Medical Cannabis is How Old?
Marijuana as medicine is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on Marijuana and its medical history.
1. “Marijuana” is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.
2. Cannabis was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.
3. More than 20 prescription medicinescontaining marijuana were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. Pot-based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.
4. About 17,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group, but fewer than 20, all of them small, have included human subjects.
5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, called cannabinoids.
7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it—or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.
8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.
Marijuana is the name for the drug that comes from the leaves and flowers of the Indian hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. (Elizabeth Schleichert, 1996) The plant originated in central Asia and spread to several corners of the globe. All over the world, people have used the plant as a source of fiber, cloth, paper, edible seeds, oil, and medicine. It has also been used in many cultures as an intoxicant.
The intoxicating part of the plant lies mostly in its strong-smelling, sticky, resin. This is given off by the hemp flowers, especially the flowers on the female plant. The most powerful psychoactive compounds found in the flower is called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as delta-9 THC or just THC. THC is the chemical in the flower of the plant that is the key chemical to produce a “high.”
Marijuana affects different people in different ways. It usually causes the heart rate to accelerate. This can cause panic in first-time users. (Jack Mendelson, M.D., and Nancy Mello, Ph.D. 1985) The first-time user may think that they are having a heart attack. Because of the effect of accelerated heart rate, marijuana can be very dangerous if the user has a preexisting heart problem or high blood pressure. Marijuana dries the mouth. It also dries and reddens the whites of the eyes. The eyes become red because the marijuana causes the blood vessels of the eyes to dilate or widen. This causes more blood to flow through the vessels. As other blood vessels expand, the body's blood pressure drops. This low blood pressure can cause some people to experience dizziness.
From the time it was commonly used earlier in the 19th century, marijuana was viewed as a dangerous drug. It was viewed to be much worse than alcohol and tobacco and very likely to lead to hard drug addiction. A lot of information about the harmfulness of marijuana has been written to prove or disprove this viewpoint. Marijuana is considered to be a gateway drug by serious researchers. Yet, while many researchers argue on the exact nature of the damage that smoking marijuana causes to the body, they all seem to agree on one thing. Use of marijuana is unsafe, especially to the lungs and short-term memory. There is still a lot that remains to be learned about marijuana, but studies do show a link between marijuana use and experimentation with harder drugs.
Experts have pointed out another negative aspect of marijuana: THC accumulates in the body and stays there for long periods of time. Unlike water-soluble drugs that are eliminated quickly from the body, THC accumulates in the body fat . People who smoke marijuana on a regular basis may never rid of it entirely.
Studies have shown that heavy use of marijuana can damage the reproductive and endocrine systems. These are the systems responsible for distribution of hormones in the body. THC decreases the number and quality of men's sperm and damages their ability to move around. Marijuana can also disrupt women's menstrual cycles. Failure to ovulate normally, resulting in unpredictable periods of infertility, has also been linked to marijuana use.
Because marijuana crosses the placenta, it can harm the fetus in a pregnant woman who uses the drug. Children of marijuana users may be born with abnormal nervous systems. They also have lower birth weight and are generally smaller at birth. Animal studies have suggested that marijuana may also cause an increase in fetal and early infant deaths. Marijuana is secreted a woman's breast milk and may be toxic when passed to the nursing infant. Some studies have also shown that the children of marijuana using mothers may demonstrate symptoms of depressant withdrawal and suffer from convulsions. Heavy marijuana use may cause increased breakage of and damage to the chromosomes. The birth defects that result might be seen in the offspring of the marijuana user, or they may skip a generation and affect grandchildren. Obviously, the use of marijuana during pregnancy represents a significant risk to the unborn child.
Research has shown a link between smoking marijuana and lung damage. Marijuana smoke contains over 150 cancer causing substances. Scientists have found that the lung damage caused by smoking a single marijuana cigarette is equivalent to the damage caused by smoking five tobacco cigarettes. So, smoking three to four marijuana cigarettes a day causes the kind of lung-cell damage that twenty cigarettes does. It has also been discovered that smoking marijuana will deposit three times more tar into the lungs and also releases five times more poisonous carbon monoxide into the bloodstream than cigarettes do.
Marijuana smokers suffer from more infections from bronchitis, and long-term incurable conditions such as emphysema. It is also common for marijuana smokers to have constant sore throats and coughing. Various kinds of cancer have been diagnosed in young marijuana smokers from age twenty-six to thirty. These included cancers of the lung, sinus, larynx, tongue, and tonsils. It has also been shown that marijuana smokers appear to be getting lung cancer at a much younger age, at forty-five, than other people, at sixty-five.
