The term Medical marijuana refers to the use of Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica as a doctor-recommended form of medicine. The Cannabis plant is used as a medicine predominantly because of the compounds – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) which are present in it (Hill, 2015). THC has been found to be responsible for the ‘high’ after smoking. Medically, it has been identified to be very useful in curing anxiety and is thus used for depression patients. CBD has also been found to be useful in treating anxiety, pain, inflammation, and insomnia. Lastly, CBN from cannabis has been found to have anti-convulsive effects, to be an appetite stimulant, bone cell growth promoter alongside being able to provide antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and being a pain reliever. This article purposes to provide a discussion of medical marijuana.
There are a number of conditions that medical marijuana is used to treat. They include; appetite loss, pain, Nausea, muscle spasms, Glaucoma, epilepsy, wasting syndrome, multiple sclerosis, mental health conditions such as PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, eating disorders, Crohn’s disease and cancer (Hill, 2015). Despite the fact that medical marijuana is used to treat all the above conditions, there is no existing proof that it actually cures all of them. The lack of extended evidence that medical marijuana treats all the above conditions is what has prevented it from being legalized in many states and nations around the world. There are 33 states in the US where medical marijuana has been legalized (Cerdá, et al., 2012). Using medical marijuana is not necessarily considered a crime in the states where it has not been legalized. In fact, with a written recommendation from a licensed doctor, one can easily get medical marijuana.
There are several ways that people take medical marijuana. One can smoke it, inhale it using a vaporizer, eat it as a baked product such as a cake or cookie, one can place a few drops under the tongue and lastly, one can apply it on the skin as lotion, oil or cream. People who use marijuana often, experience several effects; hallucinations, low blood pressure, dizziness, fast heartbeat, bloodshot eyes, and even depression. Marijuana is not only associated with reduced coordination and affected judgments but is also addictive (Cerdá, et al., 2012). These reasons are perhaps why US states and nations across the world are slow in legalizing medical marijuana.
References
Cerdá, M., Wall, M., Keyes, K. M., Galea, S., & Hasin, D. (2012). Medical marijuana laws in 50 state: investigating the relationship between state legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use, abuse and dependence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 120(1-3), 22-27.
Hill, K. P. (2015). Medical marijuana for the treatment of chronic pain and other medical and psychiatric problems: a clinical review. Jama, 313(24), 2474-2483.
