Marijuana as Medicine is nothing new!
Posted by admin | Filed under Medical Marijuana Facts
Marijuana as medicine is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on cannabis and its medical history.
1. “Marijuana” is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.
2. Cannabis was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.
3. More than 20 medicationscontaining marijuana were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. marijuana based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.
4. About 17,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group, but fewer than 20, all of them small, have included human subjects.
5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, called cannabinoids.
7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it—or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.
8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.
Many marijuana users swear by the drug to treat bipolar disorder. There are just as many people who rail against marijuana's negative effects on mental disorders. Whether marijuana is a treatment or a cause for the disease remains uncertain.
According to research published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, studies suggest that bipolar patients often self-medicate with marijuana to ease both manic and depressive episodes. Patients suffering from bipolar disorder further assert that marijuana is actually more effective than other conventional medications due to its lack of unwanted side effects. The immediate effects of marijuana are generally euphoric or calming, giving bipolar patients instant relief from their symptoms.
However, many of those who swear by marijuana use for treating mental disorders overlook the fact that the negative results take time to develop. According to Bill Hendrick of Web MD Health News, 3801 young adults were asked about marijuana use and then evaluated to determine if they had ever experienced psychotic episodes. According to the findings, young adults who were longtime marijuana users were more likely to experience psychotic episodes than those who were short-term users or who had never smoked marijuana. And according to Allen Schwartz of AccessBehavioralHealth.net, other studies suggest that serotonin levels decrease as more marijuana is smoked. Decreased serotonin levels can cause an increased vulnerability to stress and depression, merely compounding the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Other studies on the subject suggest a link between marijuana use and bipolar disorder, but the results are not definitive. A study performed at the Netherlands National Institute of Mental Health and Addiction was set up to determine the link between mood disorders and marijuana use. The ultimate goal was to determine if a disproportionate number of mood disorder patients were marijuana users. Their finding suggested there was a link between marijuana use and the onset of mood disorders, but the results were inconclusive as to the reason for these results. The study left unresolved the possibility that the mood disorder in patients had gone undiagnosed and untreated prior to any marijuana use.
The effects of marijuana use on bipolar disorder remain inconclusive. Since natural, non-medical marijuana is difficult to regulate in an impure form, many doctors discourage its use to treat bipolar disorder. However, many more bipolar patients have experienced marijuana's calming effects, helping to alleviate their symptoms.
Sources:
“Marijuana Makes it Worse?”, Allen Schwartz PhD, www.AccessBehavioralHealth.net
“Can Marijuana Be Used to Treat Bipolar Disorder?”, Robin Hewitt, www.LiveStrong.com
“Longtime Pot Smoking May Raise Psychosis Risk”, Bill Hendrick, www.WebMD.com
“Marijuana and Bipolar Disorder”, Keith Vaughn, www.ehow.com
Tags: Marijuana Collectives, Marijuana Doctor
Medical Cannabis is How Old?
Posted by admin | Filed under Medical Marijuana Facts
Marijuana as medicine is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on Marijuana and its medical history.
1. “Marijuana” is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.
2. Cannabis was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.
3. More than 20 prescription medicinescontaining cannabis were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. marijuana based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.
4. About 17,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group, but fewer than 20, all of them small, have included human subjects.
5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, called cannabinoids.
7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it—or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.
8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.
Marijuana, Pot, Weed, Bud, Herb, no matter whatever you call it, it is the most popular and casually used illegal drug throughout college campuses. In my experiences as a student at a Big Ten University, Marijuana was seen at every party, every fraternity, and every dorm floor. Out of about 50 students on my dorm floor, almost every single person had at least tried weed or was a casual user with the exception of only three to four individuals. This mentality is extremely consistent with most large and small colleges I've visited. Many parents might wonder if this is true, and if so why? Well the answer is simple…you are not there. With little to none parental influence college students will experiment and do anything to get the high feeling. They strive to get this feeling because it makes them feel more comfortable with their peers and because it reduces stress.
