This Happens to the Human Body With Use of Medical Marijuana

By Paul Ebeling
Source: livetradingnews.com

This Happens to the Human Body With Use of Medical Marijuana

Cannabis aka marijuana has been used for at least 5,000 years and has an extensive history of traditional uses as an industrial material (hemp) and a botanical medicine all throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and America.

The term medical marijuana refers to the use of the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant and its pure extracts to treat a disease or improve a symptom. It must be sourced from a medicinal-grade cannabis plant that has been meticulously grown without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers.

Marijuana’s healing properties come from its high cannabidiol (CBD) content and critical levels of medical terpenes and flavonoids.

Also, it contains some tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the molecule that gives the psychoactive effects that most recreational users chase. 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 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved medical marijuana, more and more physicians are starting to reverse their stand on the issue and extol its effectiveness and health benefits.

In a Y 2015 national TV interview, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy acknowledged that marijuana may be useful for certain medical conditions, saying: “We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms, marijuana can be helpful.”

Likewise, the chief medical correspondent and neurosurgeon of a cable news network, Dr. Sanjay Gupta made a highly publicized reversal on his marijuana stance after the production of his 2-part series “Weed.”

In a commentary published on CNN’s website, he said: “There is now promising research into the use of marijuana that could impact tens of thousands of children and adults, including treatment for cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s, to name just a few.

With regard to pain alone, marijuana could greatly reduce the demand for narcotics and simultaneously decrease the number of accidental painkiller overdoses, which are the greatest cause of preventable death in this country.”

Marijuana has been used as a botanical medicine since the 19th and 20th Centuries.Today, marijuana’s claim as a potential panacea is backed up by countless studies crediting its healing potential to its cannabidiol content.

There is actually an endocannabinoid system in the human body.

There is and ancient biological system that also exists in other mammals 1st described in the journal Science in 1992, and is said to be responsible for releasing human cannabinoids that interact with cannabinoid receptors found in virtually all human tissues, embedded in the cell membranes.

Cannabinoid receptors can be found in the brain, lungs, liver, kidneys and immune system. Both the therapeutic and psychoactive properties of marijuana occur when a cannabinoid activates a cannabinoid receptor.

There is ongoing research as to how far they impact your health, but to date, it’s known that cannabinoid receptors play an important role in many body processes, including metabolic regulation, cravings, pain, anxiety, bone growth and immune function.

Overall, it is said that cannabinoids bring balance to your tissues and biological systems.

Dr. Allan Frankel, a board-certified internist in California has successfully treated patients with medical marijuana for more than 10 years. He has personally seen tumors virtually disappear in some patients using no other therapy except taking 40 to 60 milligrams of cannabinoids a day.

Other common ailments that may benefit from medical marijuana use include the following:

Arthritis, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis	Degenerative neurological disorders such as dystonia
Multiple sclerosis	Parkinson’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)	Epilepsy and seizures

CBD also works as an excellent painkiller and works well in treating anxiety issues.

Cannabis oil, on the other hand, when applied topically may help heal sunburn overnight.

Currently, medical cannabis is legal in 30 US states. Most of these states permit marijuana use under certain medical circumstances only, and some allow CBD oils or pills only.

In 8 states, marijuana legal to be used recreationally.

In states where medical marijuana is legal including California, Colorado, Vermont and New York, one can join a collective, or a legal entity consisting of a group of patients that can grow and share cannabis medicines with each other. Signing up as a member grants the right to grow and share the medicine.

Dr. Frankel notes that a patient who’s at the age of 18 can secure a medical cannabis card recommendation letter if their attending physician or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) advises or agrees to it. With a medical cannabis card, one has the liberty to choose the collective you want to belong to.

Medical marijuana can be administered to patients using one of the following methods:

Inhalation: Allows the patient to titrate the dosage. It has an instantaneous effect as the medication is rapidly taken into the lungs and quickly absorbed through the capillaries into the bloodstream. The effects of inhaled cannabis will last approximately 4 hours.

