| Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the U.S.A. It has been reported that this drug has been tried by at least 50% of the population - many of whom continue to use it. Marijuana is derived from Cannabis sativa - also called the “hemp” plant. Hemp has been used worldwide for making ropes and clothing.The dried leaves and flowers of the plant are utilized to make marijuana (“grass”) and more potent drugs like hashish and ganja. The major ingredient of marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Receptors in the brain have been identified specific for this.
Effects of smoking marijuana begin witin 10 minutes and include euphoria and relaxation. However many users also experience side effects including but not limited to headache, nausea, palpitations (racing heart), increased appetite, dry mouth, mental confusion, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations and lack of motivation. The last mentioned symptom can often be the earliest sign in teens with decreased performance in school and sudden lack of interest in other activities. Long term effects include: Medical uses of Marijuana There have been several consumer advocates trying to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.This subject has generated so much support that it has even been on the ballot in some states. Proponents of this measure seem to feel that marijuana is very effective in chronic pain and nausea especially in cancer patients. Even though there have been no satisfactory studies to convince the F.D.A. of this, cannabis has shown potential in the management of: = Nausea (related to chemotherapy, for instance) =Tremors =Glaucoma =Chronic pain =Appetite loss (e.g. in cancer and AIDS ) =Seizures and spasms Advocates also proclaim the fact that marijuana has a 20,000 : 1 therapeutic window, which means that dose it takes to kill a person is 20,000 times the dose it takes for marijuana to relieve symptoms. Also since there are very few cannabinoid receptors in the brain stem (where respiratory function is controlled), marijuana does not supress respirations in therapeutic doses (unlike narcotics and tranquilizers). Nevertheless, there are other understandable concerns regarding legalizing this drug including potential for abuse, indiscriminate prescribing, long term effects (noted above) and the legal implications of private cultivation of marijuana i.e. whether growers of marijuana for recreational non-medicinal use can be prosecuted if the drug itself is legalized for medical use. Over 100,000 U.S. residents seek treatment annually for marijuana dependence. So by no means is this a benign drug.The prevalence of casual use, the flippant attitude of teen oriented programs like MTV and media celebrities on marijuana use and the lack of strong educational programs on the subject, might be the cause of the high rate of use of this drug in school and college students. In summary, though marijuana use might be useful in some conditions, the consequences of legalizing it might be far reaching. Unless severe restrictive guidelines are implemented, there may be a great potential for fraud and abuse. More research is necessary to attempt to identify specific receptors in the brain that might respond to specially grown cannabis with less addictive cannabinoids. Perhaps in the future cannabis will be grown with ingredients that cause symptom relief without euphoria. It might be easier to regulate and thus approve marijuana for medical use. If you have any comments on this subject or have other topics of interest that you would like to see on our web site please e-mail us. |
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