It is therapeutic, composed of chemicals derived from the plant to treat symptoms and diseases.
Over the last decades, marijuana has gradually managed to leave behind the stigmatization that considered it of little benefit to the health of human beings.
In the 20th century, cannabis was one of the products prohibited in Colombia, the United States, Europe and several parts of the world, which caused its commercialization to be illegal for years and helped the creation of large drug cartels in South and Central America.
But with the beginning of the new millennium, the change of habits of the population and the opening of society to a different world with new ideas, several countries decided to decriminalize marijuana and take advantage of its benefits in the medical field.
The first South American nation to legalize cannabis crops and take one of the most important steps for therapeutic use was Uruguay in 2013. Several years later it was joined by countries such as Colombia, which under the mandate of Juan Manuel Santos decided to normalize its gradual commercialization.
Medical marijuana comes from the ‘Cannabis sativa’ plant and its use in recent years has increased to treat health conditions. In the United States, several states have decided to legalize cultivation for medicinal purposes.
Therapeutic cannabis can be used to relieve pain, whether nervous or chronic. In addition, according to some experts, it helps people with diseases that cause loss of appetite to feel more willing to eat. However, despite decades of studies, its efficacy and safety have not been 100% proven.
Diseases
– Alzheimer’s disease
– HIV or AIDS
– Glaucoma
– Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
– Crohn’s disease
– Epilepsy and seizures
– Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
– Severe nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment
Contraindications
To date, medical marijuana has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, some experts do not recommend its use to treat diseases because it can cause side effects.
Among the most known are addiction, dry mouth, red eyes. Other conditions that can be caused by its use include damage to the respiratory system (if smoked) and memory loss.