Cannabis is Amazing Medicine Helping for Over 5,000 Years

Cannabis Was Used in Medicine 5,000 Years Ago.

The first reference to cannabis in Chinese medicine dates back to 2,800 BCE in Shen Nung’s Pharmacopeia. Some evidence of its use dates back 10,000 years ago in Taiwan during the stone age. It has been shown that medicinal marijuana was used in Romania as early as 5,000 years ago. Still, there is only direct evidence for its use about 400 AD when D6-tetrahydrocannabinol [D6-THC] was detected in ashes. In the United States, marijuana was extensively marketed as a pharmaceutical product in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Cannabis Use in Hinduism

In ancient Hinduism, cannabis was believed to please gods like Shiva. Cannabis was widely used in medieval Islamic medicine. They recognized it as a diuretic, anti-emetic, anti-epileptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic properties. Cannabis was considered a remedy for gout, swelling, infectious wounds, and intense headaches in Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine.

Cannabis Use Was Proven to be Medically Beneficial

In well-controlled clinical trials, which are scientifically evaluated for safety and effectiveness, cannabis use’s known risks have not been proven to outweigh specific benefits. According to the 1999 IOM report, marijuana’s legal status strongly influences scientific debate about its medical uses. Historically, cannabis is used for herbalism and intoxication, according to a 1999 study commissioned by the American Academy of Medicine’s Institute of Medicine (IOM) in Washington, D.C. Medical practitioners have used cannabis to treat pain for thousands of years.

Western Medicine Recognized Cannabis Therapy In the 19th Century.

Western medicine introduced marijuana for therapeutic purposes in the 19th century. In the 19th century, westerners began to consider cannabis a medical substance. A doctor from Ireland, William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, is credited with introducing cannabis to Western medicine. Manley West and Albert Lockhart, Ph.D., studied the health effects of cannabis use by Jamaicans in 1964.

Smoking Cannabis Became the Recognized Method

Mexico’s immigration during the early 20th century is believed to have brought the idea of smoking cannabis to the United States. Cannabis preparations were still available and used by the general public into the 1930s. Still, recreational use by smoking began spreading across the country.

The Controlled Substances Act

The U.S. government passed the Controlled Substances Act, classifying drugs according to their health benefits. Cannabis was later slated for use as a psychoactive drug and medical treatment. As a result, it was used to treat epilepsy, rabies, anxiety, and bronchitis.

The U.S. Pharmacopeia and FDA Have Re-Examined Cannabis as a Medicine

The United States Pharmacopeia and FDA have considered regulating medicinal cannabis. Because of the numerous compounds and complex interactions among the substances in this product, it’s taking a long time. Nevertheless, they are actively seeking how it might fit within the current regulatory framework for drugs in the United States. As a collateral effect of the opioid epidemic, botanical medicinal cannabis has gained much interest. Public perception suggests that it is not that different from botanical medicine products. For thousands of years, marijuana has been widely recognized as a medicinal plant.

Compassionate Use Act, 1996, California

Since then, cannabis has made several advances. Passing the Compassionate Use Act in 1996, California became the first state to legalize and permit the use of herbal cannabis for medical purposes.

Most U.S. states have medical cannabis programs, and many more are coming online with adult-use programs as the stigma and propaganda surrounding marijuana fade. The favor of medicinal and recreational cannabis use throughout the United States is backed by education and widespread messaging.

More Recent News about Cannabis Research

According to the Supreme Court, federal drug laws override state medical cannabis laws. The United States Supreme Court ruled on June 6 that federal drug laws trump medicinal marijuana laws. As a result, the United Nations voted to exclude cannabis from its list of the world’s most dangerous drugs. This much-anticipated and long-delayed decision could open the door to expanded medical research. 

Cited Sources

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/history-medical-cannabis-shown-one-giant-map/ ⁰
• https://www.periodicedibles.com/blog/medical-marijuana-history ¹
• https://www.sydney.edu.au/lambert/medicinal-cannabis/history-of-cannabis.html ²
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/europe/cannabis-united-nations-drug-policy.html ³
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-marijuana-debate-healing-herb-or-dangerous-drug ⁴
• https://norml.org/blog/2011/07/08/federal-government-reaffirms-flat-earth-position-regarding-medical-cannabis/ ⁵
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_medical_cannabis ⁶
• https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/510824 ⁷
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5312634/ ⁸