Cannabis
What is marijuana?
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mix of dried, crumbled parts from the marijuana plant. The plant contains chemicals which act on your brain and can change your mood or consciousness.
How do people use marijuana?There are many different ways that people use marijuana, including:
- Rolling it up and smoking it like a cigarette or cigar
- Smoking it in a pipe
- Mixing it in food and eating it
- Brewing it as a tea
- Smoking oils from the plant ("dabbing")
- Using electronic vaporizers ("vaping")
Marijuana can cause both short-term and long-term effects.
Short term:
While you are high, you may experience:
- Altered senses, such as seeing brighter colors
- Altered sense of time, such as minutes seeming like hours
- Changes in mood
- Problems with body movement
- Trouble with thinking, problem-solving, and memory
- Increased appetite
Long term:
In the long term, marijuana can cause health problems, such as:
- Problems with brain development. People who started using marijuana as teenagers may have trouble with thinking, memory, and learning.
- Coughing and breathing problems, if you smoke marijuana frequently
- Problems with child development during and after pregnancy, if a woman smokes marijuana while pregnant
It is possible to overdose on marijuana, if you take a very high dose. Symptoms of an overdose include anxiety, panic, and a rapid heartbeat. In rare cases, an overdose can cause paranoia and hallucinations. There are no reports of people dying from using just marijuana.
Is marijuana addictive?After using marijuana for a while, it is possible to get addicted to it. You are more likely to become addicted if you use marijuana every day or you started using it when you were a teenager. If you are addicted, you will have a strong need to take the drug. You may also need to smoke more and more of it to get the same high. When you try to quit, you may have mild withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Decreased appetite
- Anxiety
- Cravings
The marijuana plant has chemicals that can help with some health problems. More states are making it legal to use the plant as medicine for certain medical conditions. But there isn't enough research to show that the whole plant works to treat or cure these conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the marijuana plant as a medicine. Marijuana is still illegal at the national level.
However, there have been scientific studies of cannabinoids, the chemicals in marijuana. The two main cannabinoids that are of medical interest are THC and CBD. The FDA has approved two drugs that contain THC. These drugs treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and increase appetite in patients who have severe weight loss from AIDS. There is also a liquid drug that contains CBD. It treats two forms of severe childhood epilepsy. Scientists are doing more research with marijuana and its ingredients to treat many diseases and conditions.
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Felter's Materia Medica on Cannabis
The dried flowering tops of the female plant of Cannabis sativa, Linné, or the variety indica, Lamarck (Nat. Ord. Cannabinaceae). Asia, East Indies......f the world, notably in the United States. Common Names: Guaza, Ganjah, Gunjah, Ganga; Indian Hemp (Cannabis indica) when derived from the Indian plant. Principal Constituents.Not well determined. T......ted: Cannabin, an active brown resin, and cannabinon, a soft resin. Preparation.Specific Medicine Cannabis. Dose, 1/2 to 10 drops. Specific Indications.Marked nervous depression; irritation of the...1
An oleoresin derived from species of Copaiba growing in South America. Dose, 5 to 30 drops. Description.A viscid, pale-yellow or brownish-yellow... / ...ge should be treated with Rx. Specific Medicine Aconite, 10 drops; Specific Medicines Gelsemium and Cannabis, one fluidrachm each; Simple Syrup, enough to make 4 fluidounces. Mix. Sig.: One teaspoonfu...1
Physician's Materia Medica on Cannabis
A combination of sedatives and hypnotics whose uses may be de duced from its composition. Each fluidrachm contains; Chloral, 15 grs.; Potassium Bromide, 15 grs.; Ext. Henbane, % gr.; Ext. Cannabis Ind ica, $1; gr. Dose for hypnotic effect, 4 c. c. (1 fluidrachm).2
