the medical marijuana maze chapter one: introduction nancy e. marion copyright © 2014 nancy marion....

The Medical Marijuana Maze

Chapter One:Introduction

Nancy E. Marion

Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Marijuana is one of the oldest and most widely used psychoactive substances.

Evidence shows that marijuana use provides relief from some medical conditions.

The drug remains illegal in many U.S. states and at the federal level.


Important Terms

Cannabis – scientific name for the plant from which marijuana is derived.

Marijuana – from Mexican Spanish, typical term used to refer to the dried leaves and tops of the cannabis plant, used for recreation.

Hemp – term used to refer to fiber derived from the cannabis plant

Medical Marijuana – refers to the cultivation, possession, and/or use of marijuana for medical purposes.


What distinguishes medical marijuana?

The difference between marijuana used for recreation and medical marijuana is legal. Medical marijuana:

Must be recommended by a licensed physician to treat a diagnosed medical condition.

Refers not only to use of the plant itself, but also to synthesized versions of the active compounds, cannabinoids.


The two types of marijuana

Cannabis refers to the genus. There are two primary species:

Cannabis sativa – tall plants with sparse foliage and slender leaves, used primarily for hemp.

Cannabis indica – A shorter species with higher levels of therapeutic and psychoactive compounds, native to India.


Cannabinoids

Over 400 different compounds Different compounds have a variety of

effects; some act as appetite stimulants, antispasmodics, antiemetics, analgesics, etc.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinnol, or THC, is the main psychoactive compound


Examples of Cannabinoids Cannabidiol has numerous potential applications:

May relieve convulsions, inflammation, high blood pressure, anxiety, cough, pain, congestion, nausea, and inhibit cancer cell growth.

May help treat schizophrenia and alleviate multiple sclerosis, anxiety attacks, and Tourette Syndrome.

Not a psychoactive, so does not produce the feeling of being “high.”

B-caryophyllene reduces inflammation, and has been used to treat glaucoma. It also lacks psychoactive properties.


Synthetic Cannabinoids

Sativex Synthetic THC mouth spray Used to treat spasticity associated with MS Launched in the United Kingdom and

approved in Spain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Austria.

U.S. patent granted in 2001 to treat pain associated with cancer.



dronabinol (Marinol) Administered as a pill or spray Used to treat nausea, stimulate appetite,

and relieve MS symptoms. May not be effective for all patients, due to

containing only one of the many compounds found in marijuana.

Pill form is slow acting and can be difficult to swallow for those with nausea or vomiting.



Levonantradol Synthetic THC introduced in the 1970s and

discontinued due to side effects. Cesamet (Nabilone)

Used to treat chemotherapy associated nausea and vomiting.

Canasol Used to relieve intraocular pressure from

late stage glaucoma.


The full set of PowerPoint slides is available upon adoption. Email [email protected]

for more information.

the medical marijuana maze chapter one: introduction nancy e. marion copyright © 2014 nancy marion....

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