On August', 2008 A La Times medical reporter interviewed a group of doctors that were researching the benefits of medical marijuana. Depending on the audience, marijuana is just as dangerous a drug as PCP and heroin and therefore should be kept illegal, or it's a wonder herb that is just bursting with unknown benefits and is being suppressed by the government--or perhaps its a little bit of both: a plant with tremendous benefits as well as drawbacks, yet worth looking into.
While the political arguments continue over medical marijuana, a group of researchers continues to investigate the effects of inhaled marijuana to treat muscle spasms, nausea, and pain.
The researchers point out that all drugs carry risks--when you look into most medicine cabinets in American households, you will find them filled with aspirins, antihistamines, and pain killers. What doctors try to do is weigh the positives versus the negatives of what the medicine can do and from there they reach a decision--why not for marijuana as well, some researchers are asking.
Researchers say that their findings show that marijuana does have medical benefits-- for chronic pain syndromes, cancer pains, AIDS wasting syndrome, nausea associated with chemo therapy, and multiple sclerosis. The research is hindered so progress is slow as they try to harness and understand all of the plants benefits. Another discovery has been that although there are real risks attached to marijuana, they are generally small.
Dr. Donald Abrams, chief of hematology and oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and professor of clinical medicine at UC San Francisco, says he sees patients experiencing nausea and vomiting from treatment, cancer patients in pain, not eating or sleeping well, and being depressed about their general situation.
He notes that he finds joy that he resides in California where the use of medical marijuana is permitted by state law, even though federal enforcement continually raiding cannabis shops in the state and also scrutinize physicians who accept cannabis as a form of treatment for the patient.
"I can talk to patients about medicinal cannabis [and] I'm often recommending it to them for these indications," Abrams says.
Medical marijuana use has a history stretching back thousands of years. In those times, the herb was used as medicinal tea in China, a stress remedy in India and a pain reliever for situations like earaches, childbirth and more throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
recently, there have been studies to test the effect on how marijuana treats people with spinal injuries, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and anxiety.
While the political arguments continue over medical marijuana, a group of researchers continues to investigate the effects of inhaled marijuana to treat muscle spasms, nausea, and pain.
The researchers point out that all drugs carry risks--when you look into most medicine cabinets in American households, you will find them filled with aspirins, antihistamines, and pain killers. What doctors try to do is weigh the positives versus the negatives of what the medicine can do and from there they reach a decision--why not for marijuana as well, some researchers are asking.
Researchers say that their findings show that marijuana does have medical benefits-- for chronic pain syndromes, cancer pains, AIDS wasting syndrome, nausea associated with chemo therapy, and multiple sclerosis. The research is hindered so progress is slow as they try to harness and understand all of the plants benefits. Another discovery has been that although there are real risks attached to marijuana, they are generally small.
Dr. Donald Abrams, chief of hematology and oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and professor of clinical medicine at UC San Francisco, says he sees patients experiencing nausea and vomiting from treatment, cancer patients in pain, not eating or sleeping well, and being depressed about their general situation.
He notes that he finds joy that he resides in California where the use of medical marijuana is permitted by state law, even though federal enforcement continually raiding cannabis shops in the state and also scrutinize physicians who accept cannabis as a form of treatment for the patient.
"I can talk to patients about medicinal cannabis [and] I'm often recommending it to them for these indications," Abrams says.
Medical marijuana use has a history stretching back thousands of years. In those times, the herb was used as medicinal tea in China, a stress remedy in India and a pain reliever for situations like earaches, childbirth and more throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
recently, there have been studies to test the effect on how marijuana treats people with spinal injuries, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and anxiety.
About the Author:
For three decades, Dr. Julian Reindhurst has studies the medicinal benefits of marijuana. He currently has a blog that gives the historical perspective of how nirvana seeds benefited other ancient civilizations. He also has a website site that looks at the medicinal benefits of the nirvana seeds.
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