On August 18, 2008 A La Times medical reporter interviewed a group of doctors that were researching the benefits of medical marijuana. Depending on the audience, marijuana is just as dangerous a drug as PCP and heroin and therefore should be kept illegal, or it's a wonder herb that is just bursting with unknown benefits and is being suppressed by the government--or perhaps its a little bit of both: a plant with tremendous benefits as well as drawbacks, yet worth looking into.
While the political arguments continue over medical marijuana, a group of researchers continues to investigate the effects of inhaled marijuana to treat muscle spasms, nausea, and pain.
The researchers point out that all drugs carry risks--when you look into most medicine cabinets in American households, you will find them filled with aspirins, antihistamines, and pain killers. What doctors try to do is weigh the positives versus the negatives of what the medicine can do and from there they reach a decision--why not for marijuana as well, some researchers are asking.
The truth, say researchers, is that marijuana has medical benefits that assist with those living with cancer pain, multiple sclerosis, nausea associated with chemo therapy, and chronic pain syndromes. Research has shown that the risks associated with marijuana are real but generally small. Newer medical discoveries of the medicinal benefits of marijuana have been since hindered the research team says.
Dr. Donald Abrams, chief of hematology and oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and professor of clinical medicine at UC San Francisco, says he sees patients experiencing nausea and vomiting from treatment, cancer patients in pain, not eating or sleeping well, and being depressed about their general situation.
He's happy that he live in a state like California where medical marijuana is legal by state law--this even as federal agents continue to raid on a regular basis the cannabis dispensaries that are in the state as well as scrutinize doctors who prefer to treat some of their patients with marijuana.
"I can talk to patients about medicinal cannabis [and] I'm often recommending it to them for these indications," Abrams says.
Medical marijuana use has a history stretching back thousands of years. In those times, the herb was used as medicinal tea in China, a stress remedy in India and a pain reliever for situations like earaches, childbirth and more throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Medical researchers have recently began to investigate marijuana's effects on various kinds of pain such as damaged nerves in people with HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injury; to cancer; and from multiple sclerosis. - 30402
While the political arguments continue over medical marijuana, a group of researchers continues to investigate the effects of inhaled marijuana to treat muscle spasms, nausea, and pain.
The researchers point out that all drugs carry risks--when you look into most medicine cabinets in American households, you will find them filled with aspirins, antihistamines, and pain killers. What doctors try to do is weigh the positives versus the negatives of what the medicine can do and from there they reach a decision--why not for marijuana as well, some researchers are asking.
The truth, say researchers, is that marijuana has medical benefits that assist with those living with cancer pain, multiple sclerosis, nausea associated with chemo therapy, and chronic pain syndromes. Research has shown that the risks associated with marijuana are real but generally small. Newer medical discoveries of the medicinal benefits of marijuana have been since hindered the research team says.
Dr. Donald Abrams, chief of hematology and oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and professor of clinical medicine at UC San Francisco, says he sees patients experiencing nausea and vomiting from treatment, cancer patients in pain, not eating or sleeping well, and being depressed about their general situation.
He's happy that he live in a state like California where medical marijuana is legal by state law--this even as federal agents continue to raid on a regular basis the cannabis dispensaries that are in the state as well as scrutinize doctors who prefer to treat some of their patients with marijuana.
"I can talk to patients about medicinal cannabis [and] I'm often recommending it to them for these indications," Abrams says.
Medical marijuana use has a history stretching back thousands of years. In those times, the herb was used as medicinal tea in China, a stress remedy in India and a pain reliever for situations like earaches, childbirth and more throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Medical researchers have recently began to investigate marijuana's effects on various kinds of pain such as damaged nerves in people with HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injury; to cancer; and from multiple sclerosis. - 30402
About the Author:
For three decades, Dr. Julian Reindhurst has studies the medicinal benefits of marijuana. He currently has a blog that gives the historical perspective of how nirvana seeds benefited other ancient civilizations. He also has a website site that looks at the medicinal benefits of the nirvana seeds.
