Transcript The Medical Marijuana Maze Sampl..

The Medical Marijuana Maze
Chapter One:
Introduction
Nancy E. Marion
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Introduction
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Marijuana is one of the oldest and most
widely used psychoactive substances.
Evidence shows that marijuana use
provides relief from some medical
conditions.
The drug remains illegal in many U.S. states
and at the federal level.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Important Terms
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Cannabis – scientific name for the plant from which
marijuana is derived.
Marijuana – from Mexican Spanish, typical term used
to refer to the dried leaves and tops of the cannabis
plant, used for recreation.
Hemp – term used to refer to fiber derived from the
cannabis plant
Medical Marijuana – refers to the cultivation,
possession, and/or use of marijuana for medical
purposes.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
What distinguishes medical
marijuana?
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The difference between marijuana used for
recreation and medical marijuana is legal.
Medical marijuana:
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Must be recommended by a licensed
physician to treat a diagnosed medical
condition.
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Refers not only to use of the plant itself,
but also to synthesized versions of the
active compounds, cannabinoids.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
The two types of marijuana
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Cannabis refers to the genus.
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There are two primary species:
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Cannabis sativa – tall plants with sparse
foliage and slender leaves, used primarily
for hemp.
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Cannabis indica – A shorter species with
higher levels of therapeutic and
psychoactive compounds, native to India.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Cannabinoids
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Over 400 different compounds
Different compounds have a variety of
effects; some act as appetite stimulants,
antispasmodics, antiemetics, analgesics,
etc.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinnol, or THC, is
the main psychoactive compound
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Examples of Cannabinoids
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Cannabidiol has numerous potential applications:
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May relieve convulsions, inflammation, high
blood pressure, anxiety, cough, pain, congestion,
nausea, and inhibit cancer cell growth.
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May help treat schizophrenia and alleviate
multiple sclerosis, anxiety attacks, and Tourette
Syndrome.
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Not a psychoactive, so does not produce the
feeling of being “high.”
B-caryophyllene reduces inflammation, and has
been used to treat glaucoma. It also lacks
psychoactive properties.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Synthetic Cannabinoids
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Sativex
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Synthetic THC mouth spray
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Used to treat spasticity associated with MS
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Launched in the United Kingdom and
approved in Spain, Canada, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Germany, Sweden,
and Austria.
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U.S. patent granted in 2001 to treat pain
associated with cancer.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Synthetic Cannabinoids
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dronabinol (Marinol)
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Administered as a pill or spray
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Used to treat nausea, stimulate appetite,
and relieve MS symptoms.
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May not be effective for all patients, due to
containing only one of the many
compounds found in marijuana.
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Pill form is slow acting and can be difficult
to swallow for those with nausea or
vomiting.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
Synthetic Cannabinoids
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Levonantradol
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Cesamet (Nabilone)
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Synthetic THC introduced in the 1970s and
discontinued due to side effects.
Used to treat chemotherapy associated
nausea and vomiting.
Canasol
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Used to relieve intraocular pressure from
late stage glaucoma.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Marion. All rights reserved.
The full set of PowerPoint slides is
available upon adoption.
Email [email protected]
for more information.