No I didn't forget on my favorite 'vegetable', here it is:

Cannabis Sativa is medicine and hope for a dying planet....

Marijuana, marihuana also known as Mary Jane, pot, reefer, grass, ganja, damo, 'a smoke', weed or bhang, is a non-toxic, non-addictive herbal plant that humans have used in a wide variety of applications from our earliest recorded history. Marijuana’s legacy includes a colorful history of diverse peoples and their intimate relationships with “Mary Jane.” From medicine to biomass, this environmentally friendly bush continues to contribute to world culture in countless ways rarely acknowledged in the pages of “politically correct” media.

Marijuana is a woody, herbaceous annual. One of the hardiest plants on the planet, it uses sunlight so efficiently that it grows from twelve to twenty feet in a single season. It is a dioecious member of the Sativa family. A dioecious plant displays of male and/or female characteristics on a single plant. The existence of male and female characteristics on the same stalk-a condition known as hermaphroditism, means that a species is capable of self-pollination, a great advantage in terms of propagation.

The male of the species, better known as hemp, is the most versatile plant on the planet. Most famous for its use as rope, hemp is the strongest, most, durable, natural fiber available. The seed of the hemp plant is a complete source of vegetable protein. Hemp as biomass creates an environmentally safe, renewable, sustainable source of energy. Paper made from hemp hurds is more durable than wood pulp products and does not deplete the soil. On a large scale, conversion to biomass as fuel would reduce acid rain and reverse the effects of devastating greenhouse gasses.

