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Marijuana Experiences Modern Day Rebirth

Marijuana has a deep history.

Cannabis can be found in Siberian burial chambers. Humans have had marijuana experiences as far back as 3000 B.C. Cannabis has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. First American President George Washington grew hemp on Mt. Vernon.
Before the Nixon era, cannabis was legal and found in many tinctures and oils. After the big ban, cannabis became a schedule I drug. From then on the plant was deemed to have no medicinal value and only used by addicts.

In today’s time, marijuana experiences resurgence.

Researchers from around the world are trying to understand how marijuana works and how it can fight diseases. The U.S. surgeon general has expressed interest in learning about cannabis. Scientific data on marijuana shows potential for treating certain medical conditions and ailments. Countries around the world are in favor of legalizing pot. Uruguay, Portugal, Israel, Canada and the Netherlands have institutionalized medical marijuana programs and decriminalized possession.
Much of the danger has been over-hyped. There are no reports specifically linked to recreational “over-dosing” from marijuana. However, there are reported side-effects of giggling, short-term memory loss and a craving for Cheeze-Its in addition to other delicious candies and snacks.

The challenges continue with banking.

Because marijuana is a schedule I drug, U.S. banks are incredibly reluctant to host accounts for marijuana business’. Store owners are forced to deal solely in cash. This includes payroll, taxes, product, rent, security, etc. This leaves them vulnerable to theft and robbery.

Cannabis, the pain reliever.

The medicinal uses generally associated with cannabis include chronic pain relief, insomnia, stimulation of appetite, nausea and stress relief. The scientific community is in a buzz trying to figure out other benefits associated with marijuana. Most of the focus centers around how marijuana really affects the brain and neurological systems; but with so many uses the possibilities are endless.

New Study Shows Women May Not Receive The Same Analgesic Effects From Cannabis As Men

New Study Shows Women May Not Receive the Same Analgesic Effects from Cannabis as Men

A new study performed by the Columbia University Medical Center shows that cannabis may be more effective at relieving pain for males than females. Most cannabis-based studies so far have been performed on animals rather than humans thus the information that we have can only be taken with a grain of salt until more studies are done including human-based trials.
The recent study performed by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Canter was conducted on 42 human subjects who classified as regular consumers of cannabis. The study was focused on observing the difference in potential pain-relieving effects of cannabis on male vs female patients. 21 men and 21 women participated in the study. The placebo-based trial required the participants to smoke marijuana (some smoked marijuana with THC while others were given a placebo form without THC) and then they immediately participated in a pain response test. The study showed that the pain felt by males was significantly lower than the pain felt by females despite the fact that women have a much higher overall tolerance to pain.
According to the researchers who performed the study, “These results indicate that in cannabis smokers, men exhibit greater cannabis induced analgesia relative to women.” They also feel that this study warrants the need for more in-depth research regarding gender-specific benefits that cannabis may offer. Luckily a recent decision by the federal government is going to allow for more research to be performed. Hopefully, over the course of the next few months and years, we will start to see a seen an influx in the amount of human based cannabis trials being performed.
While the study performed by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center may have been human based it can also only be taken with a grain of salt as there are several different factors that could have influenced the results on this very small group of participants. Some of the factors that play a big part in the results of a study such as this include the participant’s tolerance to cannabis, the potency of the cannabis being utilized, the balance of cannabinoids within the cannabis being consumed and even factors such as the consumption method itself can all have effects on the outcome. What we can take from the results of this study is there is definitely a significant need for further research to be performed to allow us to truly understand the best ways to utilize cannabis for the medical benefits that it provides.
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