The flowering tops of the pistillate plant of CANNABIs sa'r1vA, Lin., grown in the East Indies. Antispasmodic, analgesic, deliriant. aphrodisiac. Locally applied it is anti-pruritic. Prescribed in teta nus, in neuralgia, in insomnia and other conditions depending on anemia of the brain, in combating the morphine habit, etc. Dose, 0.2 to 0.6 Grm. (3 to 10 grs.) or more.2
A popular combination of anodynes much used for relief of colic, cholera morbus and spasmodic pains in general. Each fluidrachm contains; Morphine Hydrochloride, 3-8 gr.; Tincture Cannabis Indica 11 1/4 M; Acid Hydrocyanic, diluted, 1 1/8 M; Chloroform, 5 3/4 M]; Oil Peppermint, 3-16 M; Tincture Capsicum, §/3 Ill. Dose for an adult, 0.3 to 1.0 c. c. (5 to 15 M), repeated in % to 1 hour when necessary to control pain.2
Physician's Therapeutics Memoranda on Cannabis
During the seizure, amyl nitrite is the remedy most likely to be of service; chloroform must be... / ...itic cases potassium iodide in full doses must be used instead of the bromide. Other remedies of im portance are belladonna (combined with bromides), cannabis indica, digitalis, horse-nettle and chloral hydrate. In children, ascertain whether the irritation is due to worms and treat accordingly.2
For hemorrhage from the bladder, the most eflicient remedies are fluid extract ergot, oil erigeron, gallic acid, cannabis indica and camphor (5 to 10 gr. doses). Astringent injections are not to be ad vised except in extreme cases, but epinephrine hydrochloride may be used thus. In malarial hematuria, sodium hyposulphite is recom mended, 5 to 15 grains four or five times a day.2
The remedies most prescribed in the early stage are; aconlte and potassium citrate to control... / ...ylic acid; calomel followed by a saline purge. The bronchitis must be treated in the usual manner, avoid ing depressing agents such as tartar emetic. Cannabis indica is a safe sedative in these cases. Combat the peculiar depression as the case progresses by strychnine or nux vomica in full doses, co...2
If due to syphilitic infection antisyphilitic remedies such as potassium iodide and Donovan’s solution. If resulting from metal lic poisoning, iodides to promote elimination. Systematic exercises toregain faculty of coordinating movements. For relief of “lightning” pains, acetanilid, antipyrin, phenacetin, lactophenin, chang ing often from one to another of these and combining them with caffeine; cannabis indica. Solution Gold and Arsenic Bromide, N., B. & Co. may do good.2
The remedies of especial importance are; Hyoscine (or scopola mine) hydrobromide, chloral hydrate, sulphonal, cannabis indica, bromides, apomorphine (in emetic dose).2
If hemorrhage is active, ergot is the best remedy, if passive. oil of erigeron (3 m5 minim doses) has the preference. Fluid extract cinnamon is a favorite remedy with some; Elixir Viburnum Com pound, N., B. & Co., is efficient; cannabis indica, black haw, witch hazel (distilled extract) and bromides of potassium and sodium are all useful.2
For... / ...diate relief, prescribe acetanilid, phenacetin or anti pyrin usually conjoined with caffeine and potassium or sodium bro mide, sometimes gelsemium or cannabis indica; locally, liniments of aconite or chloroform; menthol, chloride of methyl spray; applica tions of electricity; hypodermatic injections... / ...prescribed accordingly.2
Useful remedies are combinations of strychnine, arsenic and iron; cannabis ind ica, zinc valerianate and gelsemium; glycerophosphates; sparteine, belladonna.2
In Pulmonary Tuberculosis pure fresh air is the most important remedy. Let the patient live out... / ... the quantity of creosote should be progressively in_ creased. Treat symptoms as they arise on general principles. The cough may often be relieved by cannabis indica or by heroine, hydrocyanic acid and chloroform. Laryngeal Tuberculosis may be treated by insufliations of Iodosyl or iodoform, and loc...2
Among the best remedies are; A mixture of fluid extract cannabis indica, 1/2 fl. oz.; salicylic acid, 1 drm., and collodion, 2 fl. ozs.; glacial acetic acid ; trichloracetic acid; Fowler’s solution; chromic acid.2
References
2) Nelson, Baker & Co., 1904, Physician's Handy Book of Materia Medica and Therapeustics, Detroit, Michigan.