The Uses of Medical Marijuana and Recreational uses
             "Also known as: Hemp, cannabis hemp, Indian (India) hemp, true hemp, muggles, weed, pot, marijuana, reefer, grass, ganja, bhang, "the kind," dagga, herb, etc., all names for exactly the same plant!"(1)
             The cannabis sativa plant has been used all over the world for thousands of years. Some founding fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannabis plants on large plantations. In fact in 1619 Jamestown lawmakers passed a law that forced farmers to grow the plant(1). Cannabis was considered currency, for over 200 years a person could pay their taxes with cannabis. Besides being a great resource providing hemp clothes, paper, cloth, canvas, among other things; cannabis was used very often throughout the medical world. According to Jack Herer's "The Emperor wears no clothes", marijuana and hashish extracts were "the first, second or third most prescribed medicines in the United States from 1842 until the 1890s. It's medicinal use continued legally through the 1930s for humans and figured even more prominently in American and world veterinary medicines during this time." and went on to say that "During all that time there was not one reported death from cannabis extract medicines, and virtually no abuse or mental disorders reported". The medical uses of marijuana have been very widely researched in the 20th century. It has proven its medical value by helping in treatment of asthma, glaucoma, nausea, tumors, epilepsy, infection, stress, migraines, anorexia, depression, rheumatism, arthritis and possible herpes. With so many uses, one must wonder why the marijuana plant is illegal to grow or sell or possess.
             Research has been done by many private and public institutions on the medical benefits of medical use of marijuana. In issue 47 of Cannabis Culture, an article by Dana Larsen states that "A 1994 study, which d...