Another reason that marijuana smokers suffer from more infections than non-users is because marijuana effects the immune system. The immune system is an important part of the body that helps to fight off infection. The most important parts of the immune system are the white blood cells. When an infection enters the body, the white blood cells divide and grow at a fast rate to fight the infection. But, when blood samples were taken from marijuana smokers, they had a significantly lower immunity level than that of nonsmokers. Further studies showed that THC causes certain types of the white blood cells to stop growing during mid-cycle. This obviously impairs the immune systems ability to properly fight off infections.
Most drugs cause withdrawal symptoms when the user stops using them. Marijuana is no exception. When a heavy marijuana smoker decides to quit, they may suffer from one or more of the following symptoms: insomnia, loss of appetite, weakness, irritability, sweating, depression, anxiety, restlessness, abdominal cramps, nausea, an increased pulse rate, low blood pressure, aching muscles, and slight tremors. These symptoms last for up to one week after the person stops smoking, and continue in a milder form for up to a month.
Many marijuana smokers believe that smoking marijuana heightens their senses. The truth is, the brain is dulled. It is more difficult for a person to learn material under the influence of marijuana. The information may never be put into their long-term memory. This means that they will not be able to recall the information later.
Richard H. Schwartz, M.D., of Georgetown University School of Medicine In Washington, D.C., studied teenagers who were using marijuana. He discovered that they did much worse on short-term memory tests than another group who had not used drugs. After six weeks of abstaining from marijuana, the teenagers showed some memory improvement, but they still did worse than the other group of non-using teens.
Many factors, both genetic and environmental, can encourage marijuana use. Studies have shown that children with a drug-addicted parent or children of alcoholics are more likely to become abusers themselves.
Feelings of inadequacy are often a factor to drug abuse. A former marijuana abuser said that her self-esteem was, “non-existent.” Another marijuana and drug abuser said, ” When I was in the ninth grade, I started getting high every day. I was feeling really lonely, and I thought that nobody could understand my pain…I finally realized that I did drugs to hide from myself. I was really insecure and had a very low self-esteem.”
A lot of young people feel distant from their families. Intense confusion is usually experienced as young people enter adolescence. If a certain crowd that appeals to them is willing to allow them be a part of their group, it is very tempting for them to join. Even if that means the price of admission to the desired group is drug use. Once a part of the group, it is hard to stop using out of fear that they will no longer be accepted.
Although marijuana is illegal, there has been much debate on legalizing it for medical benefits. Many believe that marijuana has been shown to be effective in decreasing the nausea caused by chemotherapy. Others feel it alleviates some of the symptoms associated with AIDS, such as severe leg cramps, nausea, headaches, and loss of appetite. Another alleged medical advantage of marijuana is that it lowers the pressure that builds up in the eyes of glaucoma patients which in turn helps prevents them from going blind. It is also said to relieve tremors and loss of muscle coordination caused by multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Yet, it is illegal for physicians who believe in the medical benefits of marijuana to prescribe it. So, the question of whether it should be made legal for medical purposes has become a hot political issue.
Marijuana is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule I drug. The drugs that are in this category are said to have a high potential for abuse. These drugs also produce dangerous side effects and have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
Advocates have wanted marijuana to be moved to a Schedule II drug for a long time. Schedule II drugs also have a high potential for abuse and bad side effects, but are considered medically useful and can be legally prescribed by physicians. Interestingly, cocaine and morphine, which can be highly addictive, are Schedule II drugs.
As for the future of marijuana, research is being done and data is being collected to help obtain a better understanding of the effects of marijuana on our health, as well as the motivation behind its abuse. Researchers hope that with new insight, the public and government will be better equipped to establish consistent policies to regulate, control, or put a stop to the complicated reality of marijuana use in the United States.
Marijuana as Medicine is nothing new!
Marijuana as medicine is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on Marijuana and its medical history.
1. “Marijuana” is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.
2. Cannabis was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.
3. More than 20 prescription medicinescontaining marijuana were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. Pot-based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.
4. About 17,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group, but fewer than 20, all of them small, have included human subjects.
5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, called cannabinoids.
7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it—or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.
8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.
Marijuana use has many effects on the body. Some of these effects can be quite serious, while others are more benign. The issue of marijuana as a cause of cloudy urine is somewhat open to controversy. Some people believe that marijuana use can cause cloudy urine, others are not so convinced.