Hemp’s famous, and, more controversial sister produces beautiful, therapeutic flowers, which may be eaten or smoked. These flowering tops, laden with resin-rich THC [tetrahydracannabinol], offer a wide range of non-toxic healing properties, The fact that marijuana delivers anti-spasmodic properties when smoked makes it extremely valuable for those people affected by the “wasting syndrome.” This syndrome, often associated with the side effects of cancer and AIDS, prevents people from swallowing much need medication.

~~~~THC ~~~~

relaxes the muscles of the stomach and intestines

and

stimulates the blood-sugar balance

to promote

appetite and digestion.

Mary Jane’s therapeutic properties:

–anti-bacterial and anti-biotic–

also provide relief for :

Breastcancer and Cannabis
ADHD

AIDS

Diabetes (Dutch)

ASTHMA

Alzheimer (scroll down) (more info)
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (scroll down)

Glaucoma

tumor reduction

epilepsy

arthritis

high blood pressure (info)

muscle spasticity

muscular dystrophy

neurologic disorders

MS , (info 2)
schizophrenia (info)
Vomiting

insomnia

headache

..and a lot more..

Because the human body has receptors for THC, marijuana is not physically addictive. No one has ever died from an overdose.

No evidence to date establishes THC as a gateway drug.~

Hemp oil, click here..

Some history, watch this video:

Marijuana has historically played a vital economic role in the economic development of American society. The United States Census of 1850 counted 8327 hemp “plantations that grew hemp for cloth, canvass and cordage. Ben Franklin built and operated one of America’s paper mills for use with hemp. From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century most copies of the Bible were written on hemp paper.

Ironically, President George W. Bush, who devoted much of the country’s resources to eradicating the plant, benefited greatly from hemp in World War Two. Little did the President realize, that as he bailed out of his airplane, that the engine was lubricated with hemp oil, his parachute was made of hemp, the rigging of the rescue ship was hemp, the fire hoses were made of hemp and finally the stitching of his military shoes were hemp.

This ancient plant is a gift to the planet. Human beings aside, no other life form offers the tremendous healing potential of Cannabis Sativa. For thousands of years, indigenous cultures have exploited the multi-faceted goodness of this noble plant. Now, due to a lengthy, expensive smear campaign subsidized by the government and other moneyed interests, too many people languish in jails and in sickness due to public ignorance and apathy. This imprisonment of innocent people, and this sacred plant lies heavy on our shoulders. Without enlightenment, society perpetuates their suffering.

Maijuana can reduce allergic skin reactions.

Researchers have found in animal trials that a compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is naturally occurring in Cannabis sativa, is the active ingredient in the plant, to treat allergy and auto-immune disorders.

For example, he exposed the ears of mice with normal endo-cannabinoid receptors to a chemical irritant called dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB), which causes a severe skin reaction similar to that caused by poison ivy in humans.

Within a matter of minutes, the amount of an endocannabinoid called anandamide jumped from undetectable levels to about 300 picomoles per gram of analysed tissue.

When Zimmer's team applied 30 micrograms of synthetic THC to the animals' ears it reduced the skin irritation by half. For comparison, a cannabis cigarette contains as much as 150 milligrams of THC.

Such endocannabinoids are also produced by the body itself and individuals with (autoimmune) inflammatory conditions such as asthma and eczem might not produce enough such endocannabinoids. In these cases, THC-like compounds may have therapeutic potential.

Another use for Medical Marijuana

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ryan Collerd for The New York Times: Louis Centanni smokes marijuana daily for relief from the tics of Tourette’s syndrome.

“There’s one thing that helps my Tourette’s more than anything, and it’s marijuana,” says Louis Centanni, the 24-year-old actor and comedian featured in Patient Voices: Tourette’s Syndrome. Dr. Robert A. King and Dr. James F. Leckman of the Yale School of Medicine, who recently joined the Consults blog to answer readers’ questions about Tourette’s, here respond to readers asking about the use of marijuana for easing the tics, vocalizations and jerking movements of the syndrome.

Is Marijuana Effective for Tourette’s?

Clinical studies have shown that marijuana can be effective in relieving the symptoms of this disease: http://norml.org…Paul Kuhn, Nashville

I see that the first patient with Tourette’s featured in the Patient Voices series uses marijuana to calm his tics. How do the chemicals in marijuana help Tourette’s patients, and do other depressant-type drugs also help? Rafi, N.Y.

Dr. King and Dr. Leckman respond:

"A number of individuals with severe Tourette’s regularly use marijuana and report that it calms them and eases their tics. And a few randomized clinical trials of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, have been carried out. Some of the investigators are convinced that THC and related compounds in marijuana called cannabinoids are helpful; others are more equivocal.

The most comprehensive review to date of the efficacy of cannabinoids in Tourette’s comes from a research group in Britain, the Cochrane Collaboration, that reviewed all the available data. They found that “the improvements in tic frequency and severity were small and were only detected by some of the outcome measures.” The group concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the use of cannabinoids in treating tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior in people with Tourette’s syndrome.

In addition, regular use of marijuana also has potential physical and psychological side effects, including apathy, depression or even psychosis in vulnerable individuals. As with other drugs, suitability depends on the patient, and risks and benefits must be weighed. We certainly wouldn’t recommend it for adolescents.

As for mode of action, there is a growing scientific literature concerning the body’s ability to make substances called endocannabinoids, which resemble the active compounds in marijuana. Our bodies contain various enzymes that make these endogenous cannabinoids, and two specific types of receptors for these substances are distributed throughout our body, including the brain.

It appears that the cannabinoids can modulate major neurotransmitter systems in the brain – including those involving GABA and glutamine. These pathways provide one hypothesis for why marijuana sometimes has the effect of reducing tics."

more info 1
more info 2

*****

~~Alzheimer~~

Researchers in California have discovered that marijuana helps in preventing and fighting Alzheimer's disease more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.

