Medical Marijuana Debate Forum - Marijuana

Weed, pot, Mary Jane, herb, dope, grass. Marijuana goes by many names, but no matter what you call it, it remains the number one illegal recreational drug in the United States. Though some states have laws permitting the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, possession and distribution of the drug is still largely considered a crime. Yet, regardless of whether or not any drug is legal, abuse is still possible and always very harmful. Despite arguments for and against its use, marijuana users may not be immune to addiction.

A by-product of the Cannabis sativa plant, marijuana has been used by various cultures for centuries for medicinal and spiritual uses. The ancient .Aryan Indians used a form of cannabis in tribal rituals, and the drug has been known to treat discomfort from headaches, glaucoma, and nausea resulting from chemotherapy. Marijuana also has a strong association to pop culture.

THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol (9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary active ingredient in cannabis (marijuana). When ingested or smoked, it produces euphoric effects. THC may promote a prolonged feeling of relaxation and/or disorientation in users, that "stoned" feeling that encourages sleepiness and increases the appetite (also known as "getting the munchies"). Enjoying such a euphoria may encourage some to continue using the drug on a regular basis.

.Signs that a person may be abusing marijuana might include:

Sudden mood changes, depression and listlessness
Redness in the eyes
Problems with concentration, short-term memory loss
Change in appearance
Marijuana has a distinct odor that lingers in clothes and hair when smoked

.Users have impairment of short-term memory and a reduced ability to learn. Also, it may cause transient episodes of confusion, anxiety, or even toxic delirium. Long term effects are uncommon, but relatively heavy use may be associated with behavioral disorders. Marijuana is used by millions of users every year, and that number continues to grow as more and more evidence uncovers its positive medical effects and disproves the negative publicity the drug receives. Marijuana has been proved to be less harmful then alcohol and cigarettes. With the increase of marijuana smokers the increase in the cover up and detoxification of marijuana increases as well. This leads to more and more urinary cleansers being marketed and used.

The most popular employer and government drug test for THC is urine test. Marijuana is absorbed into our fatty tissues and the liver, and eventually end up in our urine. Elevated levels of the urinary metabolite 11-nor-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carb oxylic acid are found within hours of exposure and remain detectable for 3-10 days after smoking.
The THC / marijuana drug test is based on the principle of the highly specific immunochemical reactions between antigens and antibodies, which are used for the analysis of specific substances in biological fluids. The sensitivity is 50 ng/ml of THC marijuana.

Replies(9)

Marijuana

replied on May 28th, 2009

New User

Marijuana

Marijuana is good for your body, DONT ever forget it!
We need more growers!

illustriously fickle

replied on May 29th, 2009

Experienced User

Somking marijuana can lead to a decrease in immunity. I was a chronic smoker for more than 4 years and saw an increase in the number of times that I would get cold sores, the flu and viral infections ... as a direct result of smoking marijuana.

homerx

replied on May 29th, 2009

Moderator

you dont have to smoke it..smoking anything isnt good for you...you can drink it,eat it or inhale the fumes...eating is best.

BN2

replied on July 7th, 2009

New User

Isn't the real issue here using marijuana for those who are deathly ill? In this light arguments of it's abuse are selfish and childish. My uncle is DYING of cancer. To keep him from getting sick and allowing him to eat has added time to his life! Lets stop this foolishness and be merciful. (A comand of Christ).

ginadivine21

replied on July 24th, 2009

New User

Immune System and Pot

A variety of studies indicate that THC and other cannabinoids may exercise mild, reversible immuno-suppressive effects by inhibiting the activity of immune system cells know as lymphocytes (T- and B-cells) and macrophages. It is dubious whether these effects are of import to human health, since they are based mainly on theoretical laboratory and animal studies. According to a review by Dr. Leo Hollister:1 "The evidence [on immune suppression] has been contradictory and is more supportive of some degree of immunosuppression only when one considers in vitro studies. These have been seriously flawed by the very high concentrations of drug used to produce immunosuppression. The closer that experimental studies have been to actual clinical situations, the less compelling has been the evidence."

