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Negative health effects
Acute effects
The major acute psychological and health effects of cannabis
intoxication are:
Cannabis Carcinogenic?
There is no conclusive evidence that cannabis causes cancer in humans including those cancers associated with tobacco use. However, cellular, genetic and human studies suggest that cannabis smoke may be an important risk factor for the development of respiratory cancer. There is not yet any evidence from controlled studies showing a higher rate of respiratory cancers among chronic cannabis smokers. (Joy et al, 1999; Tashkin, 1999; Hall, 2001). These effects are related to the amount of cannabis smoked and it has been argued that cannabis smokers will not smoke as much as tobacco smokers or smoke as long in their lives. Most cannabis users have stopped using cannabis by their mid- to late- twenties.
There is however, mounting evidence suggesting that THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) is actually anti-carcinogenic:
The Madrid researchers reported in the March issue of "Nature Medicine" that they injected the brains of 45 rats with cancer cells, producing tumors whose presence they confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On the 12th day they injected 15 of the rats with THC and 15 with Win-55,212-2 a synthetic compound similar to THC. "All the rats left untreated uniformly died 12-18 days after glioma (brain cancer) cell inoculation ... Cannabinoid (THC)-treated rats survived significantly longer than control rats. THC administration was ineffective in three rats, which died by days 16-18. Nine of the THC-treated rats surpassed the time of death of untreated rats, and survived up to 19-35 days. Moreover, the tumor was completely eradicated in three of the treated rats." The rats treated with Win-55,212-2 showed similar results. This study ahs been replicated with similar results many times.
Medical Marijuana Use:
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically from the earliest records, nearly 5,000 years ago, to the present day (Mikuriya, 1969: 34) and its products have been widely noted for their effects, both physiological and psychological, throughout the world. Although the Chinese and Indian cultures knew about the properties of this drug from very early times, this information did not become general in the Near and Middle East until after the fifth century A.D., when travelers, traders and adventurers began to carry knowledge of the drug westward to Persia and Arabia. For more information on the history of cannabis as a medicine, please click HERE
Marijuana has many possible medical uses. Positive effects are claimed for ailments such as cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma. AIDS can cause a loss of appetite known as the "wasting syndrome" which can lead to drastic weight loss and weakness. Chemotherapy used in the treatment of cancer causes nausea resulting in an inability to keep down food. Marijuana's healing nature for these two illnesses is a result of it's ability to increase a person's appetite as well as relieving nausea allowing a patient to regain weight. Marijuana reportedly helps glaucoma patients by reducing occular pressure which can cause damage to the eye.
Frank (1972) conducted research into effect of cannabis in reducing intraocular pressure. It was found that as the dose of marihuana increased, the pressure within the eye decreased by up to 30%. This occurred in normal persons as well as in those with glaucoma, a disease of the eye in which increased intraocular pressure may cause blindness.
Cannabis is recognized as an appetite stimulant, which suggests that the drug might be useful in the treatment of pathological loss of appetite known as anorexia nervosa (Grinspoon, 1969: 21). Similar symptoms exist in terminal cancer patients who, when treated with cannabis over a short period of time, demonstrated stimulation of appetite, euphoria, increased sense of well-being, mild analgesia and an indifference to pain which reduced the need for opiates (DHEW, 1971: 11).
Here is a list of ailments which cannabis is thought to help with: CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY - Studies on cancer patients in the US reveal that cannabis often reduces nausea and vomiting when all available prescription drugs fail to work.
GLAUCOMA - Cannabis is two to three times as effective as are currently legal medicines for reducing eye pressure without toxic side-effects associated with presently used glaucoma drugs.
EPILEPSY - Smoking cannabis during pre-seizure symptoms can inhibit epileptic attacks and reduce the intensity of seizures that do occur.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS - Cannabis has demonstrated \"powerful beneficial effects on both spasticity and ataxia.\"
PARAPLEGIA AND QUADRIPLEGIA - Cannabis not only relieves the pain more safely than opiates but also effectively suppresses muscle jerks and tremors.
