Cannabis, also known as Marijuana, is a flowering plant most famous by its use as a recreational drug. However, the Marijuana medical use was described in many different cultures, including Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greek. Over the years, Marijuana recreational use became illegal, as well as the medical use. Recently, the Cannabis medical use became a hot topic, due to several studies revealing positive outcomes.
The medical use of Marijuana has been studied due to its composition: it contains cannabinoids, chemical compounds that bind to cannabinoids receptors in the brain releasing neurotransmitters, leading to numerous chemical reactions. Those cannabinoids present in Marijuana can substitute endocannabinoids, cannabinoids that are naturally produced by our body and are involved in a variety of physiological processes, such as memory, appetite, response to stress, immune system, etc.
The benefits and detriments of Marijuana need to be further studied, but today the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies Marijuana as schedule I drug. What does it mean? “Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.”
This classification makes difficult to researchers to obtain legal supplies in order to better understand how Marijuana can be helpful (or not) for patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, epilepsy and other diseases. Today Marijuana medical use is legal in 23 states, but there is much more to be done. It is urgently necessary to allow and facilitate the research involving Marijuana, so scientists can determinate the benefits of the plant, in order to develop novel treatments to diseases that affect thousands of people. The better understanding of how Cannabis affects our brain would also give a stronger base for its legalization and regulation.
Cannabis legalization must be discussed, not just looking to the recreational use side, but looking especially to the medical use and research side.
We need to talk about Cannabis
