Cannabis sativa or marijuana is a green-leafy herb that has been in used for several purposes throughout written history. While being a rich source of fiber, marijuana has been used as a drug or  medicine. In some societies, it used for spiritual purposes. However, when abusively used, marijuana leads to several ill health side effects. Among which are difficulty in remembering, delayed reaction time, paranoia, anxiety and sleepiness. Notwithstanding,  when used with  professional guidance, marijuana can be the best alternative herbal medicine  out there as revealed by the results of numerous medical researches conducted across the world. Listed below are some of the serious illnesses for which marijuana has been found to be of great help at preventing or curing those diseases.

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Neuron growth

In contrast to the suppressing effects of other social drugs as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine in the growth of new neuron cells, marijuana has been found to promote the growth of new neuron cells in rat’s hippocampi  as reported by researchers from the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. “Although this is found in animals, but we surely cannot dismiss the fact that it may hold true in humans”, the researchers said. Better yet, a synthetic or plant – derived versions of cannabinoids,  give the same positive results.

Alzheimer’s disease   

 A research done by the Scripps Research Institute in California have shown that an active ingredient called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ,may prevent the formation of the enzyme called acetylcholinesterase  that accelerates the formation of Alzheimer’s Plaques, even much faster that what is accomplished by commercially available drugs. And as reported by Molecular Pharmaceutics,THC is more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit the memory and cognition of people suffering from Alzheimer’s.

 Breast Cancer

A compound found in cannabis may stop breast cancer cells from spreading throughout the body according to a study done by a group of scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute.  They are optimistic that  their study will provide a non-toxic replacement to chemotherapy while achieving the same results without the agony of pain and the worry of ill-side effects. Researchers believe that metastasis, a process believed to be responsible of the aggressive spreading of tumor cells, is effectively block by the chemical found in marijuana called cannabidiol or CBD.

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Lung Cancer

Researchers at Harvard University, who tested THC in both lab and mouse studies have found that THC  amazingly reduced tumor growth in common lung cancer by 50 percent, thus reducing the ability of the cancer to spread out. Grounded on that information, they hypothesized that THC can be used to treat lung cancer in humans. In addition,  a separate study done by Dr. Donald Tashkin of the University of California, Los Angeles, found that in great contrast to smoking tobacco, smoking marijuana does not pose to increase the risk of lung cancer or head -and-neck malignancies, even among heavy users.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS patients suffer from losing appetite, but a recent study done by investigators at Columbia University has shown that HIV/AIDS patients who were allowed to inhale cannabis four times daily revealed a significant increase in their food intake with less associated discomfort or impairment of cognitive performance. On the other hand, a group of researchers from the school of medicine of the University of California, San Diego ,discovered that smoking marijuana significantly reduces HIV-related pain, making marijuana a desirable addition to a patient’s already – prescribed pain management regimen. 

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Head Injuries

It has been shown in laboratory experiments with mice that medical marijuana lower the amount of secondary damages suffered from head injuries; it also speeds up the time to recover. This one beneficial effect of marijuana is attributed to its being able to display neuroprotective properties with the 2-Arachidonyl glycerol compound.

Brain cancer

Just this April 2009, a study held at the Complutense University in Madrid found that the canabinnoids promotes the death of brain cancer cells in mice with human brain cancer cells.  Researchers discovered that when the mice with human brain cancer cells receives THC, the tumor shrank significantly. And when they analyzed the brain tissue taken before and after a 30 – day THC treatment, researchers have found that the living healthy cells remain intact, while allowing the patient free from any toxic effects from the THC treatment;  it was also learned that THC treatment as a form of therapy can be well tolerated.

So it seems that marijuana is well into becoming a miracle plant as shown by its seemingly endless medical benefits.  However, some of those studies are still far from being strongly conclusive, but it appears that this highly controversial plant will soon revolutionized medical science. As the common information would tell us, excessive use of marijuana for social and recreation purposes can really put the user into social and  cognitive health – related troubles, thus the prohibition by the concerned authority. Professional prescription is absolutely imperative if one considers marijuana for health gain.