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Essay / The History of Marijuana - 3169
Many studies have evaluated the benefits and harms of medical marijuana. In this article, we will look at the history and beginnings of this drug and how it has affected society. Many laws and policies have been created to restrict the use of this drug, but the purpose of this article is to show that it can also have a positive effect on sick patients. Cannabis, the proper name for this hemp plant, contains cannabinoids like THC. Cannabis has been shown to have many positive physiological and psychological effects on the body. This medication also helps cure and relieve headaches/migraines and decreases the risk of seizures. He has played a major role in helping people with certain disorders such as Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cannabis has also been shown to significantly slow the growth of tumors in the lungs, breasts, and brain. This is a non-lethal way of delivering medicine for various illnesses: "As cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in areas of the brainstem controlling breathing, lethal excesses of cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur.β (Association for Cancer Research, 2013). How did we come to see this as a problem? (use details from the second literature review here!) Medical cannabis fibers date back to 4000 BCE. In 2737, during the reign of Emperor Shen-Nung, marijuana use was recommended for illnesses such as female problems, malaria, gout, rheumatism, and distraction. The practice of this drug spread from China to India then to North Africa. In India, this drug was considered a divine substance that gave prolonged life and visions of God. This medicine had many uses such as relief from dandruff, leprosy, sexually transmitted health...... middle of paper ......n mental and physical health. It outweighs the benefits and states that, in the opinion of these authors, the negative data outweighs the benefits. Covering the legalization of cannabis and legal prohibitions against it, including its history. This article details the different ways medical cannabinoids are used, including: smoking, pill form, Nabilone (synthetic cannabinoid), Sativex (liquid cannabis plant extract), and Dronabinol (synthetic THC). Physical adverse effects have been reported from smoking cannabinoids such as respiratory problems, liver damage, increased mortality of HIV patients, and altered heart rate. Mental health effects have been reported as mental slowness, fatigue, euphoria, relaxation and difficulty concentrating. Meta-analyses supported the idea of ββan increased risk of developing schizophrenia.