According to National Cancer Institute website cancer.gov the Cannabis plant produces a resin containing psychoactive compounds called cannabinoids which are a group of terpenophenolic compounds found in Cannabis species (Cannabis sativa L. and Cannabis indica Lam.)., activate specific receptors found throughout the body to produce pharmacologic effects, particularly in the central nervous system and the immune system. Cannabinoids benefits in the treatment for people with cancer -related symptoms caused by the disease itself or its treatment.
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, originated in Central Asia but is grown worldwide today. In the United States, it is a controlled substance and is classified as a Schedule I agent (a drug with increased potential for abuse and no known medical use).
Cannabis use for medicinal purposes:
Cannabis use for medicinal purposes dates back at least 3,000 years. It was introduced into Western medicine in the 1840s by W.B. O’Shaughnessy, a surgeon who learned of its medicinal properties while working in India for the British East Indies Company. Its use was promoted for reported analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and anticonvulsant effects.
Cannabis use for medicinal purposes dates back at least 3,000 years. It was introduced into Western medicine in the 1840s by W.B. O’Shaughnessy, a surgeon who learned of its medicinal properties while working in India for the British East Indies Company. Its use was promoted for reported analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and anticonvulsant effects.
In 1937, the U.S. Treasury Department introduced the Marihuana Tax Act. This Act imposed a levy of one dollar an ounce for medicinal use of Cannabis and one hundred dollars an ounce for recreational use.
Physicians in the United States were the principal opponents of the Act. AMA believed that objective evidence that Cannabis was addictive was lacking and that passage of the Act would impede further research into its medicinal worth. In 1942, Cannabis was removed from the U.S. Pharmacopoeia because of persistent concerns about its potential to cause harm.
In 1951, Congress passed the Boggs Act, which for the first time, included Cannabis with narcotic drugs. In 1970, with the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug. Drugs in this category are distinguished as having no accepted medicinal use. Other Schedule I substances include heroin, LSD, mescaline, methaqualone, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate.
Despite its designation as having no medicinal use, Cannabis was distributed to patients by the U.S. government on a case-by-case basis under the Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug program established in 1978. Distribution of Cannabis through this program was discontinued in 1992. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs approved marijuana use for patients in states where its medicinal use is legal.
Source: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page1
But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved (under big pharmaceuticals companies) the use of Cannabis as a treatment for any medical condition till this date.
Big Pharma’s big contributions to many legislators means they have many elected officials willing to see things the drug companies’ way on this, as on many other issues. Even legislators known to take a strong states’ right stance on other issues, such as offshore drilling, somehow find themselves standing up for federal oversight on this topic. For example, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who holds the dubious distinction of the being the member of Congress who has accepted the largest amount from pharmaceutical firms, has taken a stance against state legalization of marijuana.
If you have a politician in your state who speaks out against medical marijuana, you may want to look into his/her ties to Big Pharma. As the American Independent observes, the pharmaceutical giants’ strategy as regards marijuana seems to be “demonize it, prosecute it, shut it down, then grab the market.” Let your friends and family know that many of those who fight against medical marijuana are not, as they may prefer to present themselves, taking a pro-family stance against drug addiction, but shills for multinational drug corporations who want to keep all drug profits in their coffers.
The idea that a drug can be denounced as evil in one context but hailed as a medical miracle if sold within the pharmaceutical system is nothing new.
