“That is not a drug. It’s a leaf.”
- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
What is Marijuana
Marijuana, the Cannabis sativa plant, is described as an annual, flowering herb. It has been used for medicinal purposes worldwide since it was discovered in Asia over 4,000 years ago. It is composed of more than 400 different chemical compounds that have been shown to provide effective therapeutic applications for a wide range of diseases and physical ailments. Marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly referred to as THC), a psychoactive chemical compound that is responsible for the ‘high’ associated when using it.
Health and Human Services claims that “marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” However, more than 6,500 reports and journal articles from around the world support the medical value of marijuana. Here are some astounding statistics:
- Approximately 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning
- More than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking
- Marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose
It’s All in the Numbers
If you haven’t tried marijuana yourself, you probably know someone who has. In the United States alone, it is believed that over 100 million Americans have tried marijuana. According to The World Drug Report of 2009, over 31 million people in North America have used cannabis at least once in the past year.
In a poll conducted on behalf of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 2004 reveals that 72% of adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes, if a physician recommends it.
In California, it is estimated that 750,000 – 1,225,000 medical marijuana patients and caregivers possess medical marijuana identification cards.
Medicinal Benefits of Marijuana
It has been said that marijuana would be considered a “wonder drug” much like aspirin or penicillin if it didn’t have the effect of making people euphoric (or “high”). More than 6,500 reports, journals and articles around the world support the medicinal value of marijuana. It’s proven effects have been effective in treating many conditions such as:
- Arthritis
- Bursitis
- Migraine Headaches Hea
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Hepatitis C
- Joint Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Nausea
- Low Appetite
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer
- Chemotherapy
- Chrome’s
- Muscular dystrophy
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Glaucoma
- Skin Diseases
- Back pain
- Muscle Spasms
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders
Marijuana is a great alternative to the many prescription drugs that cause adverse side effects. It is estimated that more than 20,000 people die each year from prescription drug misuse. If you or someone you know suffers from prescription drug side affects wouldn’t you be willing to try to offer them a safer, natural alternative such as marijuana?
It is not surprising that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved medical marijuana, however it does facilitate scientific investigations in the medical uses of cannabinoids, the compound found in marijuana. Further clinical trials have been conducted by The American Marijuana Policy Project that show the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for cancer and AIDS patients, who often suffer from clinical depression, nausea and resulting weight loss due to chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments.
Marijuana is Legal
As of this writing, the following sixteen states, plus Washington DC, have passed laws legalizing medical marijuana with New Hampshire being the most recent:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Michigan
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington DC
Pending Medical Marijuana States
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
Huge strides have been made to bring safe and legal access to medical marijuana patients, thanks to passionate supporters and advocacy groups who dedicate their time, energy and expertise to this cause. It is widely agreed that legislation of marijuana, not just medical marijuana, is needed in order to establish regulated, legalized systems across America.
What is THC?
Although cannabis contains at least 400 different chemicals, its main mind-altering ingredient is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The amount of THC in marijuana determines the drug’s strength, and THC levels are affected by a great many factors, including plant type, weather, soil, and length of growing cycle. Marijuana produces high levels of THC and marijuana that is far more potent than in the past, averaging less than 1 percent in 1974, to an average 4 percent by 1994. Today, THC content averages 7.5 percent and ranges as high as 24 percent.
How is it Used? Marijuana and other cannabis products are usually smoked, sometimes in a pipe or water pipe, but most often in loosely rolled cigarettes known as “joints.” Marijuana can be brewed into tea or mixed in baked products (cookies or brownies).
How Does it Affect You?
A mild hallucinogen, marijuana has some of alcohol’s depressant and disinhibiting properties. User reaction, however, is heavily influenced by expectations and past experience, and many first-time users feel nothing at all. Effects of smoking are generally felt within a few seconds and peak in 10 to 30 minutes. Other effects include dry mouth, increased heart rate, impaired coordination and delayed reaction time.
Most of marijuana’s short-term effects wear off within two or three hours. However, THC is a fat-soluble substance and will accumulate in fatty tissues in the liver, lungs, testes, and other organs. Two days after smoking marijuana, one-quarter of the THC content may still be retained. It will show up in urine tests three days after use, and traces may be picked up by sensitive blood tests two to four weeks later.
Marijuana as Medicine
Although U.S. law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance (which means it has no acceptable medical use), a number of patients claim that smoking marijuana helps them deal with pain or relieve the symptoms of glaucoma, the loss of appetite that accompanies AIDS, or nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy.