As you know, states are beginning to legalize marijuana both medicinally and recreationally. My decision to write about this came about because I feel that before we make choices, we should be informed.
Nevada has already legalized it for medicinal purposes and, in fact, we have a grow house in Mesquite. As of this writing about half the states in the country now permit the use of medical marijuana. Why?
When I was a teen, we had movies to show us the dangers of marijuana. We were told it led to the use of harder drugs. Well, that just isn’t so. But federal laws still make its sale and consumption illegal. Therefore, banks won’t touch the money received from its sale, so vendors deal only in cash. This creates another set of problems that aren’t the purview of this article.
Meanwhile 85 to 95 percent of Americans are in favor of medical cannabis and doctors agree. A survey in 2014 found that 56 percent of doctors nationwide favor legalization of medical cannabis.
The federal government classifies it as a Schedule 1 drug, but in October 2003 the US Dept. of Health and Human Services obtained a patent for marijuana as a “neural protectant.” It claims cannabis can protect your brain against stroke and trauma. But the US is still far behind many countries in researching the healing powers of this herb.
Take Israel, for example. It is now using cannabis to treat cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome and many other conditions.
Cannabinoids are the active chemical compounds found in marijuana and they can be separated into several subclasses. CBD is the most abundant cannabinoid, but THC is the one that gets you high, so illegal growers grow it for the THC.
CBD does not get you high.
Even more interesting is the fact that the body already has cannabinoid receptors and makes its own cannabinoids, but in much smaller amounts than found in marijuana. They can be found on cell membranes throughout your body. CB1 receptors are prolific in your brain, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and other parts of your body. CB2 receptors are found in your immune system.
So what can cannabis treat?
• Helps with the unpleasant side effect of traditional chemotherapy and appears to be a natural chemotherapy agent. It has been shown to be effective against brain cancer, breast and prostate, lung, thyroid, colon, pituitary cancers, melanoma and leukemia.
It seems it triggers the cellular suicide of cancer cells and cuts off a tumor’s blood supply.
• Mental disorders, including PTSD, mood disorders, Tourette’s syndrome
• Pain and insomnia
• Degenerative neurological disorders, dystonia and tremor
• Multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune issues
• Parkinson’s disease
• Seizure disorders
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hear disease
• Autism
• Obesity
• Nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite
There is no doubt that more research needs to be done as it is extremely difficult to find accurate, real research on cannabis, but it can be done. I suggest you go to this link: articles.mercola.com/, and the others within the article by Dr. Joseph Mercola, which is where this information is found.
There are some interesting videos from credible sources, such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta. And, at the bottom of the article, you will find a list of credible resources.
Also click the Frankel link and view the video and read the article.
Perhaps you will find information that will help you or a loved one through difficult health issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment