Medical Marijuana
The word corruption is seldom used in our modern society – however it describes so many of the problems we now face. Medical marijuana’s constant justification as a viable treatment for so many ailments is proof enough. Ancient humans cultivated Cannabis and this puts it as one of the first and oldest known human agriculture crops. They used hemp seeds as food, so it was very easy for them to discover the medicinal benefits of Cannabis.
China 2737 BCE - The Red Emperor at this time Shen- Nung was a Pharmacologist and wrote a book called The Herbal, this book contained treatments using marijuana. He recommended it for constipation, gout ( a kind of arthritis), rheumatism, malaria and of all things being absent minded! Just a little foot note… Cannabis is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. So next time you fly to Asia and see the sign "if you arrive with Cannabis - you can be put to death" – Remember it’s nothing personal – It’s just that word again – corruption.
Egypt – 1550 BCE – The Ebers Papyrus – named after Georg Ebers that purchased this papyrus in 1873 is an Egyptian medical papyrus (early book) of herbal knowledge. The Egyptians used Cannabis suppositories to relieve the pain of hemorrhoids - this was literally injected into your rectum where it melted or dissolved giving the user some serious relief.
The Artists of the hemp cult decorated most of Egypts most lavish structures - these artists transcribed the events of their beliefs as though it were their modern day history. Structures like The Karnac Temple in Luxor had solar reflectors made of gold which illuminated rooms reflecting off colored artwork as if in the digital world. These avid Cannabis smokers seriously rocked!!!
India – 1500 BCE – Surviving texts confirm Cannabis and its psychoactive properties were used to treat illnesses and ailments from insomnia, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, pain, especially during childbirth. Foot note – OMG – Bhang which is Cannabis in Hindu is mentioned in the Atharva Veda (Knowledge storehouse which dates back to 1200BC to 1000 BC) as sacred grass. One of the 5 sacred grasses of India!
Greece – The Ancient Greek people used cannabis to treat nose bleeds and particularly cannabis seeds were used to expel tapeworms. They also used Cannabis to dress wounds and sores of their horses.
Medieval Islamic world - 8th to 18th centuries – Arabic physicians used Cannabis Sativa mainly as a diuretic, in tinctures to prevent vomiting and nausea, anti – inflammatory (reduces swelling), pain relief, and a main ingredient in formulas for bringing fevers and temperature down.
We constantly see doubts cast upon the medical benefits of marijuana. Even Wikipedia has the bad taste to say “There is limited evidence suggesting that cannabis can be used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy.” One word comes to mind when you see statements like this. With documented evidence from the beginning of recorded time, how is it possible to have so much resistance against a plant?
What is inside Cannabis that makes it such an amazing treatment?
Psychoactive cannabinoids – Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica. With over 460 compounds with no less than 80 cannabinoids that interact with cannabinoid receptors in the human brain.
What makes Cannabis one of the easiest treatments available?
Medical cannabis can be administered in so many ways. From Smoking, Vaporizing, liquid tinctures, eating or digesting, lozenges, dermal patches or oral sprays and even capsules!
Synthetic Cannabis which is manufactured/created from chemicals to mimic the properties of cannabis is patented under the names dronainol and nabilone. This has not been a very successful man made drug as it is unable to compete – as an effective treatment – Given the choice - Naturally grown Cannabis is preferred by almost all patients.
10 REASONS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE
1.) MONEY - Let’s talk about what really counts in USA politics & business. Forget about medical benefits – Legalization means that Federal and State governments can collect all taxes and can easily mandate controls. In 2005 marijuana was the largest cash crop in the USA! What is the problem? It’s happening every day.
2.) MORE MONEY TO BE SAVED ….. Take Cannabis off the Schedule 1 drug list. No more sky rocketing TAX PAYER incarceration costs, our legal system will sigh with relief – With over 600,000 cannabis related arrests each year, Police spend 1000’s of hours arresting and booking marijuana offenders many of whom are otherwise law abiding. Millions of dollars will be saved in unnecessary legal fees and waste. The countless millions of tax payer dollars spent on - the War on Cannabis can be redirected to other problems such as Methamphetamine.
3.) MEDICAL BENEFITS! Marijuana has been used as medicine for more than 3000 years. So few plants on earth have such a history which can back up its claims with evidence dating back to when the first humans began writing things down in order to pass on knowledge. The dangers of Marijuana are so few and exaggerated that there is no comparison to be made between benefits and risks. Research and personal trials are happening right now as to marijuana curing cancer. There are plenty of actual cases documented where cancer has been beaten into remission and or completely cured where marijuana was the main medicine used.
