The Legalization of Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes
Marijuana, scientifically known as Cannabis, is the most medically active plant found in nature. It has been used by man kind as early as 3,000 B.C. and was used legally world wide until about 85 years ago. Many pharmaceutical companies were producing medicines containing properties of the cannabis plant as recently as the 1900's.
When you examine the flowers of the cannabis plant it appears to be covered in hairs or frost. This covering is caled resin and is the source of the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant. It is effective in treating the symptoms of, and sometimes even curing, many illnesses including those that have been diagnosed as terminal. Some of the more common illnesses and symptoms which can be treated through the use of cannibinoids are HIV/AIDS, cancer, mental disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, and cancer. It can ease the suffering of affected individuals by increasing appetite, reducing neuropathic pain, preventing the formation of deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease, and much more. It also has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that prove effective in relieving the pain experienced by those who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Common cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can be debilitating because of the side effects. For example, methotrexate is a common chemotherapy drug that is known to severely disrupt the GI tract. Radiation treatment kills healthy cells as well as cancerous cells and often results in radiation burns that are extremely uncomfortable and can heighten the risk of infection further complicating the healing process. Some cancer survivors have turned to hemp oil, an extract made from the essence of the cannabis plant. There are many recorded cases of hemp oil being used to not only treat the symptoms associated with cancer, but also being used to successfully cure cancer. Some of these recorded cases were patients who bad been diagnosed as terminally ill by their doctors and yet, they managed to not only survive, but also make a full recovery, through self medication using highly concentrated hemp oil.
In 1988, the U.S. Department of Justice stated, "Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects, but marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality. In practical terms, marijuana cannot induce a lethal response as a result of drug-related toxicity." In spite of the scientifically proven medical benefits of the cannabis plant it is widely considered to be a destructive substance. The number of deaths resulting from the misuse of cannabinoids is zero whereas legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people annually. The United States Bureau of Mortality Statistics states that tobacco is responsible for the deaths of 400,000 Americans annually and that alcohol is responsible for the deaths of 100,000 Americans annually. Perscription drugs can often times have more negative effects than positive effects on a person's health through an abundance of side effects. These side effects frequently include heart attacks, seizures, strokes, kidney failure, liver damage, and suicide; all of which are, or can be, fatal. The use of medical marijuana poses no such risks as the side effects are minimal. Side effects of marijuana include increased appetite, decreased coordination, distorted perception of senses, and short-term memory loss. The risks associated with smoking marijuana can be averted by using the substance in other forms such as vapor, edibles, and topical ointments.
The current legal status of cannabis varies throughout the world but is considered illegal in most places. Cannabis is legal, to varying degrees, in Argentina, Belgium, and Columbia, and has been decriminalized in in many countries around the world. Sixteen of the United States have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes only and have put many restrictions and regulations in place. China, Singapore, and Thailand are the only countries who still impose the death penalty on those who are convicted of the possession, consumption, cultivation, or trafficking of cannabis. According to Amnesty International, China exercises this punishment on approximately 500 people annually. It is also alleged that Thailand has used extrajudicial killings as a strategy to combat drug trafficking.
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When you examine the flowers of the cannabis plant it appears to be covered in hairs or frost. This covering is caled resin and is the source of the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant. It is effective in treating the symptoms of, and sometimes even curing, many illnesses including those that have been diagnosed as terminal. Some of the more common illnesses and symptoms which can be treated through the use of cannibinoids are HIV/AIDS, cancer, mental disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, and cancer. It can ease the suffering of affected individuals by increasing appetite, reducing neuropathic pain, preventing the formation of deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease, and much more. It also has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that prove effective in relieving the pain experienced by those who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Common cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can be debilitating because of the side effects. For example, methotrexate is a common chemotherapy drug that is known to severely disrupt the GI tract. Radiation treatment kills healthy cells as well as cancerous cells and often results in radiation burns that are extremely uncomfortable and can heighten the risk of infection further complicating the healing process. Some cancer survivors have turned to hemp oil, an extract made from the essence of the cannabis plant. There are many recorded cases of hemp oil being used to not only treat the symptoms associated with cancer, but also being used to successfully cure cancer. Some of these recorded cases were patients who bad been diagnosed as terminally ill by their doctors and yet, they managed to not only survive, but also make a full recovery, through self medication using highly concentrated hemp oil.
In 1988, the U.S. Department of Justice stated, "Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects, but marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality. In practical terms, marijuana cannot induce a lethal response as a result of drug-related toxicity." In spite of the scientifically proven medical benefits of the cannabis plant it is widely considered to be a destructive substance. The number of deaths resulting from the misuse of cannabinoids is zero whereas legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people annually. The United States Bureau of Mortality Statistics states that tobacco is responsible for the deaths of 400,000 Americans annually and that alcohol is responsible for the deaths of 100,000 Americans annually. Perscription drugs can often times have more negative effects than positive effects on a person's health through an abundance of side effects. These side effects frequently include heart attacks, seizures, strokes, kidney failure, liver damage, and suicide; all of which are, or can be, fatal. The use of medical marijuana poses no such risks as the side effects are minimal. Side effects of marijuana include increased appetite, decreased coordination, distorted perception of senses, and short-term memory loss. The risks associated with smoking marijuana can be averted by using the substance in other forms such as vapor, edibles, and topical ointments.
The current legal status of cannabis varies throughout the world but is considered illegal in most places. Cannabis is legal, to varying degrees, in Argentina, Belgium, and Columbia, and has been decriminalized in in many countries around the world. Sixteen of the United States have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes only and have put many restrictions and regulations in place. China, Singapore, and Thailand are the only countries who still impose the death penalty on those who are convicted of the possession, consumption, cultivation, or trafficking of cannabis. According to Amnesty International, China exercises this punishment on approximately 500 people annually. It is also alleged that Thailand has used extrajudicial killings as a strategy to combat drug trafficking.
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