9 Facts About Marijuana

9 Facts About Marijuana

Things have come a long way since 1970, when Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act since 1970. That’s because they considered it to have “no accepted medical use.” Now, it’s legal in 33 states.

There are two sides to the issue:

• Opponents say marijuana is addictive, is a gateway drug, impairs driving ability, interferes with fertility, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain. It’s also, they say, a front for drug legalization and recreational use. They claim it’s too dangerous, lacks FDA-approval, and is unnecessary with the large amount of approved legal drugs as alternatives.
• Proponents say marijuana has been used as medicine throughout world history. They also claim medical marijuana NJ is a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and many other conditions, backed by evidence from peer-reviewed studies, medical organizations, and major government reports.

The debate rages on as more and more states considering legalizing medical marijuana NJ.

Check out some facts about marijuana:

1. It only takes a few minutes for smoked or inhaled marijuana to reach the brain, giving you that “high” feeling. When you eat it or drink it, it may take about an hour to kick in.

2. When you swallow marijuana (such as in brownies or teas), Delta –9-THC, the main active ingredient, transforms into the more psychoactively powerful Delta-11-THC by the liver.

3. Marijuana, classified as a Schedule 1 drug, is considered to have a "high potential for abuse," "no currently accepted medical use," and "a lack of accepted safety." The push is on to reschedule it as a Schedule II or II, which is less restrictive.

4. Since 1968, the University of Mississippi has been growing marijuana for U.S. government-approved research. The university can grow up to 6.5 acres, depending on current demand.

5. In 2010, the first cannabis-based prescription medicine (known as Sativex) was introduced in the UK. It’s a mouth spray designed to treat spasticity in patients who have Multiple Sclerosis. Marinol was approved in the United States in 1985, which is a synthetic version of delta-9-THC, a naturally-occurring chemical in the marijuana plant.

6. Marijuana contains more than 400 different identifiable chemical compounds, including Vitamin A and steroids. 6. The U.S. government launched the Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program in 1978. It closed to new patients in 1991, but still supplies up to 360 marijuana cigarettes each month to the four seriously ill patients that remain in the program.

7. Marijuana was not reported as a primary cause of death between 1997 and 2005, according to available FDA data.

8. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice advised federal prosecutors to refrain from targeting medical marijuana patients who are in compliance with the law in states featuring legalized medical marijuana.

If you wish to learn more facts and stay informed about medical marijuana NJ, please contact Buyweed-NJ or read some more of our blogs.

Medical Marijuana NJ 2020 • Legalized Marijuana NJ