Does Marijuana have Medical Value?

All the evidence suggests so

In response to "How much is known about the medicinal properties of cannabis?" Dr Philip Robson, Director of the Cannabinoid Research Institute, an expert on the therapeutic potential of the components of cannabis, stated that "If you've got a range of symptoms, not just pain but perhaps nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, feeling pretty bad about life and the future, a drug which can actually impact several of those symptoms at the same time is potentially particularly useful." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/4104702.stm

"In a paper appearing online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Xia Zhang and colleagues from University of Saskatchewan show that a potent and synthetic cannabinoid promotes neurogenesis. This drug also exerts anti-anxiety and antidepressant-like effects."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051014073523.htm


"To varying degrees, the drug was able to mildly increase appetite and energy intake in all studies. However, a marked improvement in mood was also documented, raising the question of whether the positive effect in energy balance may derive from a specific action of cannabinoids in the brain areas controlling food intake or may be simply due to a generalized change in the sense of well-being."
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/The %20Emerging%20Role%20of%20the%20Endocannabinoid%20System%20in%20Endocrine%20Regulation%20and%20Energy%20Balance.pdf

"The endocannabinoid system has been involved in the control of several neurophysiological and behavioural responses. Indeed, recent studies have suggested that the cannabinoid system could represent an important substrate for the control of emotional behaviour, and further research would probably help to identify new promising therapeutic targets. This paper reviews the results obtained in different animal models used to investigate emotional states after the manipulation of the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoid compounds can induce anxiogenic- and anxiolytic-like responses in rodents depending on the experimental conditions. Studies using knockout mice lacking the CB1 cannabinoid receptors have shown the participation of this receptor in several behavioural responses including anxiety- and depressive-like states. Furthermore, the endocannabinoid system regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis, which is involved in providing an appropriate response to stressful situations. Recent studies have also demonstrated that the endocannabinoids can function as retrograde messengers, modulating the release of different neurotransmitter, including opioids, GABA and cholecystokinin that have been classically involved in the control of anxiety-like responses. All this recent information has further clarified the role played by the endogenous cannabinoid system in the control of emotional behaviour and provides data to support a new possible therapeutic use of cannabinoid compounds."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16250845?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2 .PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed