Should Medical Marijuana be Federally Legalized?

Recommend (8) Comments (0)

Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical indications. A meta-analysis published in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Ethnopharamacology identifies more than 70 controlled clinical trials available in the scientific literature investigating the medical safety and efficacy of cannabinoids as therapeutic agents. Results of these patient trials indicate that cannabis and its constituents possess therapeutic utility as antiemetics, appetite stimulants in debilitating diseases (e.g. cancer and AIDS), and as analgesic agents.

Studies further indicate that cannabis provides symptomatic relief for multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Tourette¹s syndrome, epilepsy, and glaucoma, among other serious diseases.
 
Published case studies as well as hundreds of preclinical studies in the scientific literature indicate that cannabis and cannabinoids also provide therapeutic utility for various other diseases, such as dystonia, bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia, Crohn¹s disease and other gastro-intestinal ailments, as well as possess neuroprotective and anti-cancer properties. Animal data also demonstrate that cannabinoids may moderate the progression of certain auto-immune and neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig¹s Disease, Alzheimer¹s, and diabetes, and can stimulate neurogenesis. Numerous animal trials, as well as one patient trial, also conclude that cannabinoids can halt the proliferation of various strains of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and brain cancer.