4.) The human body has an endo - cannabinoid system that regulates our bodies and controls our health. This is why marijuana works so well with the human body. This system when working with Cannabis can easily assimilate the cannabinoids directing them to help stop nausea or relive pain or inflammation. The various methods available for Cannabis consumption make medical applications so much easier than traditional medicines. For instance someone in pain wants and needs instant relief – Smoking or vaping can do exactly this – have an immediate effect. Taking a pill for pain can take a long time to work. 
5.) Pharmaceuticals’ verse Cannabis – The family of drugs that relieves most of the serious pain is Opioids or narcotics. These drugs are fantastic pain relievers for certain illnesses and conditions. However the price one pays for this relief is high – often leading to severe addiction and withdrawals. These drugs also have side effects often depleting the body of nutrients & minerals necessary for other functions. Thus solving one problem and introducing another. Marijuana addiction is often compared with caffeine addiction. Patients do not have to worry about overdoses or serious side effects. Cannabis is especially effective for nerve pain or neuropathy – opiates are not as effective for this type of pain. Severe pain conditions often need a barrage of treatment, when narcotics are combined with marijuana; patients have reported using fewer narcotics - then when not combined. Leading to a much healthier recovery and cleaner pain relief regiment. Not to mention saving a ton of money!
6.) Doctors agree that medical marijuana should be legal and available to the general public for medicinal purposes. The American Medical Association supports research on medical marijuana. A survey was conducted by Webmd.com/Medscape - Out of 1548 doctors surveyed from 48 states and 12 specialties - 69% say it can help with certain treatments and conditions. 67% say it should be a medical option for patients. The Epilepsy Foundation of America recently called on the Drug Enforcement Administration to relax its restrictions on marijuana so that it can be properly studied – citing the many successes especially amongst young children suffering from multiple seizures - often all day long.
7.) 40 States (Including Texas and Oklahoma) Have Passed Medical Marijuana Laws – 4 States have Recreational Marijuana Use laws! Nevada, California, Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Maine all have medical, recreational use initiatives all hitting the ballot box for the 2016 election season.
8.) STRESS RELIEF – Guess what - relief from anxiety and stress happens to be the most commonly reported reason for using marijuana. Stress is a gateway syndrome and can lead to many different health issues even death. Studies on THC tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary ingredient in marijuana responsible for the high feeling. This Euphoric feeling gives one a sense of well being. Marijuana is probably the best stress reliever on this planet. THC is used in FDA approved pharmaceuticals.
9.) Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Marijuana is less addictive than tobacco or alcohol. Claims that marijuana is a gateway drug which leads to more dangerous drugs is just rhetoric and has never been substantiated with any evidence what so ever. In fact it is alcohol, that’s hold this analogy, when people are drunk they do so many things they would never even think about doing when they are sober. Tobacco has killed millions of people around the world and is a tremendous burden on our health care system. Marijuana has never been linked to any disease and amazingly enough does not cause lung cancer even when chronic smoking exists. The more one examines the evidence concerning Cannabis, One can see no reason to have prohibition – let alone classified as a schedule 1 drug.
10.) CDB – Chemicalcannaboid or Cannabidiol - A recent breakthrough in breeding and manipulating the genetics of cannabis/hemp plants – CBD can be made into an oil or mixed with oils to provide an amazing delivery system. It can be applied topically or ingested and so far results are quite amazing. In many different medical areas from Epilepsy to skin and joint pain this is looking like the next big medical breakthrough! CDB’s are one of over 60 compounds whose molecular structure is classified as cannabinoids. The concentrations of CDB and THC are determined by the strain of Cannabis plant. Growers of the past were not interested in growing plants with high concentrates of CDB’s because the recreational marijuana user does not get HIGH from CDB’s. So they concentrated on plants with high THC levels instead. CDB’s are non – psychoactive and do not use the same pathways (CB1 receptors) as THC. This is all new and now the race to patent this miracle medicine is on. The amount of medical treatments CDB’s will be good for will be huge. Already available are all sorts of creams for arthritis, joint pain, skin rashes, ligament problems, inflammation, and sports injuries.
11.) Medical marijuana has the will of the people behind it - in almost every country of the world - this is a fact. The USA claims to be a democracy and this issue is proof that corruption in our political system is now out of control. Vote for Medical Marijuana!
 The Brain and Smoking - Part 1 © Michelle Hunter www.hunterart.com |
