier option due to the fear of non-existent sideffects. Highly irresponsible.

      • Dear James. both Dhara and you bring to light excellent observations, both wrote absolutely amazing comments and since we all are at our own unique levels of understanding, both are right in your own unique ways. You have experience on the matter and she doesn’t but she is trying to get to the bottom of it all using her own research, Your wonderful observations based on your own experience using MJ thought me lots today. PFC encourages everyone to share their opinions without the fear of being shut down by differing opinions. Let’s keep it that way…

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