| Cannabis (drug) |
Article Index for Cannabis |
Website Links For Cannabis |
Information AboutCannabis (drug) |
|
Humans have been consuming cannabis since prehistory,Richard Rudgley. 1999. ''The Lost Civilizations of the Stone Age''. Touchstone, New York. ISBN 0-684-85580-1 although in the 20th century there was a rise in its use for in most parts of the world in the early 20th century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of cannabis Prohibition while others have reduced the priority of enforcement, almost to the point of legalization, as is the case in The Netherlands . The production of cannabis for drug use remains illegal throughout most of the world through the 1961 Single Convention On Narcotic Drugs , the 1971 Convention On Psychotropic Substances , and the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic In Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances , while simple possession of small quantities is either legal, or treated as an addiction rather than a criminal offense in a few countries. The laws in the United States vary from state to state, some having decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, although it is still a federal crime. HISTORY Evidence of the inhalation of cannabis smoke can be found as far back as the , mentioned in the Veda s as a sacred intoxicating hallucinogen, was sometimes associated with cannabis.Richard Rudgley. 1998. Soma . The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Substances. Little, Brown and Company, Great Britain. Retrieved on 25 Feb 2007 Cannabis was also known to the Assyrians , who discovered its psychoactive properties through the Aryans .1 p.3 Using it in some religious ceremonies, they called it ''qunubu'' (meaning "way to produce smoke"), a probable origin ofthe modern word.2 p.305 Cannabis was also introduced by the Aryans to the Scythia ns and Thracians / Dacia ns, whose Shamans (the ''kapnobatai''—“those who walk on smoke/clouds”) burned cannabis flowers to induce a state of trance.3 p.405 Members of the cult of Dionysus , believed to have originated in Thrace , are also thought to have inhaled cannabis smoke. In 2003, a leather basket filled with cannabis leaf fragments and seeds was found next to a 2,500- to 2,800-year-old Mummified Shaman in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China .2006. Lab work to identify 2,800-year-old mummy of shaman . ''People's Daily Online'' (English). Retrieved 25 Feb 2007Hong-En Jiang, Xiao Li, You-Xing Zhao, David K. Ferguson, Francis Hueber, Subir Bera, Yu-Fei Wang, Liang-Cheng Zhao, Chang-Jiang Liu, and Cheng-Sen Li. 2006. A new insight into ''Cannabis sativa'' (Cannabaceae) utilization from 2500-year-old Yanghai tombs, Xinjiang, China . ''Journal of Ethnopharmacology'' 108(3): 414-422. Retrieved 25 Feb 2007 . Cannabis was introduced to the Americas in the mid-nineteenth century by Indian laborers under the Indian Indenture System implemented by the British Empire after the end of African Slavery in the British West Indies . In the Caribbean , cannabis is still known as ''ganja'' (the Sanskrit word for marijuana), Indian or Coolie weed. The plant eventually spread into Mexico , USA , Canada and the rest of the Americas. Medical use See Also: Medical cannabis Synthetic or extracts of one chemical in marijuana, is a controversial treatment for medical use. The American Marijuana Policy Project , a pro-cannabis organization, contends that cannabis is an ideal therapeutic drug for cancer and AIDS patients, who often suffer from clinical depression, and from nausea and resulting weight loss due to Chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments. A recent study by scientists in Italy has also shown that Cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical found in marijuana, inhibits growth of cancer cells in animals.8 The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and comparable public authorities in western Europe, including the Netherlands , have not approved smoked marijuana for any condition or disease. Robert J. Meyer, M.D. Director Office of Drug Evaluation II, FDA A synthetic extract of cannabis has been shown to relieve symptoms of anorexia in elderly Alzheimer's patients. Cannabis lifts Alzheimer appetite Glaucoma, a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball causing gradual loss of sight, can be treated with medical marijuana to decrease