Medical Marijuana
Marijuana refers to a preparation of the flowering plant from a genus called Cannabis. Cannabis, which includes several different species, has harvested and utilized throughout history for fiber, oil, seeds, medicine, and recreational drugs. Cannabis Sati
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Marijuana refers to a preparation of the flowering plant from a genus called Cannabis. Cannabis, which includes several different species, has harvested and utilized throughout history for fiber, oil, seeds, medicine, and recreational drugs. Cannabis Sativa, for example, is one species of cannabis and is utilized, among other things, for medical purposes. There are more than 60 cannabinoids, or chemical compounds that are psychoactive substances, found in cannabis. When utilized for medicinal purposes, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), b-caryophyllene, and cannabigerol (CBG) are some of the more important cannabinoids. THC is the primary compound responsible for cannabis’ psychoactive effect. The highest amount of THC can be found in the flowers of the plant, with a lesser amount found in the stems, seeds, and leaves. Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. The Chinese Emperor, Chen Nung is thought to have discovered the healing properties of cannabis around the twenty-eighth century B.C. Cannabis was also used, among other places, in ancient India, Persia, Egypt, Greece, the Middle East, and South East Asia. In the early nineteenth century, William O’Shaughnessy, a British doctor, introduced cannabis to Western Medicine. He used cannabis for the treatment of rheumatism, convulsions, and muscle spasms from tetanus and rabies. By 1854, cannabis was recognized in the US Dispensary for the treatment of neurologia, gout, tetanus, hydrophobia, cholera, convulsions, spasticity, hysteria, depression, insanity, uterine hemorrhage, and contractions during childbirth delivery. During the mid- to late 1800s and early 1900s, cannabis was also used to treat symptoms of dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), insomnia, gonorrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, migraines, withdrawal, excessive coughing, and the plague and typhoid fever. B.L. Johnson (*) Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion, L.L.C, St. Louis, MO, USA e-mail: [email protected] S. Loue (ed.), Mental Health Practitioner’s Guide to HIV/AIDS, 301 DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-5283-6_60, # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
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In the USA, cannabis preparations were widely available until the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The tax of $1.00 per ounce when used for medicinal purposes had a prohibitory effect. The National Formulary and Pharmacopoeia then removed cannabis in 1942. Subsequent legislation, such as the Narcotics Control Act and the Controlled Substances Act, further penalized the use of cannabis. Cannabis, or marijuana, remained completely banned until 1996, when California passed legislation permitting the use of proscribed medical marijuana. Since 1996, 15 other states have followed California’s lead and legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. The federal government, however, has not legalized the use of medical marijuana. Therefore, both medical marijuana distributors and its users could face federal charges if caught with the drug. The
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