10 Interesting Facts about Medical Marijuana

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on October 07, 2014.

Medical cannabis or medical marijuana are being used in medical therapy to treat some specific diseases or ease symptoms. The plant has a history of medicinal use for over thousands of years. However, it has become very controversial in recent times. As the debate continues over the use of marijuana in medical or recreation purpose, here are 10 interesting facts to know about the drug.

  1. Historians believe that Cannabis or marijuana was used in Taiwan about 10,000 years ago. The medical use of marijuana is believed to be a very early development, as ancient people used hemp seed as food.
  2. Cannabis or marijuana is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine.
  3. Marijuana is used to reduce nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy and people with AIDS. It helps in treating pain and muscle spasticity too.
  4. Medical marijuana can be administered using a variety of methods such as vaporizing or smoking dried buds, eating extracts, taking capsules or using oral sprays.
  5. Medical use of Marijuana is legal in Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and 23 states in the US apart from Washington, D.C. In the United States, only Colorado and Washington have allowed the use of recreational marijuana. However, all types of marijuana use is prohibited under federal law of the US.
  6. Marijuana vaporizers are gaining popularity, as it is believed that less harmful chemicals are ingested when components are inhaled rather than smoke.
  7. Cannabis indica, which produces a high level of cannabidiol (CBD) is often preferred for night time use because of its sedative nature. It is also used for treatment of insomnia.
  8. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, has approved two oral cannabinoids for use as medicine: dronabinol and nabilone.
  9. The National Institutes of Health holds a US patent for medical marijuana. The patent issued in 2003, is entitled "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants".
  10. Medical marijuana has been proposed as having the potential for lessening the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

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