cannabisguru
Well-Known Member
Q: How does cannabis augment human health?
A: Cannabis strengthens the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is the primary regulating system for all the other systems in the body:
* digestive system
* musculoskeletal system
* respiratory system
* reproductive system
* cardiovascular system
* nervous system
* immune system
* lymphatic system
* endocrine system
Since the endocannabinoid system regulates and moderates all other systems within the body, it's power is simply astounding. There is no other biological mechanism which affects so many aspects of our overall physical and mental well-being as the endocannabinoid system. It is the primary control system which maintains essential chemical, hormonal and electrical balance throughout the body. It does this on a cellular level, as a natural part of maintaining overall good health.
Q: What is the endocannabinoid system?
A: The endocannabinoid system is composed of a large number of two types of receptors, called the CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors are on cells of various sorts, primarily cells associated with immune system and neurological functions. Substances, known as endocannabinoids, are also part of the endocannabinoid system. These substances act like keys which fit in the CB1 and CB2 receptors, prompting them to action. It's important to understand that endocannabinoids are produced by the body, naturally, as part of the processes of achieving and maintaining equilibrium in all the body's systems. Cannabinoids found in cannabis appear to affect the endocannabinoid system directly and in very dramatic ways. Because the endocannabinoid system modulates and regulates every other system in the body, we see many beneficial effects from one single plant.
Q: Where is the endocannabinoid system?
A: The CB1 and CB2 receptors are scattered throughout the body, with high concentrations of CB1 receptors in various parts of the brain. These CB1 receptors are the receptors responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis.
CB2 receptors, on the other hand, are concentrated primarily in the immune system, especially the spleen. The CB2 receptors have no psychoactive effects when they are active. But, they have a great deal to do with the internal balancing act the endocannabinoid system is designed to achieve.
It is believed that there are still more undiscovered endocannabinoid receptors, as well. It's obvious from the research that there is at least one more psychoactive receptor which responds to the presence of THC.
Myth: Marijuana Can Cause Permanent Mental Illness. Among adolescents, even occasional marijuana use may cause psychological damage. During intoxication, marijuana users become irrational and often behave erratically.
Fact: There is no convincing scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness in either teenagers or adults. Some marijuana users experience psychological distress following marijuana ingestion, which may include feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia. Such experiences can be frightening, but the effects are temporary. With very large doses, marijuana can cause temporary toxic psychosis. This occurs rarely, and almost always when marijuana is eaten rather than smoked. Marijuana does not cause profound changes in people's behavior.
Myth: Marijuana is Highly Addictive. Long term marijuana users experience physical dependence and withdrawal, and often need professional drug treatment to break their marijuana habits.
Fact: Most people who smoke marijuana smoke it only occasionally. A small minority of Americans - less than 1 percent - smoke marijuana on a daily basis. An even smaller minority develop a dependence on marijuana. Some people who smoke marijuana heavily and frequently stop without difficulty. Others seek help from drug treatment professionals. Marijuana does not cause physical dependence. If people experience withdrawal symptoms at all, they are remarkably mild.
Myth: Marijuana Offenses Are Not Severely Punished. Few marijuana law violators are arrested and hardly anyone goes to prison. This lenient treatment is responsible for marijuana continued availability and use.
Fact: Marijuana arrests in the United States doubled between 1991 and 1995. In 1995, more than one-half-million people were arrested for marijuana offenses. Eighty-six percent of them were arrested for marijuana possession. Tens of thousands of people are now in prison or marijuana offenses. An even greater number are punished with probation, fines, and civil sanctions, including having their property seized, their driver's license revoked, and their employment terminated. Despite these civil and criminal sanctions, marijuana continues to be readily available and widely used. (which is why we need to LEGALIZE cannabis!! Let the real criminals fill the prisons!)
Myth: Marijuana is a Gateway Drug. Even if marijuana itself causes minimal harm, it is a dangerous substance because it leads to the use of "harder drugs" like heroin, LSD, and cocaine.
Fact: Marijuana does not cause people to use hard drugs. What the gateway theory presents as a causal explanation is a statistic association between common and uncommon drugs, an association that changes over time as different drugs increase and decrease in prevalence. Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug in the United States today. Therefore, people who have used less popular drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and LSD, are likely to have also used marijuana. Most marijuana users never use any other illegal drug. Indeed, for the large majority of people, marijuana is a terminus rather than a gateway drug.
Myth: Marijuana's Harms Have Been Proved Scientifically. In the 1960s and 1970s, many people believed that marijuana was harmless. Today we know that marijuana is much more dangerous than previously believed.
Fact: In 1972, after reviewing the scientific evidence, the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse concluded that while marijuana was not entirely safe, its dangers had been grossly overstated. Since then, researchers have conducted thousands of studies of humans, animals, and cell cultures. None reveal any findings dramatically different from those described by the National Commission in 1972. In 1995, based on thirty years of scientific research editors of the British medical journal Lancet concluded that "the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."
