What Is Medical Cannabis?

Medical marijuana refers to the use of the Cannabis plant as a physician-recommended herbal therapy as well as synthetic THC and cannabinoids.

Medical cannabis has been used for centuries. However, recently with more states legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use, new methods have arisen in the treatment of many illnesses such as PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety disorders, and epilepsy. In order to understand what medical cannabis is let's take a look at the difference between marijuana (a drug) and hemp (a plant).

Marijuana is created from the leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa plants by harvesting them using traditional techniques such as drying or extracting oils or resins.

On the other hand, hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa plant that has very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp contains a very small amount of THC, which is why it is legal in many states.

Now that we have established the difference between marijuana and hemp, let's focus on what medical cannabis is. Medical cannabis can be defined as the use of marijuana and/or its derivatives to treat a variety of medical conditions. THC in cannabis can be extracted into oil or put into edible form for consumption. Medicinal cannabis can aid in relieving symptoms from illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Cannabis has been used in the treatment of various ailments (such as glaucoma, arthritis, and migraines) for hundreds of years. In the 1800s there was a wide expansion of medical cannabis. It was even used as a smoking medicine in Western Europe and America.

It wasn’t until 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act that cannabis was restricted in many states.