The researchers said the discovery could lead to the creation of new drugs to fight Alzheimer's.

First let me say this: The researchers behind this brilliant discovery have either been stoned "when it hit them", or truly made the breakthrough discovery of the century. Provided that the century has just started though, and the research comes from California, it's probably both. So the news should have been titled "stoned researches make breakthrough discovery."

What matters is now it's official - marijuana is good for your health, and can help you prevent and fight Alzheimer's.

So next time you see someone smoking pot - he's not getting high, he's preventing Alzheimer's. Soon enough you'll hear around "Gee, I think grandpa's memory is not so sharp these days." "Yes, he's out of pot this week." And what matters is - many of us have been preventing Alzheimer's for years - we just didn't know about it. And the fact that we still don't have Alzheimer's is the best proof that marijuana really works wonders.

Cannabis may help keep Alzheimer's disease at bay.

In experiments, a marijuana-based medicine triggered the formation of new brain cells and cut inflammation linked to dementia.

The researchers say that using the information to create a pill suitable for people could help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's. Click next link.

Meimer's dissease pathology.olecular link between the active component of Marijuana and Alzh

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marijuana-increases-brain-cell.html

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Cannabinoids-kill-cancer

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Cannabis-stops-dementia-
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ADHD
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MRSA, Hospital infection and Cannabis,
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Lung cancer and Cannabis

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Diabetes

cannabis

For some sufferers, drugs can delay the progress of devastating symptoms such as memory loss and the erosion of ability to do everyday things such as washing.

However, there they do not work for everyone and, with the number of patients forecast to double in a generation, there is a desperate need for new treatments.

The US researchers studied the properties of a man-made drug based on THC, the chemical behind the 'high' of cannabis.

When elderly rats were given the drug for three weeks, it improved their memory, making it easier for them to find their way round a water maze, the Society for Neuroscience's annual conference heard yesterday (WEDS).

Researcher Dr Yannick Marchalant said; 'Old rats are not very good at that task. When we gave them the drug, it made them a little better at that task.'

Other experiments showed that the drug acts on parts of the brain involved in memory, appetite, pain and mood.

The Ohio State University experiments also showed that the drug cut inflammation in the brain and may trigger the production of new neurons or brain cells.

Researcher Professor Gary Wenk said: 'When we're young, we produce neurons and our memory works fine.

'When we age, the process slows down, so we have a decrease in new cell formation through normal ageing.

'You need these cells to come back and help form new memories and we found that this THC-like agent can influence the creation of these cells.'

Although the drug used was not suitable for use in people, the results could aid the creation of new medicines for Alzheimer's.

It is likely such a drug would be taken to prevent the disease, rather than treat it.

Asked if those with a family history of Alzheimer's should smoke cannabis to prevent them developing the disease, Dr Wenk said: 'We're not saying that but it might actually work.

'What we are saying its that it appears that a safe, legal substance that mimics the important properties of marijuana can work on the brain to prevent memory impairments in ageing. So that's really hopeful.'

Dr Marchalant added: 'We hope a compound can be found that can target both inflammation and neurogenesis, which would be the most efficient way to produce the best effects.'

The medicinal properties of cannabis have already been harnessed to treat multiple sclerosis.

Sativex, a cannabis-based drug, has been shown to ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, including pain, spasms, shaking, depression and anxiety.

The Alzheimer's Society cautioned against using cannabis itself to stave off dementia.

Professor Clive Ballard, the charity's director of research, said: 'There are encouraging findings from studies with animals suggesting that some cannabis derivatives may help protect nerve cells in the brain.

'We therefore look forward to robust clinical trials into potential benefits of non-psychoactive components of cannabis.

'It is important for people to note that these treatments are not same as recreational cannabis use..

Marijuana Use Seldom Associated With

Emergency Room Visits, First-Ever National

Study Says

Lifetime use of marijuana is rarely associated with emergency room visits, according to an analysis of epidemiologic survey data published online

by the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

"Investigators at the University of Michigan reviewed the overall prevalence of drug-related emergency department (ED) visits among lifetime users of illicit substances. Researchers analyzed data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which is a nationally representative survey of 43,093 residents age 18 or older. The study is the first to use nationally representative data to examine patterns and correlates of drug-related ED visits.
Among those surveyed, subjects that reported using cannabis were the least likely to report an ED visit (1.71 percent). Respondents who reported lifetime use of heroin, tranquilizers, and inhalants were most likely (18.5 percent, 6.3 percent, and 6.2 percent respectively) to report experiencing one or more ED visits related to their drug use.
Investigators concluded, “Marijuana was by far the most commonly used (illicit) drug, but individuals who used marijuana had a low prevalence of drug-related ED visits.”

   A 2009 Swiss study published in journal BMC Public Health previously reported that the use of cannabis was inversely associated with injuries requiring hospitalization.

   A prior case-control study conducted by the University of Missouri also reported an inverse relationship between marijuana use and injury risk, finding, “Self-reported marijuana use in the previous seven days was associated … with a substantially decreased risk of injury.”

    Most recently, a RAND study reported that fewer than 200 total patients were admitted to California hospitals in 2008 for “marijuana abuse or dependence.”

By contrast, there are an estimated 73,000 annual hospitalizations in California related to the use of alcohol.

These findings belie the myth that adult marijuana use is a primary cause of hospitalizations or ED visits. The reality is that few if any therapeutic or psychoactive substances possess a safety profile comparable to cannabis.

Now here's the 'Governator' smokin',...