This is the story of a plant. A special and unique plant. A plant that human beings, honestly, do not really understand. This organically occurring plant is also known as cannabis, marijuana, mary-jane, fire, trees, weed and it is the most commonly used illegal-drug in the United States. The federal government classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 substance: the same as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, psilocybin, MDMA, GHB, mescaline, and bath salts.
How the fuck did marijuana become a schedule 1 drug? Racism
against Mexican and African-Americans during the jazz revolution of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Also, Ronald Reagan was a complete idiot. He cited evidence from sources that were later completely discredited when he spoke of brain cancer, the effects of marijuana on the brain because none of the results could be replicated. In truth, the Heath Tulane study of 1984 tortured and killed many monkey subjects by forcing them to smoke the equivalent of 30 joints in about 5 minutes. The monkey’s brains atrophied and died after about 90 days and the study has been cited ever since.
Modern research completely contradicts the early, inaccurate, and assumptive studies used for government propaganda in the middle of the 20th century. There were a few studies that linked adolescent smoking to a drop in IQ in young adulthood, but these were later proven as statistically irrelevant. The truth is, THC and CBD are two of the 483 compounds in the plant, 84 of which are cannabinoids and many of them have therapeutic and medicinal qualities. We have written records of people using the drugs in 3 BCE.
We are essentially ignorant to many of the healing properties of cannabis because of the fear tactics and campaigning of timber companies in the 20s and 30s and the government afterwards. There is really no reason for marijuana to be illegal, parents fear for their children, but what do we actually know about how marijuana affect development? And why do we continue to think of laws as preventative, when in actuality, they are punitive. Why are people being punished for something that makes them happy? Why is something that has proven medical uses still a schedule 1 federal drug?
Essentially, it all comes down to economics. Our government, unfortunately, has become very short-sighted and reactive rather than dictating economic prosperity, so it is pressured into decisions by big corporations that end badly for the american people. Imagine if hemp competed with timber for the last hundred years? Timber companies would be a lot poorer, that’s for sure. Same thing for oil companies today. The government just doesn’t know what to do about pot.
So we have sugar completely legalized, sold like it’s the fruit of the gods, and I think every kid in the western world is addicted to it. What is we tried to link sugar to suicide? How about obesity? Yeah, it probably kills more than all the other drugs combined. Coffee is another drug that is totally acceptable to be addicted to. That’s basically sugar too right? What if we replaced sugar with weed? I mean, if you really watch Starbucks, it could easily be replaced with marijuana and totally make sense. Weedbucks. I like it.
Let’s not even get started with prescription drugs. How much pill addiction could be avoided with marijuana usage? I really feel bad for NFL players, it must really suck to have to avoid and pass those tests. Can’t even smoke a damn joint, but you can easily get drugs more powerful than heroine.
I’ve been taking drugs since I was 6 and let me tell you, they are unavoidable. They are in everything, your brain is full of them. And what does a drug means anyways? Specific chemicals? We don’t even know what the chemicals do well enough to really know how they affect the brain over long periods of time. And guess what, when you eat, chemicals are released in your brain. Same thing when you go to the bathroom. The brain is constantly adaptive and you want it to be that way so you can react to your environment and survive, but it seems interesting to not want to alter your brain. Obviously your body will do its best to return to a normal homeostasis, but your brain is most reactive to change. It is how we learn.
So here are some of the benefits of marijuana and their sources. Don’t be so worried about the negative effects, but remember to keep everything in balance. I really have been searching for negative effects for a while and haven’t found anything that’s as solid as the evidence for the use of marijuana.
Here is the truth about the endocannabanoid system (the body’s natural cannabinoid neurotransmitter system):
“The endocannabinoid system is a group of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors in the brain that are involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory; it mediates the psychoactive effects of cannabis and, broadly speaking, includes:
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The endogenous arachidonate-based lipids, anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG); these are known as “endocannabinoids” and are physiological ligands for the cannabinoid receptors. Endocannabinoids are all eicosanoids.[1]
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The enzymes that synthesize and degrade the endocannabinoids, such as fatty acid amide hydrolase or monoacylglycerol lipase.
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The cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, two G protein-coupled receptors that are located in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
The endocannabinoid system has been studied using genetic and pharmacological methods. These studies have revealed that cannabinoids act as neuromodulators[2][3][4] for a variety of physiological processes, including motor learning,[5]synaptic plasticity,[6]appetite,[7] and pain sensation.[8]“
So there you have it, this pretty much explains why marijuana has the effects that it does. Here are some articles to expand on the idea that marijuana really does help people in a very big way.
HIV/AIDS patients: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Abstract/2004/01010/Patterns_of_Marijuana_Use_Among_Patients_With.5.aspx
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v34/n3/abs/npp2008120a.htm
Near death patients with glaucoma, MS, nausea, muscular pain: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J175v02n01_02#.VLQvGmTF88Y
Medical usage in the Netherlands: http://www.neurology.org/content/64/5/917.short
Benefits for sleep disorders: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbdv.200790150/abstract;jsessionid=742B536A9CD4626293974D518AB6A63B.f03t03
As you can see, there is a lot of evidence for the use of cannabis, most in terms of pain regulation, because that is a huge part of what the bodies endogenous cannabinoid system does for the central nervous system. This doesn’t even mention the amazing benefits that the CBD compound in the plant has on epilepsy. Think of the money involved with the use of this plant, or maybe the lack thereof. The war on drugs is really a war on money, plants are the least of everyone’s concern.
What positive experiences have you had with the plant? What negative experiences? Would love to hear from some conscientious users!