Smoking: Can be done using the cigarette form, a pipe, or a water pipe. Smoking medical marijuana by ‘joint’ is believed to be inefficient, as the medication goes with the smoke as the cigarette burns. Smoking small amounts using a water pipe is more advisable because the cool smoke is less irritating to the airway. This method is not recommended to anyone with lung damage.

Vaporization: Like a nebulizer treatment, cannabis can be heated to a temperature that will release the medication in vapors to be inhaled by the patient.

Sublingual or oramucosal delivery: Made possible using oils or tinctures, it is readily delivered into the bloodstream and provides a rapid effect. Tinctures can be administered through a dropper under the tongue or sprayed in the mouth to be absorbed in the oral cavity. This is highly recommended for nonsmoking patients.

Oral ingestion:Nonsmokers can also take medical marijuana through pills or mandibles, which are edible cannabis products in the form of teas, cookies or other eatables. The Key drawback of this approach is that because cannabinoids are fat-soluble, there may be issues when it comes to absorption, depending on the patient’s metabolism. A good workaround for this problem is using cannabis butter, which fat-soluble cannabinoids blend well with.

Topical application: Cannabis can be applied as an ointment, lotion or poultice for treating skin inflammations, arthritis and muscle pain. It is unclear how cannabinoids are absorbed transdermally, although its credit should also go to the more soluble terpenoids and flavonoids that also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Note: Make sure that your medicine has been sourced from a medicinal-grade cannabis plant without the threat of chemical residues, which may cause further harm. It is also important to find a knowledgeable cannabis physician who can help you determine the correct amount you need, as proper dosing is Key when using medical cannabis.

Dr. Margaret Gedde, a Stanford-trained pathologist and award-winning researcher who specializes in the therapeutic use of cannabis, says the only concern you’ll have to worry about medical marijuana is the psychoactivity of THC or its ability to make you feel “high.”

Too high a dose of THC can also trigger anxiety. You can avoid this side effect by specifically looking for high CBD and low THC marijuana formulations.

She explaines: “THC can induce anxiety if the dose is wrong or the strain is not compatible with that person. [Still], many use THC to relieve anxiety. Because we have hundreds of different strains of marijuana and cannabis, each of which is slightly different, there is a huge potential to customize [the drug] for each person.”

She also notes that CBD and THC actually work very well in combination. And that CBD actually helps temper the psychoactivity of the THC. What’s more, when the plant is unheated or used raw, it actually does not contain THC, but rather THC acid (THCA).

Eating it raw, one gets the THCA, which is responsible for relieving pain and spasms. THCA acts as a synergizing agent, yet it does not deliver the psychoactivity associated with THC.

So, consuming marijuana raw will let one reap the benefits without the adverse effects.

Do not use Synthetic Marijuana under any circumstances it is very dangerous.

In an interview with Dr. Frankel, he explained how people have forgotten cannabis was once a botanical medicine, and how it became known as a notorious form of illegal drug: “What happened in the ’60’s and ’70’s was that due to desires for psychedelia, the changes in the war in Vietnam, and the war on drugs with Nixon, the types of strains that were available and the demand for psychedelia changed. Before we knew it, 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 original medicinal properties and uses largely fell by the wayside.

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

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

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

The federal government seemed careless in approving the recreational use of marijuana making the ongoing cycle of substance abuse and addiction in the 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 Rx drugs.

The Big Q: Who would not want that?

The Big A: Certainly not Big Pharma whose bottom line would be affected.

Homeopathic remedies have always been under assault, and the case with medical cannabis is an example. Despite its solid health potential if used in medicinally appropriate methods, it is still shunned by federal agencies and categorized as “dangerous” even though there is no risk of overdose or death from cannabis, something that cannot be said for other conventional remedies like opioids.

It comes down to freedom of choice.

The experts agree that if a homeopathic is working for you, then you should be allowed to use it, especially considering the other things you are allowed to use, but expose you to significant if not extreme risks, like alcohol, tobacco or opioids and certain Rx and over-the-counter medications.

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