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Cannabis May Replace Prescription Drugs As Treatment For Multiple Diseases

By rkutchjm on October 1, 2014 • ( 0 )

Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years throughout multiple cultures. Marijuana was on prescription in the early 1900’s. Since 1937, the US Marijuana Tax Act made the drug illegal. Over seventy years later, American citizens are starting to realize that the government had placed an extremely important medicinal substance under a thick cloth of ridiculous propaganda. Over the decades that cannabis has been vilified, pharmaceutical companies have discovered thousands of medicine that in many cases, only treat the symptoms. In fact, over chronic use, many of these chemicals create more problems than they attempt to solve.

There are over 500 different constituents of marijuana with more than 70 different cannabinoids. These are some of the compounds in the plant that are medicinally active. The most famous is THC, which creates the relaxing “high.” There are also over 120 different types of terpenes. This give the varied strains of cannabis their unique smell, look and taste. Each of these chemicals can be used to treat different disease states as medicines. Each color, odor and taste represents a different type of antioxidant similar to what we see, smell and savor with different pieces of produce.

Cannabis May Replace Current Medications For These Diseases Or Symptoms

Cancers
Dermatology
Endocrine Problems
Epilepsy
Gastrointestinal Disease
Glaucoma
Immune Disorders
Inflammatory Disorders
Mental Disease
Nausea/Vomiting
Pain
Weight Loss

Currently, cannabis is classified as a Category One drug in the same group as heroin and LSD. Category One drugs have been determined by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration, Federal Agency) to lack safety, are highly addictive and have no medical use. The two instances below are in complete contradiction to a Category One rating by the government.

In October of 2003, the Federal Government obtained a patent #6630507. Please check out the link for the document below that was filed by the Department of Health and Human Services for cannabinoids as antioxidants (protects again cell damage) and a neuroprotective (protects against nerve damage) agents.

Patent For Various Protective Agents In Cannabis To Treat Diseases

In addition, Marinol™ (dronabinol) which is synthetic THC (active ingredient in marijuana that causes the “high”) was patented and has been available by prescription since May 1985. The drug is used to treat nausea, a side effect of many chemotherapy drugs. It is also prescribed to combat weight loss from cancer.

Two examples above prove that the government knows that cannabis has medical value. There is no record of anyone every losing their life from an overdose of marijuana compared to a death every 8 minutes in the U.S. from taking too many opioids (codeine, morphine, oxycodone, etc.).

We need to come together as a society to vote for politicians that will help legislate reclassification of marijuana as a legal medication. Only then will the government allow clinical research to begin throughout the country on the medical benefits of this plant. Scientists can then determine the specific strain, dose and type of cannabis preparation for treatment of the appropriate disease.

The future of more effective healthcare medications depend on science being given the green light to study cannabis. That will only occur when this plant is taken off of its Category One status and federally decriminalized by the US government.

Photo credit: “Caveman Chuck” Coker / Foter / CC BY-ND

Photo credit: Dey / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

Photo credit: ekai / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA