Analgesic Properties and Concerns of Medicinal Marijuana Usage

Analgesic Properties and Concerns of Medicinal Marijuana Usage

For thousands of years, cultures from nearly all parts of the world have documented the use of marijuana for its analgesic and euphoric properties. Unfortunately, regardless of the numerous medicinal properties in which this agricultural phenomenon has provided for many years, marijuana usage has been frowned upon by Western society and is often looked upon as a "social menace" which leads people to deviant lifestyles where crime and other illicit drug use are a daily occurrence. Despite the unfortunate stigma that has been placed upon this plant by Western culture, it is quite difficult to deny the medicinal values in regards to this plant today. Now as society enters the 21st century, many researchers and medical practitioners alike have started to realize that the therapeutic properties of marijuana outweigh the social stigma that is associated with this plant, and for the first time in many years are taking advantage of its analgesic properties by prescribing it to many patients in need (where legislation permits).

Marijuana has been used for many years as an analgesic drug for everything ranging from menstrual problems to glaucoma, and is often used in conjunction with other natural analgesics to create a specific desired result. Cannabis Sativa, as it as also known as, has been historically popular in Asian culture, where "it was valued as long ago as 6000 BC," (Lewis 427) for its many different uses ranging from pain relief to use within religious ceremonies. Marijuana has also been considered as the "opium of the poor," (Lewis 429) by many third world nations due to the inexpensive and easy cultivation process, which provides an economical form of medication for many people who otherwise could not afford medical attention. Nevertheless marijuana is relatively new to Western society, and was most likely introduced sometime during the middle of the 19th century. However it wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century that marijuana was portrayed "as being evil, part of underground activities, and a menace," (Julien 301) to society. Soon after marijuana was looked upon as a hard narcotic, which lead to other drug use and abuse, and was soon made illegal across the United States. It wasn't for decades later, until 1996, that marijuana was re-legalized in California and Arizona for medicinal purposes. Two years later, the same medical marijuana proposal was initiated in Oregon and Washington, and is now slowly starting to spread across the country to other states as people discover more about the medicinal benefits of this plant.

The chemical structure of the marijuana is quite complex, however "the major psychoactive ingredient of the marijuana plant is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)," (Julien 300) and along with chemical compounds cannaninol and cannabidiol cause the euphoric and analgesic effects of marijuana. The cannabinoid receptors, which are involved in the binding of these chemicals, are a G-coupled protein that includes a chain of almost 500 amino acids. These receptors are found in enormous numbers within the brain, and are quite possibly more abundant than any other receptors. The active ingredients in marijuana act similar to that of other natural analgesics such as opium and "recent research has made it clear that CB1 receptor agonists act on pathways that partially overlap with those activated by opioids," (Joy, Watson and Benson 140). Therefore, the actions involved in the reception and distribution of THC are most likely found in "the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and basil ganglia," (Julien 306) since "these structures are involved in cognition, learning, memory, mood, and other higher intellectual functions, as well as motor functions," (Julien 306) which all appear to be affected by THC.

In general THC levels in marijuana range between 4-7%, and rarely get higher than 8%. Methods of THC administration are through inhaled smoke or taken in oral doses, however smoking is often the preferred method due to rapid onset of effects. When THC is consumed orally it is often less operative and absorption can be sluggish and incomplete. Also when taken orally, THC proves to be only about 1/3 as effective as when it is consumed through inhalation, which leads many "doctors and patients to criticize the effectiveness of Marinol [synthetic THC medication in pill form] because the drug doesn't take effect until