The Medicinal Uses of The Hemp Plant
The hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) is a tall Asiatic herb with a widespread distribution. More commonly referred to as marijuana, the plant has long been known for its powerful psychoactive, as well as its medicinal qualities. During the nineteenth century, for example, marijuana was applied to a variety of ailments. More recently, the herb has been considered as an antiemetic and appetite stimulant in patients with cancer and human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV). Investigations into marijuana's therapeutic efficacy, however, have provided variable results. Many researchers believe, therefore, that there are better drugs available.
Cannabis sativa, or marijuana, is sometimes grown for its fiber. The plant can be used to manufacture of rope, paper, and coarse fabrics. In addition, marijuana has also been grown for its psychoactive properties. Although Cannabis sativa contains hundreds of chemicals, 61 of these are unique to the plant, and have thus been termed "cannabinoids" (Rinaldi, 1994, p. 107). The cannabinoids represent a distinct pharmacologic class of drugs. The most active of these compounds, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was first isolated in 1964 and is primarily responsible for marijuana's intoxicant effects (Iversen, 1993, p. 12).
Marijuana has been used therapeutically for several centuries. Perhaps the earliest documented medicinal use of the plant occurred during China's Nung dynasty (i.e., in approximately 2327 B.C.) (Selden, Clark, & Curry, 1990, pp. 527). Somewhat later, marijuana also used in ancient Egypt. During the sixteenth century B.C., scribes recorded the medicinal use of Cannabis sativa in the Egyptian Ebers papyrus. In addition, the plant's medicinal characteristics were mentioned by the Assyrians, the Greeks, and the Romans (Zias, Stark, Seligman, Levy, Werker, et al., 1993, p. 215). According to Alice O'Leary, cofounder of the All...