Medical Marijuana

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Medical marijuana, also known as medicinal cannabis, refers to the use of natural chemicals derived from the leaves, flower, stems, seeds of the flowering plant, Cannabis sativa, used to treat symptoms of various diseases.

Description

  • “Cannabis” refers to the genus which has two main subspecies, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. “Marijuana” is a term popularized in the 1930s by officials seeking to dissuade people from using cannabis by making it sound foreign and dangerous.
  • Cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our bodies.
    • The ECS has two main receptors that, when activated, decrease neurotransmitter release:
      • CB1—expressed in the central nervous system
      • CB2—expressed in the periphery including the immune system
  • These receptors are activated by endocannabinoids or exogenous cannabinoids originating from cannabis.
  • It is believed that endocannabinoids are related to help us forget pain, such as during childbirth.
  • The best studied cannabinoids are δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Most of the psychoactive properties come from THC acting on CB1 receptors. CBD acts on the CB2 receptors and initiates more anxiolytic and sedative properties (1).

Epidemiology

As of June 2025, 40 states, 3 territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands), and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

  • At the federal level, cannabis continues to be a Schedule 1 substance and federal funding for research of cannabis can only be done studying harms or abuse potential.

Prevalence

  • Cannabis use is becoming more common, with 13% of those surveyed report use in the last month, and 18.7% in the past year. Differentiating cannabis use for recreational versus medicinal purposes is more difficult as more states legalize recreational use (2).
  • The most common indications for medical cannabis use were surveyed to be anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain. Medical marijuana licenses obtained from various states has decreased with the increase of cannabis becoming legalized for recreational purposes.

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