While so many students do smoke pot the majority are not addicted to Marijuana. To give another example with my dorm floor of 50, I would say about 25 to 30 students on my floor were just casual smokers. Although, this number diminished over the course of the year as more and more students took advantage of no parents and plenty of pot. While many students might have came to college just casual smokers, many left as addicts. I had several friends that became addicted to Marijuana smoking every single night, before class, etc. One of my friends told me of how he had to smoke himself to sleep every night because he would lay awake in his bed if he didn't have his fix. This dependency on weed also negatively affected the addicted student's ability to perform in school. Several students failed several classes because of Marijuana's influence to make one less motivated.
Marijuana certainly has a deep and scaring negative impact if used too often, but the majority of college students will experiment and only use on certain occasions. There really is very little that parents can do about making their children not experiment with weed. However, the most effective means of keeping anyone away from any drug is to list the negative effects. This will at least make them realize what will happen if they use Marijuana too often.
Tags: Marijuana Collectives, Marijuana Doctor
Medical Cannabis is How Old?
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Medical Cannabis is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on cannabis and its medical history.
1. “Marijuana” is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.
2. Cannabis was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.
3. More than 20 medicationscontaining cannabis were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. marijuana based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.
4. About 17,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group, but fewer than 20, all of them small, have included human subjects.
5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, called cannabinoids.
7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it—or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.
8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.
According to a recent article by Tracy Loew of USA Today, Portland, Oregon is now home to not one but two “cafes” where medical marijuana cardholders can go to smoke free cannabis while socializing with other approved marijuana cardholders. The newest one is called Cannabis Café and is located in a former strip club. Patrons who are approved medical marijuana cardholders pay a $5 cover charge, which goes towards operating expenses, and can smoke their medical marijuana from joints, pipes or by inhaling cannabis fumes collected from a vaporizer. Since it is still illegal in Oregon to sell marijuana patrons of the café bring marijuana they grew themselves or that they received from an approved caregiver, many donating a portion of their personal stash for other patrons use. Reaction from the neighbors of the café are mixed, while some wish the café was located elsewhere others say it's better then having a strip club or bar full of drunks in the neighborhood. Kevin Mannix of the Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance wishes there had been more public discussion before the café opened for business.
President Obama and his administration recently decided it isn't a good use of law enforcement officers time or resources to pursue or arrest individuals who are using marijuana for a number of medical conditions as long as they are conforming to strict federal and state guidelines. This new policy is a significant departure from former President Bush's policy who insisted he would continue to enforce anti-pot laws regardless of state codes as stated by Devlin Barret in his October 18th article for the The Huffington Post.
With the country still suffering from a long intense recession, could legalizing marijuana use all together be the answer to the billions of dollars in tax revenue needed to end some of the worst economic times we have witnessed since the Great Depression? The most recent data from the US polling firm Gallup indicates that nearly half the country supports legalizing the recreational use of marijuana with a staggering 44% saying they are in favor of legalization. Further look into the results of that poll show that 78% of Liberals & 50% of Americans under the age of 50 are in favor of legalization, while only 28% of seniors agree. Gallup tracking also showed that from 2006-2009 the support for legalization grew more then other time since the prohibition of the drug. This support grew the most among women with an increase of 12%, Democrats support increased 13%, Liberals support grew 15% and among western states support for legalization increased 13% all since 2005. It seems that if the trend for support of legalization continues to rise the prohibition of marijuana, whether for medical or recreational use, may not be so far away.
Fourteen states currently allow the use of medical marijuana and fourteen more are currently considering it. Five states allow retail pot dispensary for approved patients, with Maine being the most recent to join that list as reported by the USA Today. Obama himself admitted to smoking marijuana as a teen, although he says it was a mistake, but did say he did inhale because that's the whole point. If marijuana growth, distribution, and use were legalized it would lead to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars worth of tax revenue. In fact, a group of 500 economists, including the famous Milton Friedman, sent An Open Letter to the President, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures on the benefits of legalization. They stated in their report that replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation would save $7.7 billion annually in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion a year. It went on to say that if were taxed similar to alcohol or tobacco products it may generate as much as $6.2 billion annually. For more on the stated report you can visit economics.about.com.
