Marijuana fascinates many minds. Great minds fancy it for the deep, introspective thinking it triggers. Average minds for a for its usefulness in body care, pain relief and bio-fuel. Small minded people use marijuana only to get high.
The bottom line is, whether you are a great mind or an average or a small mind, you can always find value in marijuana. When it comes to availability, marijuana is everywhere.
Some nations have flexible laws. The Netherlands, Israel, Jamaica, Australia, Costa Rica belong in this list. Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, Japan are among the nations that have strictest laws governing the consumption and possession of marijuana.
The 20th century saw marijuana advances like no other previous century did. Scientific research on cannabis, hemp and their derivatives began. The culture around marijuana became more and more accepting, this was observed mainly in the 60s and 70s.
Recreational marijuana
Marijuana was brought to the United States by Mexican and Jamaican immigrants. Its recreational use began in the first half of the 20th century. In the early days, there were taboo around marijuana usage. And an undercurrent of negative perception that intensified during the great depression, when large-scale unemployment and social turmoil caused an animosity between US citizens and immigrants.
As a result of this animosity and resulting social and racial tension, a total of twenty nine states proscribed the use of marijuana in 1931. Six years later, when the Marijuana Tax Act was introduced, only the industrial use of hemp products was permitted.
But even though illegal, marijuana had a high demand back then. In the mid-30s, the Narcotic Bureau of the New York Police Department destroyed 40000 pounds of cannabis plants. The demand for recreational marijuana at that time was over $50 a pound.
Medical marijuana
The reason marijuana made such great strides through the past century was because of its medical significance, formally established in the 1960s, when Cannabinoid (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were discovered.
The discoverer Raphael Mechoulam, nicknamed the “father of marijuana research” isolated and elucidated THC and CBD – the two most important compounds of cannabis. He didn’t stop the research at there and continued with an even greater gusto, until the discovery of endocannabinoid receptors in the 90s. The two receptors were CB1 and CB2. Marijuana’s effects on these receptors helped scientists unearth valuable details on how it functions as a bulwark against neurodegenerative diseases.
Back to the present
It’s 2018 now and the collective interest in marijuana is at an all-time high. Medical professionals are interested in cannabis research. People suffering from chronic illnesses are curious to know how cannabis can help them. Even there are business opportunities for cannabis enthusiasts.
Marijuana has been around for long. Very, very long. But never before in the history it has captured such genuine interest. If anything, marijuana owes it to CBD and THC. Rest of the article will be dedicated to discuss these two and the contemporary studies on them.
Non-psychoactive marijuana
Oftentimes, non-psychoactive marijuana and CBD are used in the same sense. The two are, however, different. Research in the 90s revealed THC is responsible for the psychoactive properties of marijuana. THCV has been found to produce mild psychoactive impact, but that is negligible.
THC and CBD – though pivotally important – are not the only cannabis compounds. Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabigerivarin (CBGV) are some of the non-psychoactive compounds with therapeutic properties in them.
CBD and THC
There’s little doubt that these two hold the most importance in medical research. Researchers have spent a lot of time in the 90s studying their behavior. Research is still going on and with each passing day, scientists are coming up with new findings.
One such finding is Dravet syndrome – a complicated form of epilepsy – is treatable by cannabis strains with high CBD concentration. Worldwide, there’s a growing interest in alternative medicine. CBD oil and topicals are regarded as alternative medicine.
Unlike CBD, THC is not held in high esteem by medical professionals, for it being highly psychoactive. However, THC has a vast array of health benefits. It treats cardiovascular diseases, nausea, brain cancer, lung cancer and manages pain. It is also highly effective in diabetes treatment as it escalates insulin sensitivity.
Evolution of consumption methods
In the past, there were only a handful of consumption techniques. Smoking has been the de facto consumption method for centuries. Lately, advancements in consumer electronics gave rise to new gadgets like vaporizer pen and e-cigarette.
This is a crucial advancement as vaping is safer compared to smoking. There’s no smoke, so chances of resulting health hazards are quite low.
Summing up
21st century will be a critical time for marijuana advancement. The ongoing scientific research will culminate in increased awareness and better therapeutic understanding of marijuana. New studies on existing cannabinoid acids will unfold endless possibilities for treatment and cure. Hopefully, the day will arrive sooner than we expect.