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I wish for all of medical users in Canada to be more informed, and so better able to make intelligent decisions regarding the use of medical marijuana.
Now, here’s a bit of boring, but very important information regarding the weed you’re interested in smoking or eating. You should always find out as much about something you’re going to put into your body as you can, before you try it.
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive component present in Cannabis. In other words it’s the component in Marijuana that gives you the pleasant “high” feeling. But it doesn’t work alone to produce that feeling. There are a cocktail of chemical components found in Cannabis.
Recent research has proved THC to be medically useful. CBN is a non-psychoactive agent, and is the component that makes the weed smell and taste so nice after it’s harvested and cured properly. It can also cause drowsiness and other similarly unwanted, but mild, side-affects.
Different medical Marijuana strains help different types of medical conditions. Some of the additional chemical components found in medical Marijuana are: Cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), delta-8-THC, cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabinol (CBN), cannabitriol (CBT), cannabavarin (THCU). All are known to have psychoactive and pharmacological effects.
Animal testing has shown that CBN and THC reduce IOP (intraocular pressure), but CBD does not. CBD has, however, been found to have anxiolytic and antipsychotic effects. Also, unlike THC, CBD alone is not effective in treating pain. Though it does act as a sedative and can relieve muscle spasms. Medical studies also show CBD can improve sleep. CBD is also reported to be effective for treatment of dystopias, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and neuropathic conditions.
The most desirable strains for medical marijuana use are ones that have been genetically developed by designated medical marijuana grower experts to have an extremely low CBN concentration while maintaining an available range of THC concentrates.
Cannabis
Properties
Cannabis has been claimed to help with a large number of wide-ranging symptoms. However, research has concluded three major properties which are medically useful. Cannabis is:
an analgesic (relieves pain)
an anti-emetic (relieves nausea and vomiting)
an appetite stimulant (induces hunger)
A very large and growing community of people with medical complaints such as severe chronic pain use Cannabis for medicinal purposes without the after-affects and damage associated with many of today's commonly-prescribed medications.
Typically, medical Cannabis use is practised by AIDS and MS patients, but it is certainly not limited to just these conditions. THC is also one of the safest active substances known to man, and has a wide variety of therapeutic applications including, but certainly not limited to:
Reduction of muscle spasms.
Relief from chronic pain.
Relief from nausea and increase of appetite.
What
are the medical uses of marijuana, and is there any
evidence to support its use?
AIDS. Medical Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by various AIDS medications.
Glaucoma. Medical Marijuana can reduce interlobular pressure, thereby alleviating the pain, and slowing -- and sometimes stopping -- the progress of the condition. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It damages vision by increasing eye pressure over time.
Cancer. Medical Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
Multiple Sclerosis. Medical Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults in the United States.
Epilepsy. Medical Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients.
Chronic Pain. Medical Marijuana can alleviate the chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries.
Many patients also report that Marijuana is useful for treating arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, depression and other debilitating mood disorders.
Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects. Medical Marijuana is not such a substance.
There is not a single record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented, cannabis-induced fatality. Simply stated, researchers have been unable to give animals enough Marijuana to induce death.
In practical terms, Medical Marijuana cannot induce a lethal response as a result of drug-related toxicity. In strict medical terms, Marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically-active substances known to man.
What
are the effects of marijuana?
Marijuana may produce the following effects (note that the effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who uses marijuana, and some people may experience side effects other than those listed):
- psychological and cognitive effects such as euphoria (commonly referred to as a "high"), dysphoria (a "low"), anxiety, personality changes, hallucinations, misperceptions, sedation, and memory impairment
- fidgeting, muscle twitching, and general weakness
- pain relief
- suppression of nausea
- increase in appetite
- tolerance (with long-term use) - this seems to develop with most of the behavioural effects, including the "high"
- increase in heart rate (with short-term use)
- decrease in heart rate (with long-term use)
- decrease in blood pressure (because of widened blood vessels; it is this effect that causes red eyes)
- increase in breathing (at low doses)
- expansion of airway and coughing - tolerance develops to these effects
- smoked-related lung damage (with long-term use)
- impairment of the body's ability to fight bacterial infections (with long-term use)
- men: hormonal imbalances and decrease in sperm count and mobility (with long-term use; tolerance may develop to these effects)
- women: hormonal imbalances and suppression of ovulation (with long-term use)
What
are the medical uses of marijuana, and is there any
evidence to support its use?
- Many
consider smoked Medical
Marijuana
to
have
anti-nausea benefits, but there is no evidence to support claims that
marijuana is as good as or better than existing anti-nausea
medications.
- The
capsule form of cannabis
(dronabinol)
is used to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and to stimulate a
person's appetite in cases of AIDS-related weight loss. It has been
shown to significantly increase appetite, but it also causes
undesirable side effects such as dizziness and confusion. A major
concern associated with its use by those with AIDS or cancer is the
risk of increased difficulty in fighting infections.
- A few
published studies suggest
that
smoking marijuana helps people with
multiple sclerosis as well as those with spinal cord injuries to relieve
their symptoms.
- Dronabinol
was found to provide
significant pain relief but it can cause drowsiness and mental clouding.
- The
high intraocular pressure
(pressure inside the eye) that occurs with glaucoma can be reduced by
marijuana use (taken in capsule form, or smoked); this is supported by
a few reports from treatment of glaucoma patients.
- Marijuana has also been considered for the treatment of many psychiatric disorders such as depression, sleep disorders, and Alzheimer's disease, but no evidence exists to prove its effectiveness in these areas.
What forms does marijuana come in?
- inhalation (smoked)
- oral (capsules)
- rectal (suppositories)
Is marijuana
addictive?
It may
be. It's
important to know that inappropriate use of marijuana can lead to
physical dependence and addiction.
Withdrawal
symptoms include disturbed sleep, decreased appetite, restlessness,
irritability, and sweating. Physical dependence is not the same as
addiction.
Addiction is a
psychological need for the drug that leads to cravings, inability to
control drug use, and an uncontrollable need to use the drug despite
the harm it may cause. Whether or not someone becomes addicted to
marijuana will depend on a variety of factors, such as genetics.
Who
can qualify to use marijuana for medical
purposes? How do I apply?
Are you a Licensed (MMAR) Canada Medical Marijuana Patient? - You Can
Register here for your
FREE medical marijuana sample.
