Living Touch

Cannabis has been used as a medicine worldwide for thousands of years. Ancient texts from China, Persia, and Greece show that its psychoactive properties were known and that it was used for a variety of illnesses such as gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, insomnia, and as a pain reliever used in childbirth. In the 1800s cannabis was common throughout most of the world. It was used as a pain reliever, as a sleeping aid, as an analgesic and anticonvulsant, and to treat depression and migraines.

Cannabis and International Law

With the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, the United States banned cannabis and so did Great Britain with the Misuse Of Drugs Act 1971. In international law , marijuana is in schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it thus subject to special restrictions. While the production, manufacture, export and import of marijuana is prohibited, small amounts which may be necessary for medical or scientific research are excepted from this.

Cannabis, Marijuana, and Hemp

What is the difference between cannabis, marijuana, and hemp? Hemp is the common name for cannabis and it is often confused with marijuana. Although hemp as well as marijuana are from the species cannabis sativa, hemp contains virtually no THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the active ingredient in marijuana and which is also the ingredient showing to be beneficial to health.

Scientific Studies on Cannabis

In a great number of scientific studies, cannabis was found to be highly effective against nausea and vomiting, while smoked marijuana showed to be superior to oral THC.

In some other studies it was shown that smoked marijuana increases appetite and successfully helps against weight loss.

Some few longitudinal studies examined the effects on infections, immunity, and AIDS and while an immunosuppressive effect of marijuana smoke and/or cannabinoids was found, there is still further research needed on this.

Besides, recent studies show that cannabis is useful for a large number of symptoms, such as multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, glaucoma, migraine, menstrual cramps and labor pain.

Medical Usage of Cannabis

Before cannabis was made illegal, people all over the world had been using it as a medication for a large number of diseases without the negative side effects associated with most of today’s prescribed medications.

Among many others, cannabis was found to alleviate the following symptoms: alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, chronic pain, Chron’s disease, dystonia, epilepsy, glaucoma, herpes, insomnia, labor pain, migraine, multiple sclerosis, nausea and weight loss during chemotherapy, paraplegia, phantom limb pain, pruritus, rheumatic diseases, schizophrenia, systemic sclerosis, tinnitus, and tumor growth.
As cannabis is still illegal in most countries around the world, patients find it extremely difficult to obtain the drug. Many patients break the law by buying cannabis illegally, and there are some self-help groups which are supplying patients but, unfortunately, they all run the risk of being arrested.