What is Medical Marijuana?

Recreational use of cannabis is illegal in most parts of the world, but the medical use of cannabis is legal in quite a few countries, including Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. In the United States over 23 states have legalized the medical use of cannabis.

The active substances in marijuana are cannabinoids. Since 1964, more than 360 separate cannabinoids have been found in cannabis. At least 60 of these are thought to have medicinal benefits. THC and CBD have shown the most medical potential.

Cannabis has be to be beneficial for a host of medical problems including multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, muscle spasms, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, nausea and host of medical conditions. Epileptics have found medical cannabis relaxes the muscles that are normally cramped from ‘seizing up’. Cannabis can reduce the effects of an epileptic attack by up to 60%. It also helps people with stress, anxiety and depression.

Use of cannabis also opens the arteries within the body, increasing the blood circulation. This is believed to be of major benefit to migraine victims, which is an affliction partially caused by artery spasms. The serious side effects caused by chemotherapy or HIV “cocktails”, including nausea, loss of appetite and pain, can also be managed to some extent by the use of cannabis. It reduces nausea, increases the appetite and can help to reduce the general pain associated with chemo and HIV or AIDS.

The huge plethora of benefits from cannabis are still being studied and explored. With the advancement of medical marijuana laws across the world, many new strains of cannabis, methods of ingestion and other uses are being discovered. Cannabis definitely has a lot to offer to the world of medicine, if only governments give it the chance to.