Medical marijuana advantages

In the medical marijuana debate, such totally opposite views are typical. Often what one side sees as a problem the other sees as an advantage. Perhaps the only clear fact about medical cannabis is that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Given that, the Institute of Medicine (lOM) set about to determine the truths about medical marijuana. 

Several medicinal benefits of marijuana have been described. These include antinausea effects that have been applied to the relief of side effects of anticancer chemotherapy, muscle-relaxing effects, anticonvulsant effects, and reduction of intraocular pressure for the treatment of glaucoma. These medical benefits come at the cost of the psychoactive effects that often impair normal activities. Thus, there is no clear advantage of marijuana over conventional treatments for any of these indications. 

Summary - Even a cursory look at the literature on cannabis would lead one to the conclusion that marijuana is "a drug for all reasons". Perhaps the many biological activities of marijuana impeded its therapeutic use during the past 1+0 years. As recently as 19T1 the natural material or THC appeared to offer little advantage over currently used medications used as sedatives, analgesics, antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs... 

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