Cannabis: Saviour or sin?

Cannabis, as a word, conjures up many different feelings among different people. Drug, as a word, does exactly the same thing. Therefore, it is no surprise that the debate of cannabis the drug has been an intense and largely inconclusive argument for some time. There is, however, conclusive evidence that excessive smoking of cannabis, and its various forms, for recreational purposes can lead to health problems. Yet there is also evidence of the plant's medicinal capabilities. As such, the argument rages between the plant's usage as a recreational drug and as a medicinal drug.

Some believe that smoking cannabis as a method of consumption can help ease the extreme pain of such things as chronic arthritis. But generally, smoking cannabis as a method of consumption to treat illness is dismissed by health experts who believe that any smoked cannabis is harmful. However, in the UK a synthetic man-made version of a chemical from the cannabis plant is available as a prescription drug called Nabilone. Smoked cannabis, where as it would never be prescribed for medicinal purposes in the UK, is proven to help people who claim to have tried everything else. Nausea from chemotherapy and for people who lose their appetite after chemotherapy, muscle spasms in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers and possibly pain, can be relieved from smoked cannabis.And now, compounds found in Cannabis may help in the fight against prostate cancer. The Spanish study said the findings point to promising new treatments for the disease. The study claims that active chemicals identical to those in the drug halted the growth of therapy-resistant prostate cancer cells in the laboratory, and they also reduced the size of tumours in mice with the disease.

It is far too early for this research to be counted as a reason for men to smoke cannabis as a means to treat prostate cancer, but it opens new doors as it shows that prostate cancer cells might stop growing if they are treated with chemicals found in cannabis. Cannabis chemicals are called 'cannabinoids', and have already been researched in Spain as potential anti-cancer treatments. n the latest research, scientists tested a cannabinoid mimic or "analogue" and synthetic cannabinoid on three lines of human prostate cancer cells.

However, chemicals in cannabis can also contribute to health problems. People vulnerable to its mental effects can suffer a severe mental illness as a result of smoking the drug. Elderly people hoping to ease pain by inhaling cannabis are especially vulnerable to things like deep depression. Also, Macmillan Cancer Support says while trials have shown cannabis may have some pain-killing effect it is no better than the codeine available over the counter. Side effects such as sedation, confusion, low blood pressure and palpitations are also real dangers. Further still, the cancer support group argue that cannabis contains chemicals such as carcinogens, which can cause cancer and smoking can, of course, cause respiratory problems.

Cannabis should not be dismissed as a merely harmful recreational drug that offers more costs to ones health than benefits. Differentiating between the two uses of the plants chemical properties for medicinal and recreational purposes is vital. Cannabis can absolutely be a saviour, and even though research is in early stages, its chemical properties should be utilized, just not through smoking. Recreational use of cannabis is not safe, and should never be advised by anyone for things like pain-relief, particularly when trials have shown that cannabis is no better than products such as codeine, available over the counter.

Source: http://www.ngpharma.eu.com/news/Cannabis-Saviour-or-sin/