The immune suppression issue was first raised in research by the notorious cannabophobe Dr. Gabriel Nahas, but a flurry of research by the Reagan administration failed to find anything alarming. The recent discovery of a cannabinoid receptor inside rat spleens, where immune cells reside, raises the likelihood that cannabinoids do exert some sort of influence on the immune system.2 It has even been suggested that these effects might be beneficial for patients with auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Nevertheless, not a single case of marijuana-induced immune deficiency has ever been clinically or epidemiologically detected in humans.

One exception is the lungs, where chronic pots smokers have been shown to suffer damage to the immune cells known as alveolar macrophages and other defense mechanisms.3 It is unclear how much of this damage is due to THC, as opposed to all of the other toxins that occur in smoke , many of which can be filtered out by waterpipes and other devices.4

There is no reason to think marijuana is dangerous to AIDS patients. On the contrary, many AIDS patients report that marijuana helps avert the deadly "wasting syndrome" by stimulating appetite and reducing nausea. Cannabinoids do not actually damage the T-cells, which are depleted in HIV patients: one study even found that marijuana exposure increased T-cell counts in subjects (not AIDS patients) whose T-cell counts had been low.5 Epidemiological studies have found no relation between use of marijuana or other drugs and development of AIDS.6

homerx

replied on July 24th, 2009

Moderator

Re: Immune System and Pot

ginadivine21 wrote:

There is no reason to think marijuana is dangerous to AIDS patients. On the contrary, many AIDS patients report that marijuana helps avert the deadly "wasting syndrome" by stimulating appetite and reducing nausea. Cannabinoids do not actually damage the T-cells, which are depleted in HIV patients: one study even found that marijuana exposure increased T-cell counts in subjects (not AIDS patients) whose T-cell counts had been low.5 Epidemiological studies have found no relation between use of marijuana or other drugs and development of AIDS.

thats true. I have studied this subject intensely as I am on the front lines and I know for a fact from first hand experience that marijuana is a wonderful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS as well as MS,cancer,hep and many many other illnesses..

Karusai

replied on July 25th, 2009

New User

BN2 wrote:

I do agree with the fact that Medical Marijuana is for those who are deathly ill, but, in my case, I am a danger to myself due to the fact that I have Bi-Polar disorder. Any confrontation with me is dangerous for both myself, and the aggressor. Therefore Bi-Polar has been labeled as a "Debilitating Disease", which makes it possible for bi-polar "sufferers" to obtain a medical card, at least in the state's of Maine and Michigan which added the C. section in the MMJ/MMA adopted code which reads "C.) Or any other illnesses that can be described as a debilitating disease."

blanks

replied on October 2nd, 2009

New User

for prescribed medical use,I wonder why the scientist's/researcher's haven't already found a legitimate medical use feom marijuana?
may be they've been smoking it instead of studying it?

kittycait

replied on October 10th, 2009

New User

I am a bit confused...

blanks wrote:

for prescribed medical use,I wonder why the scientist's/researcher's haven't already found a legitimate medical use feom marijuana?
may be they've been smoking it instead of studying it?

If I understand this correctly, you seem to be under the impression that scientists and researchers are smoking marijuana instead of studying it to determine its clinical use...First off, "getting high" and "using medicinal marijuana" are very different...second:

They have found legitimate uses for marijuana...relief from pain stemming from nerves, nausea relief, appetite stimulant, mild immune system suppressant, the list continues...It can be used to treat the symptoms of IBDs, MS, AIDS, Epilepsy, some cancers, and the side effects of treatment of these disorders along with more that aren't listed here...

Lots of research has been done on the uses of marijuana medically, there are just always two sides and many times we only see one. I would suggest looking deeper into the subject if it interests you as there is a lot of research that has been done and does show the positive effects of medical marijuana use.

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