this intraocular pressure. There has been debate for 25 years on the subject. Some data exist, showing a reduction of IOP in glaucoma patients who smoke marijuana,Merritt JC, Crawford WJ, Alexander PC, et al. Effect of marihuana on intraocular and blood pressure in glaucoma. Ophthalmol 1980;87:222-8. but the effects are short-lived, and the frequency of doses needed to sustain a decreased IOP can cause systemic toxicity. There is also some concern over its use since it can also decrease blood flow to the optic nerve. Marijuana lowers IOP by acting on a cannabinoid receptor on the ciliary body called the CB receptor.Goldberg J, Flowerdew G, Smith E, et al. Factors associated with age-related macular degeneration. Am J Epidemiol 1988;128:700-10. Although marijuana is not a good therapeutic choice for glaucoma patients, it may lead researchers to more effective, safer treatments. A promising study shows that agents targeted to ocular CB can reduce IOP in glaucoma patients who have failed other therapies.Porcella A, Maxia C, Gessa GL, Pani L. The synthetic cannabinoid WIN55212-2 decreases the intraocular pressure in human glaucoma resistant to conventional therapies. Eur J Neurosci 2001;13:409-12. Medical marijuana is used for analgesia, or pain relief. “Marijuana is used for analgesia only in the context of a handful of illnesses (e.g., headache, dysentery, menstrual cramps, and depression) that are often cited by marijuana advocates as medical reasons to justify the drug being available as a prescription medication.”Blanchard Randall; Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. ''Medical Use of Marijuana: Policy and Regulatory Issues'', It is also reported to be beneficial for treating certain neurological illnesses such as epilepsy, and bipolar disorder.9 Studies have found that cannabis can relieve tics in patients suffering from OCD and/or Tourette syndrome. Patients treated with marijuana reported a significant decrease in both motor and vocal tics, some of 50% or more.101112 Some decrease in obsessive-compulsive behavior was also found.13 A recent study has also concluded that cannabinoids found in cannabis might have the ability to prevent Alzheimer's disease.Ramíirez, B. G., C. Blázquez, T. Gómez del Pulgar, M. Guzmán, and M. L. de Ceballos. 2005. [http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/8/1904 Prevention of Alzheimer's disease pathology by cannabinoids: neuroprotection mediated by blockade of microglial activation . ''Journal of Neuroscience'' 25(8): 1904-1913. Retrieved on 27 Feb 2007 THC has been shown to reduce arterial blockages.Steffens, S., N. R. Veillard, C. Arnaud, G. Pelli, F. Burger, C. Staub, M. Karsak, A. Zimmer, J.-L. Frossard, and F. Mach. Low dose oral cannabinoid therapy reduces progression of atherosclerosis in mice . ''Nature'' '''474'''(7034): 782-786. Retrieved 27 Feb 2007 Another use for medical marijuana is movement disorders. Marijuana is frequently reported to reduce the muscle spasticity associated with Multiple Sclerosis , this has been acknowledged by the Institute Of Medicine , but it noted that these abundant anecdotal reports are not well-supported by clinical data. Evidence from animal studies suggests that there is a possible role for cannabinoids in the treatment of certain types of epileptic seizures.14 The marijuana will numb the nervous system slightly so the body won’t go into shock. A synthetic version of the major active compound in cannabis, THC, is available in capsule form as the prescription drug dronabinol (Marinol) in many countries. The prescription drug Sativex, an extract of cannabis administered as a sublingual spray, has been approved in Canada for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.Koch, W. 23 Jun 2005. Spray alternative to pot on the market in Canada . ''USA Today'' (online). Retrieved on 27 Feb 2007 Dr. William Notcutt states that the use of MS as the disease to study “had everything to do with politics”.15 US debate There are many claims regarding the use of cannabis in a medical context, both pro and con.1617 On April 20 , 2006 , the U.S. FDA issued an intra-agency advisory warning against medical cannabis, restating the Drug Enforcement Administration 's position that cannabis has a very high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.18 The FDA also asserted that “there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful”. |
|
|