With the potential to save billions of dollars a year in expenditures and in addition earn billions more a year in tax revenues lawmakers should take a serious look at the three decade old prohibition on marijuana. With tens of thousands of Americans unemployed, countless numbers of homes in foreclosure, a national deficit in the trillions of dollars, billions of dollars spent to incarcerate individuals caught with small amounts of pot, and some of the worst economic times the country has ever seen it just may be time to decriminalize this non-violent drug. Marijuana has countless medical uses, the potential to create ten of thousands of jobs and generate tens of billions of dollars in savings and revenues for a crippled American economy.
Tags: Marijuana Collectives, Marijuana Doctor
Medical Marijuana Tinctures
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Many medical marijuana patients are happy to learn about tinctures of cannabis. A tincture is an alcohol-based liquid mixture. It is like a concentrated extract. Currently there are tinctures of cannabis made with alcohol, oil or glycerin. It is a very effective way to use medical cannabis.
If you told your Grandmother to smoke a joint for her glaucoma she would likely say “No Way!” That is probably because she grew up in the 1930's when everyone thought marijuana would turn you stark raving mad. And that was after marijuana and its derivatives were used in tinctures and tonics. Let me explain. In the 1800's tonics and medicines were widely available over the counter which often contained THC. They were for everything from migraines to stomach aches. After the marijuana tax act in 1937, marijuana was forgotten as anything medicinal.
What Grandma doesn't realize is that marijuana would reduce the ocular pressure inside her eyes. It is often used for this exact purpose. Marijuana has been used as a medicinal herb for over 12,000 years! Twelve of the fifty states has laws regulating the use of medical marijuana. California was the first state to legalize its use in 1996 along with Washington. The other states that followed are Oregon, Maine, Alaska, Nevada, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Montana, Rhode Island and New Mexico. All states have different laws concerning its use for medicinal purposes but, all have decriminalized it for patients with a prescription. There are clubs and buyers clubs that are licensed in these states for the sales of medical marijuana. They have restrictions and have a maximum amount they are allowed to have in their business. Many of these clubs are still raided by the DEA and people taken to jail. These laws are all local government laws. Marijuana is illegal in any use or form under federal law. For example, California has enacted proposition 215 which allows medical access to the herb, but federal officials have threatened prosecution to any doctors who prescribe it. Thus it is in a gray area of the law and will likely stay that way for some time to come.
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine conducted a report thats findings concluded ” The accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabis drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation.”
If Grandma is still appalled by the idea, tell her that many people who have cancer find it very helpful with nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy and other drugs. Some anticancer drugs affect the parts of the brain that control vomiting. Other treatments irritate the lining of the stomach. Marijuana calms the stomach and gives back appetite. It has also been used for anorexic patients to help them eat more.Believe it or not has even been given to children with ADHD and ADD. AIDS is another disease that marijuana can calm the effects of. Some people find that instead of taking powerful man made drugs for the side effects of treatments for disease, they can ingest or smoke marijuana, and feel it more a natural approach. It is often ingested in teas or baked goods made with cannabis oils. Cannabis has been found effective for nerve pain when opiate drugs did nothing. And unlike with powerful prescriptions, some of these people say they don't feel high and out of it, they just feel better. Marijuana has been found very useful to people with the crippling disease, multiple sclerosis.
In 2003, Montel Williams told his audience that he uses marijuana to ease the symptoms of his multiple sclerosis. He has said he eats baked goods and smokes marijuana after being on the brink of suicide from the pain he suffers. He has spoken to the U.S. Congress about the valuable effects the herb has on patients with debilitating diseases and pain. Williams says he uses it for tremors, pain and depression in lieu of powerful, addictive narcotics often prescribed. Montel is a powerful activist in getting medical marijuana legalized everywhere in the U.S.
Some groups believe that the pharmaceutical companies are helping stop the decriminalization of medical marijuana. They want their drugs to be bought and used even though they know that a lot of their drugs are highly addictive and each only work for a few medical conditions. Marijuana is known to be helpful for hundreds and hundreds of symptoms and diseases. These companies have tried to duplicate the THC found in marijuana and have made synthetic THC. It is found in pill form known as marinol. Users say that the drug does not compare to the real thing and does not work as well as cannabis.
As the government tries to stop patients from exercising their right to choose what medicines they use, we are stopping the people of this free country from being well and living prosperously.
