Medical Attributes of Cannabis sativa - Marijuana Essay -- Exploratory

Medical Attributes of Cannabis sativa - Marijuana Cannabis sativa is an erect herbaceous plant commonly known as hemp or marijuana, or by vernacular names such as grass, weed, refer, and pot. C. sativa is a member of the Cannabinaceae or hemp family. Marijuana can be cultivated illegally in eastern and central North America. Marijuana was legal in the join States for industrial, recreational and medicinal uses until 1937 (Anon., 1996a).C. sativa contains about sixty various psychoactive chemicals called cannabinoids. The most(prenominal) active component in C. sativa is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC which is put in greatest concentrations in the flowering tops and leaves of the hemp plants. The pronounce marijuana refers to the whole plant and the resin from hemp or alike called hashish (Anon., 1996b).Presently, C. sativa has four medicinal values. First, it is used to relieve nausea and ontogenesis appetite. Second, it brings about the reduction of intraocular pressure in glauco ma. Third, it causes a reduction of muscleman spasms. Fourth, it provides relief from mild to moderate chronic pain (Anon., 1996a).In 1975, a canvass was conducted testing the effects of marijuana on the cardiovascular system. race between the ages of 30-40 years, whom had never smoked marijuana were used for this experiment. Results showed that there is no direct cardiac effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) unless the THC dose is 50 fold. There were no changes in stimulation of ephedrine production (which stimulates the sympathetic anxious system), levels of blood glucose, lactate or pyruvates and fatty acid fractions. Changes to these effects were discovered when the THC dose was 50 fold (Beacansfield, 1975).In a study in 1982, researchers analyzed the biological effe... ...s antiemetic medicine A be of oncologists experiences and attitudes. F. Cline Oncology 91314-1319.Sallan, S.E., N.E. Ainberg, and E. Frex. 1975. Antiemetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in pati ents receiving cancer chemotherapy. The New England journal of Medicine 293795-797.Singh, N., S. Vrat, B. Ali, and K.P. Bhargava. 1981. An assessment of biological effects of chronic use of hangmans rope in human subjects. Quarterly Journal of Crude Drug search 19 81-91.Tashkin, D.P., B.J. Shapiro, Y.E. Lee, and C.E. Harper. 1975. Effects of smoked marijuana in experimentally bring on asthma. American Review of Respiratory Disease 112.Volfe Z., A. Dvilansky. and I. Nathan. 1985. Cannabinoids block release of serotonin from platelets induced by plasma from migraine patients. International Journal of clinical and Pharmacological Research 5243-246.