Marijuana research findings

Zeese, Kevin B. Research Findings on Medicinal Properties ofMarijuana. Medical MJ Science.org. Available online. URL http //www.medmjscience. org/Pages/history/zeese.bhtml. Downloaded January 8, 2004. An attorney and advocate involved in federal marijuana rescheduling cases summarizes the history of medicinal use of marijuana and describes major research studies that have tended to confirm the medical value of marijuana for certain conditions such as anorexia, nausea, and glaucoma. 

Perez-Reyes M (1990) Marijuana smoking factors that inUuence the bioavaUabUity of tetrahydrocannabinol. In Chiang CN, Hawks RL (eds) Research findings on smoking of abused substances. NIDA Research Monograph 99, RockvUle, pp 42-62... 

Some studies in humans did find reproductive effects from marijuana however, they were found to be temporary. For example, in a study in which men smoked up to 20 marijuana cigarettes a day (considered a very heavy dose), researchers found a decrease in their sperm concentrations. However, by the end of one month, sperm counts had returned to normal despite continued dosing of marijuana. This temporary effect was also shown in animal studies. In a study of female monkeys, high doses of THC resulted in hormonal changes and a disruption of their menstrual cycle. However, after six months of similar THC doses, the monkeys hormonal levels and menstrual cycles returned to normal. Overall, the consensus of most researchers today is that THC has little impact on the reproductive system. 

Late in 1997, a group of experts who reviewed all the research available to date reported to the National Institutes of Health about marijuana s therapeutic value. In their forty-five-page report, they indicated that marijuana may counteract weight loss in people with AIDS, spasticity in those with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries, and nausea among patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. They recommended controlled studies to find out if marijuana is useful, for whom, and how to use it. —... 

It may well be that as researchers continue to explore different molecular bondings and arrangements, they may find a way to remove some sleepy components or otherwise spice up the effects. Just as the cigarette called "Merit is said to emphasize certain fractions of more than 2,000 available in tobacco, similar techniques of analytical fractometry may help bring about similar consequences as production of marijuana becomes more sophisticated. 

The inability to experience the drug unprompted was a major finding in the first scientific study of marijuana (by Weil, Zinberg and Nelson in Boston, 1968). On identical amounts of the substance, regular users discovered they got quite high, while non-users noticed no changes. Researchers wonder whether this difference results from having learned to appreciate... 

Besides studies comparing marijuana users and nonusers, considerable laboratory research has been directed at finding a link between marijuana use and amotivational syndrome. Most of these studies found that marijuana did not have a significant impact on motivation or learning and work performance. Such results have led researchers to suspect that people with low motivation from nondrug reasons— perhaps because they live with depression, illness, or poverty— are... 

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