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Revision as of 17:23, 17 December 2024
Medical Cannabis 101 A Beginner's Guide
For decades, marijuana was known as an illegal drug and a subculture of its own, far from the mainstream. In recent years though, scientists have found more and more evidence of its therapeutic potential. Cannabis has become a trusted, daily medication for millions of people across the world, treating conditions ranging from anxiety to arthritis to the nausea caused by chemotherapy, without the dangerous and harmful side effects of many popular pharmaceuticals.
The world of cannabis also has an entire language all of its own. In this introduction to medical marijuana, we’ll break down how cannabis works, how patients can use cannabis, what to look for when deciding which cannabis product to use.
How marijuana works
What is the endocannabinoid system?
In the early 1990s, researchers discovered a previously unknown communication system involved in the regulation of nearly every essential function in the body. They named it the endocannabinoid system (ECS) after the plant elements that led researchers to its discovery — cannabinoids.
This system is made up of cannabinoid receptors (called CB1 and CB2), endocannabinoids (natural chemicals in the human body which activate or modulate CB1 and CB2 activity), and enzymes which metabolize the endocannabinoids and clear them from the body.