Benefits and Disadvantages of CANNABIS

Bebefits 

The medicinal value of cannabis is controversial. A large majority of national governments do not recognize the use of plant parts from the plant Cannabis Sativa as something that doctors can recommend to their patients. A number of these governments, including the U.S. government allows, however, in varying degrees, treatment with one or more specific, synthetic cannabinoids for one or more disorders.
Supporters of medical cannabis argue that cannabis does have several well-documented beneficial effects. Among these are: the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as gastrointestinal illness. Its effectiveness as an analgesic has been suggested and disputed as well.
There are several methods for administration of dosage, including vaporizing or smoking dried buds, drinking, or eating extracts, and taking capsules. The comparable efficacy of these methods was the subject of an investigative study conducted by the National Institutes of Health.
Synthetic cannabinoids are available as prescription drugs in some countries. Examples are Marinol(The United States and Canada) and Cesamet(Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States).
While cannabis for recreational use is illegal in all parts of the world, though decriminalized in some, at least some use as a medicine is legal in a number of territories, including Canada, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Italy, Finland, and Portugal. In the United States, federal law outlaws all use of herb parts from Cannabis, while some states have approved use of herb parts from Cannabis as medical cannabis in conflict with federal law. The United States Supreme Court has ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Coop and Gonzales v. Raich that the federal government has a right to regulate and criminalize cannabis, even for medical purposes.  



HIV/AIDS
Investigators at Columbia University published clinical trial data in 2007 showing that HIV/AIDS patients who inhaled cannabis four times daily experienced substantial increases in food intake with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance. They concluded that smoked marijuana has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive patients.In another study in 2008, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that marijuana significantly reduces HIV-related neuropathic pain when added to a patient's already-prescribed pain management regimen and may be an "effective option for pain relief" in those whose pain is not controlled with current medications. Mood disturbance, physical disability, and quality of life all improved significantly during study treatment.Despite management with opioids and other pain modifying therapies, neuropathic pain continues to reduce the quality of life and daily functioning in HIV-infected individuals. Cannabinoid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems have been shown to modulate pain perception. No serious adverse effects were reported, according to the study published by the American Academy of Neurology.A study examining the effectiveness of different drugs for HIV associated neuropathic pain found that smoked Cannabis was one of only three drugs that showed evidence of efficacy.




Disadvantages

Typical Marijuana Side Effects:

Enhanced cancer risk

Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men

Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility

Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure

Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect

Sleepiness

Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory

Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, 

such as driving a car

Increased heart rate

Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease

Bloodshot eyes

Dry mouth and throat

Decreased social inhibitions

Paranoia, hallucinations

Impaired or reduced short-term memory

Impaired or reduced comprehension

Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult

Paranoia

Psychological dependence

Impairments in learning and memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty 

speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, 

and forming concepts

Intense anxiety or panic attack.