Medical Marijuana, Benefits and Side Effects

By Paul Ebeling

 

Dr. Margaret Gedde, a Stanford-trained MD PhD pathologist and award-winning researcher who specializes in the therapeutic use of Cannabis, said the only concern people have to worry about medical marijuana is the psychoactivity of THC or its ability to make one feel “high.” And that in some cases, THC may be beneficial especially for patients suffering from severe pain.

But aside from that, Cannabis is generally safe to use. The “high” side effect can be avoided by looking for high CBD and low THC marijuana formulations.

Dr. Gedde recommend inquiring to your physician or DO about reputable medicinal-grade marijuana plant growers or credible apothecaries near your area that sell natural Cannabis products for medicinal purposes.

Over the years ow people have forgotten that Cannabis is a botanical medicine and became known as a notorious form of illegal drug.

What happened in the 1960’s and 1970’s was that due to desires for psychedelia, the changes in the War in Vietnam, and the War on Drugs with US President Richard Nixon.

Now the types of strains that were available and the demand for psychedelia changed, and very soon, CBD, due to a lack of ‘stoniness’ was bred out of the plant.

As a result of growers breeding out the all-important CBD, marijuana became known primarily as a plant that gets one “high”. Its essential medicinal properties and uses largely fell by the wayside.

Marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, a category specifically for the most dangerous illicit drugs, such as heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and ecstasy.

Based on the 1970 Controlled Substance Act, drugs from this group have the following:

1. a high potential for abuse
2. no accepted medical use in the US
3. lack of accepted safety under medical supervision

Many practitioners find disheartening that something as promising as marijuana is being demonized due to inappropriate use.

It is also a shame that the US federal government was careless in condemning the recreational use of marijuana, which made the ongoing cycle of substance abuse and addiction even worse, but played it tough when it comes to approving medical Cannabis, which could potentially benefit countless of people by improving many conditions and taking the place of a number of synthetic Rx drugs.

The Big Q: Who did not want medical marijuana in the main stream?

The Big A: Those whose bottom line would be affected, Big Pharma.

The risk brought by different versions of synthetic marijuana should also be considered.

Imported from Asian countries under the guise of potpourri, herbal incense, and even plant food, the synthetic powder is mixed in a lab and shipped to the US, where retailers spray it onto a leaf- often an herb or a spice that can be smoked, just like pot. It binds to Cannabis receptors in your body up to 1,000X more strongly than natural marijuana, as well as producing gripping effects on serotonin and other receptors in the brain.

One cannot overdose on real pot, but can overdose on synthetic versions and it does not take very much. Most people don’t realize how dangerous synthetic marijuana can be.

Unlike medical marijuana, synthetic marijuana is not only void of any healing component, but may also put a user at risk of serious side effects, including:

1. Stroke
2. Brain damage
3. Seizure
4. Kidney problem
5. Cardiac problem
6. Acute psychosis
7. Tachycardia (an abnormally rapid heart rate)
8. Hypokalemia (a deficiency of potassium in the bloodstream)

Avoid synthetic marijuana, it is dangerous.

Marijuana, or Cannabis, has been used for at least 5,000 years and has an extensive history of traditional uses as an industrial material and a botanical medicine all throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Marijuana’s healing properties come from its high cannabidiol (CBD) content and critical levels of medical terpenes and flavonoids. It also contains some tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the molecule that gives the psychoactive effect, which most recreational users are after.

Through traditional plant breeding techniques and seed exchanges, growers have started producing Cannabis plants that have higher levels of CBD and lower levels of THC for medical use.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved medical marijuana, more physicians are starting to reverse their stand on the issue and swear by its effectiveness and health benefits.