What is Marijuana and Why Might it Benefit You?
The Cannabis family of plants has been used medicinally and recreationally for thousands of years. In spite of widespread use throughout history, it wasn’t until Raphael Mechoulam isolated THC in 1964 that we knew what the psychoactive ingredient was. The isolation of THC was the stepping-stone to finding the human endocannabinoid system 28 years after THC was discovered. The endocannabinoid system unknown to us prior to 1992 consists of various receptors throughout the body such as CB1 and CB2 that are affected not only by marijuana, but by naturally produced chemicals within us called endocannabinoids. Cannabinoids derived from plants are phytocannabinoids while cannabinoids made within us are endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system in animals predates the appearance of marijuana on this planet by several million years, interacts with all the other systems, and is vital for life. The first endocannabinoids isolated were Anandamide and 2-AG which help maintain homeostasis, protect brain function, support memory, mood, modulate pain, inflammation, appetite, immune function, and numerous other effects. A quote from an online article entitled “Get high on the Endocannabinoid system” published by US int’l library of medicine at NIH in 2013 and written by Bradley Alger, PhD is as follows:
“The endogenous cannabinoid system—named for the plant that led to its discovery—is one of the most important physiologic systems involved in establishing and maintaining human health. …the endocannabinoids are literally a bridge between body and mind. By understanding this system, we begin to see a mechanism that could connect brain activity and states of physical health and disease.”
While phytocannabinoid and endocannabinoid understanding is in its infancy, it is clear that medical marijuana exhibits many potential benefits for a variety of seemingly unrelated conditions. Because of these diverse effects, this plant may be one of the most important medical tools available to healers in the future.
What About Practical Considerations for Patients Now?
A recommendation for medical marijuana is not the same as a prescription that indicates a specific drug, dose, directions for use. Therefore trial and error may be necessary to find the best medical cannabis product for each person. Until a person knows what strain of cannabis works best for them, it is better to select your marijuana product based on the amount or ratio of cannabis ingredients rather than the name of the cultivar. If you know the amount and ratio of THC, CBD, terpenes, and other potentially beneficial compounds, you can then compare therapeutic benefit between products more easily than relying on reputed benefits of certain strains. And while a recommendation for medical marijuana in Ohio is a legal document that allows a patient to purchase and use marijuana, it does not protect a patient where employment forbids it’s use, or where state law already forbids impairment, such as operating a motor vehicle.
At the same time, because there are so many unanswered questions about benefits and risks of marijuana, it is necessary for us to keep detailed records on reported benefits as well as adverse effects experienced by patients using cannabis.
Potential Side Effects
Adverse reactions vary from person to person and can include anxiety, decreased motivation, fatigue, tachycardia, and sometimes panic or paranoia. There have also been rare reports of hallucinations but it is questionable if the MJ were the cause. Buying street cannabis does not give one confidence about ingredients or purity such as when purchasing product that has been cultivated, processed, tested, and labeled according to rigorous standards. Drug-drug interaction also needs to be considered as well as the possibility of a addiction in some people.
