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DrugFacts: Marijuana as Medicine

DrugFacts: Marijuana as Medicine
What is medical marijuana? The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. However, scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. Continued research may lead to more medications. Because the marijuana plant contains chemicals that may help treat a range of illnesses and symptoms, many people argue that it should be legal for medical purposes. Why isn’t the marijuana plant an FDA-approved medicine? The FDA requires carefully conducted studies (clinical trials) in hundreds to thousands of human subjects to determine the benefits and risks of a possible medication. Medical Marijuana Laws and Prescription Opioid Use Outcomes Read more in our Marijuana Research Report. Related:  royharperpaginas web

Online Medical Card A history of New Zealand's recreational drug use In New Zealand, we do heaps of drugs. Nearly half of us have used illegal substances at some point in our lives. In fact, a few years ago, a British medical journal's study found New Zealand and Australia had the highest rate of cannabis, meth and ecstasy use in the world. So how did we get here? Before Europeans arrived, Maori didn't really use drugs. In the 19th century, drugs marketed as "pain killers" were everywhere. Without any drug laws yet, these were New Zealand's first legal highs. Despite drugs laws being introduced in 1901 and 1927, by the 1940s New Zealand had the highest per capita rate of heroin use in the world. In 1975 the Misuse of Drugs Act targeted dealers - and there were none bigger than the Mr Asia syndicate. The drug cartel industrialised the process with a system of importers, packagers, distributors and enforcers. As stories like this often end, the result was either death or imprisonment for nearly everyone involved. But that may be changing. Newshub.

10 Most Common Conditions Medical Cannabis Is Prescribed For - Canabo Medical Clinic Support of medicinal cannabis has skyrocketed in recent years, thanks to the growing body of research that shows its therapeutic value for a range of health conditions. Cannabis may be able to treat or alleviate the symptoms of a variety of serious ailments, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and much more. Not sure if medical cannabis is right for you? We’ve rounded up 10 of the most common conditions medical cannabis is prescribed for: 1. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. 2. Caused by trauma to the spine, spinal cord injuries are known to affect motor skills and can potentially lead to total loss function in some parts of the body. 3. The term ‘spinal cord disease’ refers to any spinal cord issues that develop for reasons other than trauma. 4. Responsible for about 30 percent of all deaths, cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, according to figures reported by the Canadian Cancer Society. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Treat Sleep Issues with Cannabis

Regulating compassion: an overview of Canada's federal medical cannabis policy and practice | Harm Reduction Journal | Full Text In December 2000 Health Canada awarded a five-year, $5.7 million contract for the production of a domestic supply of research-grade cannabis to Prairie Plant Systems (PPS), a Winnipeg-based company that proposed to grow the plants at the bottom of a former zinc and copper mine in Flin Flon, Manitoba [33]. This single-source production plan has been a source of much controversy ever since Health Canada reluctantly began the distribution of its product, and as of June 2007 there were only 356 authorized users purchasing their cannabis from PPS, which is less than 20% of Canada's authorized medical cannabis users. By comparison, 1288 of the 1816 medical cannabis users authorized through the MMAD have chosen to produce their own supply of cannabis [34]. Initial concern over this production contract began with investigations into the physical location of the PPS facility. The potency of the government-contracted PPS cannabis has also been called into question.

Marijuana: Effects of Weed on Brain and Body Marijuana is a combination of shredded leaves, stems and flower buds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana can be smoked, eaten, vaporized, brewed and even taken topically, but most people smoke it. The intoxicating chemical in marijuana is tetrahydracannabinol, or THC. According to research from the Potency Monitoring Project, the average THC content of marijuana has soared from less than 1 percent in 1972, to 3 to 4 percent in the 1990s, to nearly 13 percent today. In a 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 17.4 million people in the United States said they had used marijuana in the past month. Prehistoric Van Goghs: Artists Used Pointillism 38,000 Years Ago Nineteenth-century artists, such as Georges Seurat and Vincent van Gogh, weren't the first to use pointillism, according to a discovery of 38,000-year-old decorated limestone tablets in France. Marijuana is usually smoked, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). 0 of 10 questions complete

Can you grow up to 99 marijuana plants in California? Hint: (Not unless you have a marijuana growers license) – Online Medical Card – 420 Evaluations Long gone are the days when cannabis consumption was considered a taboo. A surge in the herb’s popularity has completely revolutionized the way cannabis in used in the 21st century and brought widespread acceptance to the herb. Latest research into cannabis’ well known medical benefits is now getting better acceptance, with the current scenario witnessing individuals even Growing Marijuana at their residence. And if you’re reading this, you’re already interested in knowing how to start growing cannabis at home. And while we commend your decision, we’d like to suggest that while fulfilling your dream of becoming a master grower, why stop at only 6 plants? What if we told you that you could grow up to 99 marijuana plants, without worrying about cops raiding your place? We bet we have you interested enough now. Marijuana Growing Laws in California: The first thing to confirm would be whether you are eligible for growing cannabis in the first place. Steps for Legal Weed Growing:

Has alcoholism become New Zealand's accepted addiction? As you can see, New Zealanders now consume less alcohol per capita than many other countries, but everyone over the age of 15 is still drinking 8.7L of alcohol here each year. Russia is the reigning champion of alcohol consumption, with a per capita swig of 13.8L, while our friends in Australia, the UK and US are all drinking in greater amounts than we are. Kiwis used to have the reputation of being heavy drinkers – and perhaps we still do. We certainly love a tipple or two, but our tastes have gone from enjoying three or four mass produced beer brands in the 1960s to producing and consuming some of the best wines, craft beers and vodkas on the planet. The alcohol industry has become a big player in the New Zealand economy. If you are concerned about your own or another person's alcohol use, you could try calling the Alcohol Drug Helpline (0800 787 797) for confidential help. But what happens when Kiwis can’t stop drinking? "That was the main thing that lead me to start looking at stopping."

How Medical Marijuana Works, and Which Conditions It Treats While every state has laws dictating the use of medical marijuana, more than two thirds of U.S. states and the District of Columbia have actually legalized it for medical treatments and more are considering bills to do the same. Yet while many people are using marijuana, the FDA has only approved it for treatment of two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Why hasn't more research been done? That may not change anytime soon. What is medical marijuana? Medical marijuana uses the marijuana plant or chemicals in it to treat diseases or conditions. The marijuana plant contains more than 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids. What is medical marijuana used for? Researchers are studying whether medical marijuana can help treat a number of conditions including: How does it help? Cannabinoids -- the active chemicals in medical marijuana -- are similar to chemicals the body makes that are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain.

Therapeutic potential of cannabis in pain medicine† Basic science Cannabinoids Cannabinoids are low-molecular-weight lipophilic compounds (approximately 300 Da). They were originally obtained from C. sativa which contains more than 60 different CBs.54 Post-war advances in organic chemistry allowed the Israeli scientists Raphael Mechoulam, Yuval Shvo, and Yehiel Gaoni to determine the structure and stereochemistry of the first CB (cannabinol) in 1963,35 while the major psychoactive CB delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) was purified in 1964.16 (Fig. 1). Fig 1 The plant cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabidiol (CBD). CB receptors Initial studies directly correlated CB psychoactivity with their ability to disrupt artificial lipid membranes, so it was assumed that they functioned via non-specific membrane interactions. Endocannabinoids Fig 2 The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are derived from arachidonic acid. Fig 3 Diagram of a cannabinergic synapse. Cannabinoid pharmacology Pain

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