CANNABIS OR MARIJUANA:

The chemical name of marijuana is cannabis and has been considered illegal in different parts of the United States of America for many decades. The reason for banning marijuana was its components, which made humans lose their senses for a certain period and become addicted to it. Marijuana or cannabis was in use by our ancestors for many years to relieve pain. Marijuana comes from a plant, and either the plant uses it as a whole or some of its components. There are two familiar purposes of this plant: medical and recreational purposes.

 

MEDICAL MARIJUANA:

Medical marijuana is used to prescribe cannabis to heal a particular form of disease and medical conditions. The marijuana plant comprises over 100 chemicals known as cannabinoids, each of which has different effects on your body. The two main chemicals used in the medicinal application of marijuana are:

  • Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC The substance produces psychoactive compounds in marijuana.
  • Cannabidiol, or CBD. This substance does not show any psychoactive effects of marijuana.

 

USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA:

Medical marijuana is used to treat multiple diseases and conditions, especially for treating severe epilepsy and chemotherapy. But the level of medical marijuana effectiveness on these diseases is still an ongoing question. According to research, these diseases are:

  • Alzheimer disease
  • Appetite loss
  • Cancer
  • Crohn disease
  • Diseases affecting the immune system, like HIV/AIDS or Multiple Sclerosis
  • Eating disorders such as anorexia
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma
  • Mental health conditions like schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Muscle spasms
  • Nausea
  • Pain
  • Seizures
  • Wasting syndrome (cachexia)

There are multiple benefits of medical marijuana, and the main chemical in the treatments is cannabinoids. This chemical is similar to those of the human body, which are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain. Generally, medical marijuana is used to reduce anxiety disorder, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and control nausea and vomiting effects of chemotherapy. In addition, cannabinoids are used to slow down the cancer tumor growth and also kill the cancer cells. Also, help to rouse the appetite and weight gain of cancer and AIDS patients. Along with other health, medical marijuana is also prescribed to improve sleep disorders like insomnia.

 

MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONSIDERING AS MEDICINE:

In the USA, authorities like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve the use of THC-based medicine, which is used for patients with cancer and AIDS. THC medicine is based on dronabinol (Marinol®) and nabilone (Cesamet®) and can be consumed only in pill form. The FDA also approved a CBD-based liquid medication called Epidiolex® for treating two forms of severe childhood epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It is delivered to patients in a reliable dosage form and ensures that patients derive the anticipated benefits. However, CBD does not have the rewarding properties of THC. And whoever wants to get medical marijuana, the person needs a doctor's recommendation or prescription.

 

LEGALIZING OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA:

Medical marijuana should be considered as medicine, but it is a long debate. FDA does not approve its use for all medical conditions. In 36 states of the USA, along with the District of Columbia and four out of five permanently inhabited US territories, legalized the medical use of marijuana. But any form of marijuana or cannabis is illegal at the federal level, and marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Nevertheless, states listed below in the US allow the medical use of marijuana:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • West Virginia

 

EFFECTS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA:

A community needs medicines and therapies to help alleviate the painful symptoms of various illnesses and diseases. An increasing number of studies suggest that medicinal marijuana can be consumed through oral extracts, sprays, or pills, which reduces pain and helps treat some illnesses. However, as with many other drugs, medicinal cannabis can also cause unwanted side effects, such as difficulty concentrating, dizziness, drowsiness, loss of balance, and problems with thinking and memory.

Again, its effects can differ from patient to patient, and each patient's body with diverse health conditions can reflect differently by consuming medical marijuana. Further research will be needed to determine whether people whose health is compromised by disease or its treatment (chemotherapy) are at greater risk for adverse health outcomes from marijuana use.

 

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA:

Recreational marijuana is a pot, and adults use it to get high. It has more THC in it, as compared to medical marijuana. If recreational marijuana is legal in your state, you can purchase it from any recreational dispensary, and the buyer must prove his age is 21. However, there are states present, which prohibit the use of recreational marijuana, and in those states, marijuana is purchased illegally.

Recreational marijuana is the most commonly used mind-altering drug in the US, after alcohol. The drug comes from the hemp plant. The chemicals in marijuana can be found in the leaves and flowering shoots. They are synthetic marijuana.

 

USES OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA:

There are several forms of using marijuana, and one can smoke as a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves. It might also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea.

Recreational marijuana is used by individuals for dealing with mental disorders like abuse, depression, anxiety, and more.

 

LEGALIZING OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA:

In 18 states, the use of recreational marijuana is legal, along with the District of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. 13 states and the US Virgin Islands have decriminalized the use of recreational marijuana.

 

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Illinois
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington

 

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA EFFECTS:

  • Relaxation
  • Increased sense of sight, hearing, and taste
  • Increased appetite
  • Need for coordination. Which makes it difficult, even dangerous, to do things such as drive a car.
  • False sense of time
  • Trouble thinking and problem-solving can also affect driving.
  • Anxiety or panic reactions or being overly suspicious and distrustful.

 

Also, a person with a history of using recreational marijuana and other drugs harms himself in powerful ways. Marijuana is perhaps one of the most contentious topics today from a legal and health perspective. The healthy benefits of both types of marijuana are necessary to study. The government must impose clear rules for its uses and teach society about its effects on the human body. There have been recent news stories and state laws about the possible medical benefits of marijuana and its casual or recreational use. But these do not apply to children and teens. Teens often refer to these stories and laws to defend their use of marijuana.