Medical Marijuana
A look into the evolving world of medication.

By: Daniel Countryman

Medical marijuana is a common topic these days, and while it’s a controversial subject it is something to be looked at as an alternative medication. I want to cover what exactly marijuana is, how it’s produced, where it comes from, the natural compounds, how to use it, and what benefits versus the risks medical marijuana has on its patients.

Marijuana is a plant – in fact it’s a weed. Marijuana is actually a slang term, and the proper name for the plant is cannabis. Cannabis is a genus of plants with flowers, and also has a few different species; cannabis sativa, cannabis indica, and cannabis ruderalis. Cannabis contains different cannabinoids to which over 85 of the known are active cannabinoids, and the two most common are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Cannabidiol (CBD). While other known cannabinoids such as Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabinol (CBN), and Tretrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) are known their studies are not as prevalent as THC, and CBD.

THC is a psychoactive ingredient which puts you in an altered state of conscious when consumed in moderate to high doses. While THC is psychoactive it does not make you hallucinate as other known drugs such as LSD, and ‘magic’ mushrooms are known for. However, THC is known for changing your appetite and your taste which makes it a good medication for people who have issues with consuming food such as cancer patients. THC is also used for pain management in multiple sclerosis. The negative side of consuming THC is that it is known to create short-term memory loss in users.

CBD on the other hand, while being an active ingredient, is actually an anti-psychotic. This form of cannabinoid is better off ingested through edibles, or a concentrate that’s placed in the mouth with a dropper. This form of cannabinoid is used for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, and neurological disorders such as Dravet syndrome which is a rare form of epilepsy. CBD is also known to counter act the psychoactive effects of THC, making the THC less potent when large amounts of CBD are added. It also helps with preventing short-term memory loss that THC is known to cause.

One of the biggest arguments of medical marijuana consumption is our bodies actually have cannabinoid receptors placed throughout it. They are involved with physiological processes including pain, memory, mood, and appetite. There are two different types of receptors knows as the CB1, and CB2 receptor. CB1 receptors are located in the brain, but also in the lungs, liver, and kidneys. CB2 receptors are expressed in the immune system, and in hematopoietic cells. The receptors are activated by cannabinoids naturally produced by our bodies, and from outside form of cannabinoids through cannabis, or synthetic made drugs.

Medical marijuana is cannabis grown to its full potential with the upmost quality the plant can have. Cultivators use different growing methods to ensure year round production without much loss in yield. Outdoor growing is used during most of the year, but since marijuana is grown seasonally operations are moved indoors, or lights are added outside to ensure the plant gets adequate lighting during low light times of the day. Different growers have different techniques, and some believe theirs produces the best yield, potency, and quality.

While it’s not just about growing marijuana indoors, or outdoors it’s about how you grow it. Growers use soil based, hydroponic, and areoponics to produce medical marijuana. Soil grows are done either in the ground with added soil, or in pots. Hydroponic is a soilless form which uses water as a medium for the plant. Areoponics lets the roots hang freely with timed sessions of mist on the roots to ensure maximum uptake of water, and nutrients. While all three techniques produce high quality marijuana, it just depends on what the grower likes to do, and how much they can produce per technique.

After marijuana has gone through its cycle, and the grower has determined the plant has reached its full potency it’s time for them to harvest. Once harvested the plant is cut as a whole, or branches are cut off individually, and left to hang to dry out. Once the plant is dried out trimmers come in and cut off remaining leaf matter that has not fallen off during the drying process. Once the product is trimmed after drying it will now be cured. Curing marijuana is really important to ensure a nice smooth smoke, and higher potency. When curing you are pulling the moisture from inside the flower to the outer edges ensuring there is no more moisture within the flower. After the process of growing, harvesting, drying, and curing the product is delivered to the dispensary who then inspects the product for any deficiencies.

Marijuana consists of many genetics which make up of different strains. Strains are different genetics of marijuana witch some are pure breed sativa, and indica strains there are also hybrids of combined sativa/indica. Sativa dominate strains are known for their high THC content, and are usually associated for their potent ‘high’ that’s used for aches, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many other illnesses. Indicas are known for their potent narcotic like affects that are great for inflammation, pain relief, and arthritis. While sativa, and indica plants have their differences in growing, and using most dispensaries are there to guide you on which strains are best for your medical condition to ensure you select the proper strains to help you.

You can purchase medical marijuana in dry herb form, concentrated, or in something to eat. That’s right – you can eat cannabis. Edibles are the safest way to consume marijuana, and has no negative side effects other than feeling strange. If you purchase in dry form you’re more than likely going to smoke it, or vaporize it. Smoking it is the most common practice, but it’s also the worst way to consume marijuana. Vaporizing is still not heathy due to inhaling a water vapor into your lungs, but it is a better alternative than combusting dry matter.

Patients of medical marijuana use their medication whether it be smoking, or eating so they can receive relief from their condition. Patient’s illnesses range from pain, arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, and other physical, mental, and neurological disorders. With the understanding of the cannabinoid CBD – cultivators have been working on strains that contain extremely high levels of CBD, and low levels of THC to help aid with a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome. While it isn’t just going to buy weed, and you’re magically cured - sometimes you have to experiment with different strains to see which ones work best for you, or if you get the relief you need.

Medical marijuana has a vast list of illness it can help with, and the list covers what 98% of prescription, and over-the-counter drugs can offer. While it’s not as easy, or practical to spark up a ‘joint’ for a mild headache it can be used for such relief. Since marijuana has not been studied by the government it raises many flags to the actual use of marijuana since the side effects of long-term use are ‘un-known’.

Many of the risks known to the use of marijuana is the most obvious. Inhaling smoke from an herb that was combusted is a no brainer. It’s not good for you, while ‘”s it bad for you?” a question many people fight this day. While some may say “look at what cigarettes do!” marijuana doesn’t contain the additives, and chemicals the tobacco industry use. Bottom line inhaling a heated smoke isn’t good for you one way or another.

For the use in children it is very hard to find an educated doctor willing to put his word on the use of medical marijuana. No people aren’t getting their kids high. They’re using CBD extracts that don’t contain psychoactive ingredients like THC does. This is a new trend starting, and it’s becoming well known. Parents are taking their children off prescribed medication, and are starting with the CDB oils because the prescription drugs have such adverse side-effects on their children. While marijuana isn’t the perfect medication it has a large amount of pros vs. the cons.

At the end of the day medical marijuana is an option. While some say it’s an alternative to prescription drugs, others argue that prescription drugs are an alternative. With the low risks of using medical marijuana compared to market drugs on the market, it is something that you should question if this is a better option for you. While you might feel this is a way for people to get high, prescription drugs are the same. It’s no different than looking at it compared to what’s already on the market. However, the difference between medical marijuana and the synthetic drug market are safety, and the natural compounds marijuana offers over synthetic medication.