Information taken from: http://www.thecureforcanceraustralia.com/index.php?p=1_6_Cannabis-Facts-Myths
A: Cannabis strengthens the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is the primary regulating system for all the other systems in the body:
* digestive system
* musculoskeletal system
* respiratory system
* reproductive system
* cardiovascular system
* nervous system
* immune system
* lymphatic system
* endocrine system
Since the endocannabinoid system regulates and moderates all other systems within the body, it's power is simply astounding. There is no other biological mechanism which affects so many aspects of our overall physical and mental well-being as the endocannabinoid system. It is the primary control system which maintains essential chemical, hormonal and electrical balance throughout the body. It does this on a cellular level, as a natural part of maintaining overall good health.
Q: What is the endocannabinoid system?
A: The endocannabinoid system is composed of a large number of two types of receptors, called the CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors are on cells of various sorts, primarily cells associated with immune system and neurological functions. Substances, known as endocannabinoids, are also part of the endocannabinoid system. These substances act like keys which fit in the CB1 and CB2 receptors, prompting them to action. It's important to understand that endocannabinoids are produced by the body, naturally, as part of the processes of achieving and maintaining equilibrium in all the body's systems. Cannabinoids found in cannabis appear to affect the endocannabinoid system directly and in very dramatic ways. Because the endocannabinoid system modulates and regulates every other system in the body, we see many beneficial effects from one single plant.
Q: Where is the endocannabinoid system?
A: The CB1 and CB2 receptors are scattered throughout the body, with high concentrations of CB1 receptors in various parts of the brain. These CB1 receptors are the receptors responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis.
CB2 receptors, on the other hand, are concentrated primarily in the immune system, especially the spleen. The CB2 receptors have no psychoactive effects when they are active. But, they have a great deal to do with the internal balancing act the endocannabinoid system is designed to achieve.
It is believed that there are still more undiscovered endocannabinoid receptors, as well. It's obvious from the research that there is at least one more psychoactive receptor which responds to the presence of THC.
Myth: Marijuana Can Cause Permanent Mental Illness. Among adolescents, even occasional marijuana use may cause psychological damage. During intoxication, marijuana users become irrational and often behave erratically.
Fact: There is no convincing scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness in either teenagers or adults. Some marijuana users experience psychological distress following marijuana ingestion, which may include feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia. Such experiences can be frightening, but the effects are temporary. With very large doses, marijuana can cause temporary toxic psychosis. This occurs rarely, and almost always when marijuana is eaten rather than smoked. Marijuana does not cause profound changes in people's behavior.
Myth: Marijuana is Highly Addictive. Long term marijuana users experience physical dependence and withdrawal, and often need professional drug treatment to break their marijuana habits.
Fact: Most people who smoke marijuana smoke it only occasionally. A small minority of Americans - less than 1 percent - smoke marijuana on a daily basis. An even smaller minority develop a dependence on marijuana. Some people who smoke marijuana heavily and frequently stop without difficulty. Others seek help from drug treatment professionals. Marijuana does not cause physical dependence. If people experience withdrawal symptoms at all, they are remarkably mild.
Myth: Marijuana Offenses Are Not Severely Punished. Few marijuana law violators are arrested and hardly anyone goes to prison. This lenient treatment is responsible for marijuana continued availability and use.
Fact: Marijuana arrests in the United States doubled between 1991 and 1995. In 1995, more than one-half-million people were arrested for marijuana offenses. Eighty-six percent of them were arrested for marijuana possession. Tens of thousands of people are now in prison or marijuana offenses. An even greater number are punished with probation, fines, and civil sanctions, including having their property seized, their driver's license revoked, and their employment terminated. Despite these civil and criminal sanctions, marijuana continues to be readily available and widely used. (which is why we need to LEGALIZE cannabis!! Let the real criminals fill the prisons!)
Myth: Marijuana is a Gateway Drug. Even if marijuana itself causes minimal harm, it is a dangerous substance because it leads to the use of "harder drugs" like heroin, LSD, and cocaine.
Fact: Marijuana does not cause people to use hard drugs. What the gateway theory presents as a causal explanation is a statistic association between common and uncommon drugs, an association that changes over time as different drugs increase and decrease in prevalence. Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug in the United States today. Therefore, people who have used less popular drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and LSD, are likely to have also used marijuana. Most marijuana users never use any other illegal drug. Indeed, for the large majority of people, marijuana is a terminus rather than a gateway drug.
Myth: Marijuana's Harms Have Been Proved Scientifically. In the 1960s and 1970s, many people believed that marijuana was harmless. Today we know that marijuana is much more dangerous than previously believed.
Fact: In 1972, after reviewing the scientific evidence, the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse concluded that while marijuana was not entirely safe, its dangers had been grossly overstated. Since then, researchers have conducted thousands of studies of humans, animals, and cell cultures. None reveal any findings dramatically different from those described by the National Commission in 1972. In 1995, based on thirty years of scientific research editors of the British medical journal Lancet concluded that "the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."
Information taken from: http://www.thecureforcanceraustralia.com/index.php?p=1_6_Cannabis-Facts-Myths
