Marijuana effectively known to relieves the violent nausea caused by chemotherapy as its anti-nausea properties are great and, because it is smoked rather than swallowed, the nauseous patient is able to retain it. Marijuana also reduces the intraocular pressure of glaucoma victims and controls the spasms accompanying multiple sclerosis, but cannot be legally used for these purposes in most states. Otherwise, like the hallucinogens, the cannaboids appear to have no medical value.
Their effects peak at about 20 minutes after use but may linger for two or three hours. Low doses produce a state of intoxication characterized by an increasing sense of euphoric well-being, a dreamy state of relaxation, lessened inhibitions, increased appetite and a more vivid sense of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. Sexual pleasure is heightened. Aggression is suppressed rather than released. Stronger doses intensify responses but may be accompanied by fragmentary thought and temporarily impaired memory. Too large a dose produces fatigue (Defeis, M, 1995).
Heavy smoking of marijuana over many years may injure the respiratory system. Since marijuana contains more toxins than tobacco smoke and marijuana smokers typically inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in the lungs longer than do cigarette smokers, one joint of marijuana is generally considered to be as potentially damaging to the lungs as four cigarettes (Kleiman). However, no case of lung cancer has yet been attributed to marijuana smoking, largely because of greatly disparate rates of consumption. Marijuana smoking tends to be a phase, rather a lifelong addiction, and most continuing marijuana smokers consume moderate amounts. Less than 1 percent of the persons who smoked marijuana in 1988 smoked as often as two out of every three days. Although the quantity they smoke has not been measured, it is surely less than that of the typical cigarette smoker................