Normally, human urine is not cloudy at all. There are many different causes of cloudy urine, most of which are not particularly dangerous to the average person. Urine can come out in a wide range of shades - typically varying between completely clear and dark yellow. Under normal circumstances, no matter what shade of yellow your urine is, it will be crystal clear.
Most cases of cloudy urine are caused foods that you have eaten. This cause is followed closely by bladder infections - which are more common in women. Once the offending food is no longer being eaten, or the infection is cleared, the cloudiness of the urine will go away on its own after a couple of days.
Now, let's take a closer look at the issue of cloudy urine and marijuana use. Many people believe that you can tell if someone has smoked marijuana based on the look of their urine. This is NOT the case. There are too many other causes of cloudy urine to make that determination. Simply looking at a sample of urine that is cloudy is not enough evidence to prove that you have smoked marijuana.
However, urine can be tested to determine if a person has smoked marijuana. The active chemical in marijuana, THC, is excreted in the urine. The chemical can be tested for by a doctor. THC is not generally visible in the urine. It will not make a person's urine change color or become cloudy. THC can remain detectable in the urine for quite some time - so you can test positive even if you haven't smoked marijuana in a while.
As a doctor, it is always my recommendation to avoid smoking marijuana. There are simply too many negative effects of the drug to justify it's use, especially over a long period of time. Although marijuana use does not cause your urine to become cloudy, it does have many other effects on the body, many of while are not always good. Yes, there are some cases of marijuana being used for medicinal purposes, but these are somewhat rare cases and it remains a controversial treatment.
If you have questions about marijuana use and how it can effect your urine, it's best to have a talk with your doctor. Your doctor can give you more details on the effects of marijuana use and what it can do your urine.
Medical Marijuana Tinctures
Drops of the tincture are placed under the tongue (sublingually) and the medication passes through the blood vessels and enters the bloodstream. You will feel the onset of effects in about 5 – 15 minutes with the peak effect at about 30 minutes after taking the medication. For many patients, the effects are similar to inhaled cannabis.
After nearly a decade of training and work in the ER, Dr. Craig S. Cohen was ready for something new. “I have followed the Medical Cannabis movement from the sidelines,” he says. “I now joined those physicians who make it a practice to discuss Medical Cannabis with their patients.”
Many people are not aware that although Medical Marijuana or Medical Cannabis is not legal in many states, it is fully legal in some counties in California, despite the efforts of the federal government trying to stop it. Medical Marijuana became legal in California in 1996 when a Bill known as The Compassionate Use Act was passed. It is also known as Proposition 215.
Dr. Cohen says that many people with Cancer have trouble eating because of the medication that they are taking. “Drugs taken for Cancer or Aids,” he says, “can cause nausea or anorexia, and some drugs can make a patient constipated.” Some, with Aids, lose their appetite and lose a tremendous amount of weight.
Because of the negative after effects from drugs or chemotherapy, Dr. Cohen feels very strongly about the use of Medical Marijuana. He tells his patients that there are many ways that they can use marijuana besides smoking it. He suggests to them to add it to their butter or put it into their tea. They can even mix it in a batter when making cookies. “It's a delicious combination,” Dr. Cohen said. He then continued, ” Patients with serious medical problems come to see me, including HIV, AIDS, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Pain, and Glaucoma.” Although he does not recommend the use of cannabis for recreational use, he does not form any personal judgment if individuals do use it for such a reason.
Dr. Cohen related that he strictly adheres to the guidelines set forth by the Medical Board of California. Each of his patients can expect a thorough medical history and a physical exam before making a recommendation. “I discuss the gargantuan health risk smoking presents to everyone, and recommend use of tinctures, teas, edibles and vaporization,” he stated
Victoria Pellikka, a retired school teacher, after having breast cancer, went for her first chemotherapy treatment. She became so sick after this treatment. “My oncologist ordered a very expensive pill,” she said, “and it didn't help.” Her friend, who tried to help her, made a recipe with marijuana mixed with butter, and cooked it in a tub. She spread it on her toast and it made her feel better. Pellikka went for her chemotherapy once a week for a month. “I took one piece of toast with the butter after my chemo and it helped,” she said.
A patient of Dr. Cohen said that the recipe works well for him. “It has more of an impact than smoking it,” he remarked. At the dispensary, he pays approximately $50 - $100 a month for this product. He said that California State gives each county the right to decide whether they want the drug to be legal or not.
Dr. Cohen said he gets great satisfaction helping his patients feel better. For anyone who is contemplating going through chemotherapy, or is suffering from severe pain and other symptoms, you will want to know about Medical Marijuana.
