A phenomenon has always existed regarding cannabis/marijuana. “The munchies” – is it beneficial or detrimental? We must confront the facts and accept the reality of genuine diseases that our physicians treat daily. Cannabis possesses a diverse therapeutic nature and is used for various medical conditions, including:
– ANOREXIA NERVOSA (using cannabis to balance addiction)
– CANCER & AIDS (to both depress and stimulate appetite)
– GLAUCOMA (to alleviate eye pressure)
– EPILEPSY (to stop convulsions)
– MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (to reduce muscle spasms)
A study by Italian scientists may have clarified what happens to increase appetite in cannabis users. Molecules called endocannabinoids bind with receptors in the brain, activating hunger alongside numerous other positive responses. Every mammal is born with this system; we all have cannabinoids in our bodies, whether or not we use cannabis. We are learning that this system drives our physical reactions to health issues.
When N-arachidonoylethanolamine (known as anandamide, from the Sanskrit word “ananda,” meaning “bliss”) was discovered as the first endogenous ligand for the G protein–coupled receptors of plant cannabinoids, nobody anticipated it would defy so many established rules for endogenous chemical signals. Over the past 15 years, we have become accustomed to being surprised by this small lipid mediator.
— Vincenzo Di Marzo & Luigia Cristino (Italian Researchers)
Cannabis exists in a balance between negative and positive. This is a process we are individually trained to consider from a young age. We have been taught that cannabis represents a moral issue. Yet today, through education, we increasingly view it as a health issue. Our thoughts must traverse our minds, prompting us to adjust our thought patterns. We must consider: does a human being have the right to an “organic medication” that could save a life or improve sleep?
Currently, it is estimated that marijuana’s LD-50 is about 1:20,000 or 1:40,000. In layman’s terms, this means that to induce death, a marijuana smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount contained in one marijuana cigarette. NIDA-supplied marijuana cigarettes weigh approximately 0.9 grams. Theoretically, a smoker would need to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response.
— UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
The truth has progressed further, and cannabis is a subject evolving faster than many in today’s media. The Medical Cannabis Journal Facebook site reflects this, boasting over one million fans and followers, driven completely organically.
Medical cannabis patients and recreational users (human beings) seek the “truth.” They look for those willing to engage in intelligent conversation. When it comes to cannabis/marijuana, they do not require lectures or preaching. They are in search of options, help, and advice, bringing their knowledge and life experiences to the table.
Any physician, researcher, scientist, nurse, politician, etc., who is worth their weight in gold will recognize by now that understanding the cannabis patient is essential. This is a plant. Patients prefer to see the organic plant untainted by anything resembling a pharmaceutical. A pharmaceutical drug (medicine or medication) is intended for health care, aiding in the diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.
Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is a vital part of the medical field, relying on pharmacology for advancement and pharmacy for management. In discussing cannabis, this feels like a betrayal.
Patients want cannabis to become mainstream, and it needs to be! It has been voted on, and patients have rights. Laws are changing, and patients and recreational users coexist, educating one another. The outside world must come to terms with this plant. The media needs to adapt their narrative and how they present it to the public. Time does not stand still; it moves forward, never backward.
Every week, new initiatives are prepared to roll out in different states, meaning more opportunities for profit. I consider the loopholes already embedded in these initiatives! Job security has emerged; attorneys must learn to manage more clients, law enforcement must understand HIPAA laws, and cities and counties must learn how to enforce new regulations.
Cities and counties within the state may argue “we do not have to comply” because it contradicts federal law. Individually, every city and county has a moral obligation to ensure safe access for every patient living in the United States. This was the intent behind the original Proposition 215, which began over twenty years ago in California.
When the influential individuals sit at the decision-making tables regarding cannabis/marijuana, they often lack preparedness. The language used does not fit the subject. They need to comprehend the discussions. The primary priority must be the human being! Are they discussing medicine? Safety and welfare? Money and taxes? Drugs and cartels? Agriculture and growers? Money laundering and human trafficking? My preferred term, “legalization,” feels to me like a four-letter word!
The proposition was never intended to profit from the people. Thank you, government; we now have money makers in the cannabis industry. “G_D” bless them, but please ensure they operate with integrity and give back to the patients! After all, this is the United States of America, where “we the people” should be able to earn a living to survive.
— Judy K. Altman Thompson
Medical Cannabis Journal