AIDS - Many patients have found that cannabis improves their quality of life, helps stabilise their weight and combat the wasting syndrome by stimulating their appetite.
CHRONIC PAIN - Cannabis has proven analgesic properties and has none of the dangerous side effects of the alternatives - opiates and synthetic analgesics.
MIGRAINE - The analgesic effects of cannabis also help with migraines, but some research has shown that there may be additional properties.
RHEUMATIC DISEASES - Cannabis is not only a pain reliever, but there is some evidence that it is also anti-inflammatory.
PRURITUS - Sufferers have found that cannabis is the only thing which prevents both the skin lesions and the itching.
PMT, MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND LABOUR PAINS - Many women say they find cannabis useful - as they have done for centuries.
DEPRESSION AND OTHER MOOD DISORDERS - Doctors have reported that patients have successfully used cannabis to help with depression and bi- polar disorder.
ASTHMA - Cannabis is a bronchio-dilator. That is, it widens the airways and allows a freer flow of air in and out of the lungs.
INSOMNIA - Studies show that cannabidiol and whole cannabis can improve the sleep quality of many people including some insomniacs.
OTHER CAUSES OF SEVERE NAUSEA - Smoked cannabis is an effective anti- emetic in many circumstances as shown by several studies.
ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS - Cannabis has been shown to produce impressive antibacterial effects and can be used for ear, burn and other infections. It can also help with herpes.
TOPICAL ANAESTHETIC EFFECTS - Cannabis is an effective topical anaesthetic, especially for the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue.
ANTITUMOURAL EFFECTS - A number of studies have shown that cannabis can reduce tumour size. Tobacco users who also use cannabis have a lower rate of lung cancer than those who do not.
DYSTONIAS - Research in the 1980s showed that patients with dystonic movement disorders improved when treated with cannabidiol.
ADULT ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER - Some sufferers have found that cannabis helps them cope with their disorder.
SCHIZOPHRENIA - It is sometimes thought that cannabis can spark schizophrenic episodes, yet schizophrenic patients who use it generally regard it as helpful.
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS - This is an incurable disease with many symptoms which cannabis can relieve.
CROHN\'S DISEASE - Cannabis can help relieve the symptoms of this rare but often fatal disease.
DIABETIC GASTROPARESIS - Patients find that cannabis eases the symptoms and makes the prescribed medication more effective.
PSEUDOTUMOUR CEREBRI - This is caused by high pressure of the spinal fluid and can threaten patients\' sight. Cannabis lowers the pressure in the spine relieving the condition.
TINNITUS - Patients have reported that cannabis is the only thing that relieved their symptoms.
VIOLENCE - Cannabis is well known for its calming effects in healthy people but it can also help with sufferers from aggressive disorders.
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER - Many Vietnam and Gulf War veterans use cannabis to effectively treat PTSD.
PHANTOM LIMB PAIN - Patients have reported than cannabis is more effective than standard analgesics.
ALCOHOLISM AND ADDICTIONS - Cannabis seems to diminish the craving for alcohol or other drugs and can be used to help withdrawal.
AGEING - Cannabis can relieve the aches and pains that many elderly suffer from and has been shown to help with Alzheimer\'s disease.
TERMINAL ILLNESS - In the final stages of many illnesses, patients suffer increasing pain, nausea, weight loss, depression and anxiety. Cannabis can be very useful in these circumstances.
HOLISTIC HEALING - Getting rid of pollution by restoring clean hemp technologies will be a good start on curbing many kinds of disease. Eating hempseed regularly fortifies the defence systems of the body. In aromatherapy, the fragrance of cannabis flowers can bring psychological, even physiological, benefit.
HOMEOPATHIC USES - Cannabis has been used homeopathically to treat tinnitus, urinary infections, muscle cramps, backache, dry mouth, dry vagina, tremors, pneumonia and heart palpitations.
PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE - An understated value of cannabis is as preventative medicine. People who consume cannabis regularly may never develop ailments such as glaucoma, migraines, insomnia or stress-related problems that they might otherwise have done.
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