Chapter 52. Cannabis, Miracle Drug of the 21st Century

Chapter 52. Cannabis, Miracle Drug of the 21st Century

Left Image: Cannabis plant photograph, courtesy of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Although cannabis (marijuana) was a medicinal plant for thousands of years, its use was suppressed and banned throughout most of the 20th century.  Banned in England, Canada and the US in the 1930's, medical cannabis represents the first casualty in the war against natural medicine waged by the pharmaceutical industry.  While banned in the US, there have been major scientific breakthroughs in Israel, Spain, Italy and Brazil over the last two decades.  These breakthroughs have made cannabis "the wonder drug of the 21st century".

The Father of Medical Cannabis Research

The greatest cannabis researcher is unquestionably Raphael Mechoulam from Israel.(76)  In 1964, Mechoulam discovered the active ingredient in cannabis, THC (Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinol). (2)   In 1992, he discovered the first endogenous endo-cannabinoid, Anandamide, a sanskrit word translated as "bliss".(78)  Endo-Cannabinoids are marijuana-like compounds made by our own brain, and circulate normally in your body.

A Treasure Trove Waiting for Discovery

When asked why he devoted his entire lifetime studying the biochemistry of cannabis, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam said the following:

"The three major illicit drugs derived from plants were then (at the beginning of my career), and still are, opium, coca and cannabis. Morphine had been isolated from opium early in the 19th century and structure elucidated in the 1920s by Robert Robinson. Cocaine was isolated from coca leaves in the middle of the 19th century and structure described by Richard Willstatter in the last decade of the 19th century. I believe that the cannabinoids represented a medicinal treasure trove which waits to be discovered."(79-82)

Just Like the Opiate Receptor Story

In a story very similar to the discovery of opiate receptors in the brain, cannabinoid receptors have been discovered along with their endogenous cannabinoids, representing the largest neurotransmitter system in the brain and immune system.  This neurotransmitter system went undetected for decades because it involves an unheard of concept, retrograde transmission, or reversed flow of information from the post synapse to the pre-synapse.

The Cannabinoid Receptor Story

In the 1970s, Morphine was isolated from the poppy plant and found to bind to opiate receptors in the brain.  Scientists eventually discovered that people make their own opioids, called enkephalins and endorphins. Morphine simply hijacks the receptors for the brain's opioids.  It seemed likely that something similar was happening with THC and the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and the immune system.  The health implications of the endo-cannabinoid system are staggering.  Cannabinoids act as a bioregulatory mechanism for most life processes

Safety of Marijuana:

There has never been a documented human fatality from marijuana. The respiratory depression from opiates does not happen with cannabinoids.  The active ingredient in cannabis is Cannabidiol, a Schedule I drug in the USA, despite having no psychoactive effects and no known abuse potential.  Cannabidiol kills cancer cells, relieves pain, serves as an anti-depressant, and has numerous other medical uses. In the US, 13 states that have passed laws legalizing medicinal cannabis. You can join the movement to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis by calling, emailing or writing your congressman today.

Warning and Disclaimer:

Marijuana is an illegal drug in many US states and other countries. It is illegal to grow or possess the marijuana plant, also known as the hemp plant.  Even when used as a prescribed medicine, marijuana use may result in arrest, fines or imprisonment.  Only use marijuana as a drug if it has been legally prescribed by a licensed physician in a state or country that has legalized the use of medical marijuana.

For references and links, see web site: www.bioidenticalhormones101.com

References for Chapter 52. Cannabinoids, Miracle Drug of the 21st Century

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