Imagine Waking Up Every Morning And Knowing That You Have Been Infecte

Imagine waking up every morning and knowing that you have been infected with the AIDS virus, and could die in a couple of years. What if their was something you could do to slow the affects of the virus to live a longer life expectancy? Would you inhale a joint of marijuana, even if it was prescribed by a physician? I believe the majority of people would take the chance to live longer, especially if it meant that they could see a new smiling face each day, another pleasant cheer of laughter to be heard, and a bright colorful sunset to be seen. Marijuana is a relatively mild, nonaddictive drug with hallucinogenic properties, obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant. Resins found on the surface of the female plant are used to prepare the most potent form of marijuana, hashish. The primary active substance is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marijuana produces a dreamy, euphoric state of altered consciousness, with feelings of detachment and gaiety. The appetite is usually enhanced, while the sex drive may increase of decrease.(******) Though exposed with an increasing number in the 1960s up to todays time period, marijuana usage has been an entertainment bandstand throughout the years, and has taken peoples minds to unseen worlds. With all the talk about how great this fantasy drug is, the majority of people do not realize the history that it has, with the ways it affects us, and the medical uses that it provides for us. Many citizens of this world today acknowledge the thought of marijuana as a negative source, but in contrast is has an extremely positive acceptance when dealing with the medical field. Throughout time many people have obtained the thought that marijuana is an evil drug that destroys people lifestyles, and has been only used by those of what some people call as hippies or stoners. When in fact marijuana has been used for past centuries for medical use. In about 2700 B.C, the Emperor Shen-Nung discovered the plant known as cannabis, where marijuana comes from. The ancient Chinese formed many remedies in the form of a liquid extract to help relieve pain from people suffering from menstrual fatigue, malaria, gout, and constipation. Later on, these Chinese solutions spread to Middle East, Central Asia, Greece, and Rome. In 1621, cannabis was recommended by an English clergyman, named Robert Burton, to treat depression. Coming upon the turn of the 19th century, more than a quarter of a million Americans had been addicted to cannabis related drugs, along with cocaine, heroin, and morphine. In 1914 the Harrison Narcotics Act was initiated among America, which was the beginning of many laws confining drugs. Marijuana had soared new heights in popularity during the 1960s, and users started obtaining its therapeutic advantages. US soldiers took the benefits of this drug, during Vietnam, to relieve the pain of spinal cord injuries and to also reduce muscle spasms. About a decade later, marijuanas pharmaceutical capabilities began to capture the attention of sick patients around America, and many of these citizens were being arrested for possession of marijuana. To get marijuana into the hands critically ill cancer patients, at least 20 states passed laws allowing their health departments to conduct research on cannabis medicinal effectiveness, using marijuana provided by the federal governments Investigational New Drug (IND) program. The IND program allowed experimental drugs to be made available to critically ill patients for compassionate use.(*********) But because of governmental restrictions and laws only six states got the chance to perform these investigation; which included New Mexico, California, New York, Tennessee, Michigan, and Georgia. In spite of the fact that the use of marijuana has been illegal in the United States since 1937, research has continued on medical uses of marijuana up to today. One of the most interesting findings was the effect of marijuana in reducing intracular pressure. As the amount of marijuana increased in dosage the pressure within the eye decreased by up to 30%, whether it occurred in a normal persons as well as in those with glaucoma.(*******) In 1949, two doctors, Davis and Ramsey, performed a study on 5 epileptic children and the effect of THC on these children. Five of these children, all had severe symptomatic grand mal epilepsy with mental