What is Cannabis?

Cannabis has many different "slang" terms. A few common names that you may know are hemp, pot, weed, hash and marijuana. Cannabis comes from the term cannabinoid. Cannabinoids come from plants which produce tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC. There are many side effects to THC that have made it illegal in the United States. It has only been just recently become legal in some states. Some of the side effects include: hallucination, depression, paranoia and food cravings.

Cannabis has been around, most likely, since 500 BC.

In countries, such as Asia, Europe and the United States used this plant to make clothing and paper. Also, it was used as an herbal medicine. In the early 1600s, farmers in northeastern states were required to produce fields of marijuana for healing medicine and religious practicing. In the 1800s, some scientists discovered that cannabis can help decrease stomach pain and nausea and people who are suffering from cholera. It wasn't until the early 1900s when Mexico introduced recreational smoking of cannabis to the United States and other various parts of the world. It started becoming outlawed in 1932 during the Prohibition era.

Many people believe that marijuana has some good effects to it. In 1996 California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use only. Since then 29 states have followed in their footsteps. Over 10,000 studies have been conducted on benefits from marijuana. One thing it can be used for is to relieve chronic pain. It is also used to help people who suffer from depression, PTSD, social anxiety, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. It can also help people who have cancer and are going through chemotherapy. Studies show that it helps reduce nausea and vomiting, which is one of the side effects from chemotherapy.

Researchers have conducted studies on a number of children who suffer from seizures on a daily basis. The children were given cannabis oil (CBD oil) and the children's seizures were cut in half. A few children reported not having any seizures at all. Overall, it was about a 39% decrease in seizures. The downfall was reported that the children would have side effects such as vomiting and producing a fever.

Now, some people do believe that marijuana is not helpful in any way. There have been some studies that link marijuana smoking with respiratory diseases. Although there is no direct link between smoking marijuana and lung diseases, it is said that it could cause asthma and lung cancer. Marijuana is considered to be an addictive drug if smoked regularly. People who use marijuana on a regular basis have reported physical discomfort, irritability, and decreased appetite when stopping marijuana. This is usually known as dependency, when a person goes through withdrawal symptoms.

So, is marijuana good or bad for you? That is a hard question to answer because many people have many different beliefs on this. With all the studies that have been conducted on the benefits of using marijuana, there still seems to be some doubt. Yes, it has been shown that marijuana can help people who suffer from severe, chronic pain and daily seizures, but it is still classified as an addictive drug. Only a handful of states have decided to legalize it for medical and recreational use just in the past few years. I believe that eventually it will become legal everywhere and discussions about it will subside. There will be a new fad out there that will take its place.

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