The debate rages on regarding the effectiveness and wisdom of partaking in medical marijuana. Marijuana, also called cannabis, is derived from the hemp plant. Its leaves, stems, and seeds may be smoked, vaporized into inhalable form, and made into a pill or liquid form. Its color may be green, brown or gray. Its active chemical ingredient is THC, which is short for “delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol”.

Some may think this drug has only been around for a few decades, but this isn’t true. It’s been around for a very long time. Here is a historical timeline of medical marijuana.

- There are conflicting reports dating as far back as 2727 BC. It is said that a Chinese Emperor allowed medical marijuana as a cure for constipation, female bodily problems, malaria, gout, and rheumatism.

- In the year 2000 BC, it is reported that Egyptians began to use this drug as a treatment for painful eye conditions.

- In India, in the year 1000 BC, cannabis was used to alleviate pain during childbirth, as an anesthetic, to overcome hunger and thirst issues along with various other health concerns.

- In the years between 70 and 200 BC, Rome and Greece were reported advocates of the drug in order to alleviate pain associated with earaches, edema and the reduction of general inflammation.

- In the year 1621 (AD), an English clergyman stated that cannabis cured depression.

- In the mid-1700’s, it was used in Africa for a multitude of health ills, including hemorrhoids, tetanus, cholera, rheumatism, hay fever, skin disorders and asthma.

- During the late 1700’s, Napoleon’s army used the drug as a sedative as well as a pain reliever.

- In the 1850 United States census, it was reported that there were many thousands of acres of cannabis growing. There were reportedly more than 8,000 plantations devoted to the product.

- Between the mid-1800’s and early 1900’s, it gained a reputation for being an intoxicant rather than as a health aid.

- Even though the reputation of being an intoxicant was spreading, medical marijuana was still recognized as helping with mental illnesses such as manic depression, seizures and various emotional maladies.

- Through the 1900’s and into the 2000’s, marijuana has had its ups and downs in terms of its reputation. It had become an illegal, recreational drug which was extremely popular with the rebellious youth of the 1960’s and 1970’s. It was called the “gateway drug”, meaning that smokers of the illicit substance could get pulled through the “gateway” and into more serious drugs.

Many people within the medical community still recognized the substance for its health affirming properties. The controversy continues; thirteen of the fifty United States have allowed it to be legalized as a medicine; others are investigating the possibility.

So you think the FDA is protecting us from dangerous medicines and drugs? Think again! It’s gotten so bad that it seems it is protecting the Pharmaceutical companies instead of the consumers it is supposed to protect.

Many doctors are overworked despite all the bad press they get. People who don’t work in the medical environment often have no idea of what it is really like to be a doctor, especially a surgeon or an emergency room doctor. Many are working over 60 hours a week between all the time with patients and the time they must spend reading to keep up in their fields which are constantly changing. One of the major ways they keep up on the research is by reading Medical Journals which highlight the results of drug studies. In a perfect world, these studies would be unbiased and the results would be true results so the doctors could rely on them.

But in more cases than not, the funders of the study have a vested interest in the results, so guess what? They are skewed or even false. Important factors are overlooked, or left out completely, whatever it takes to produce the desired results to report. Scared yet?

Many doctors don’t even have time to read the journals, so Pharmaceutical companies figured out that they could sell directly to the doctors and the whole sales force of “Pharmaceutical Company Representatives” came into being. I guess that sounds better than ” Drug Pushers.” And they aren’t going to interrupt their busy schedule for an unattractive one are they? Don’t even apply if you aren’t attractive, but I digress…

Bottom line: We are being misled by Pharmaceutical companies into believing that their concoctions are safe. In many cases they are worse than the disease. Side effects are still effects; It just sounds better to say “side effects” than it does to say “other effects” or “oops effects.” I would encourage you to research every drug you are prescribed before taking it. Your doctor may care about you, but the drug companies don’t.

And meanwhile, The FDA is helping these very same Pharmaceutical companies by rushing drugs to market and embracing their scare tactic announcements designed to frighten people into taking their products. The H1N1 Vaccine is an alarming example of this. But there are others; it just takes digging through medical blogs. The drug Tamiflu was rushed to market and has serious “side” effects. And some of the new drugs for ADHD are causing alarming symptoms, just to name two of the latest.

As if that were not enough, the FDA also helps industry to get rid of their byproducts by promoting unsafe products under the guise of being healthy! Flouride is a prime example of this, and now they are getting ready to flood the news services and agriculture journals with articles promoting a chalky soil additive that comes from the leftover residue in the flues of coal fired plants. Their prime target: organic farmers! Oh yeah, that sounds so safe and organic, doesn’t it?

I urge you to do research about this, and if any of what you find alarms you, I urge you to contact your Congressional Representatives. In the meantime, you can read more about this at my site: Health News Alerts. I also cover more of the latest developments in the field of Health.

You may have heard about clinical trials and not had a clear picture of what they are, what they do, and who can participate in these clinical trials. Although clinicals can be conducted for certain types of equipment, most clinical trials are conducted to test new medications or drugs for specific illnesses or conditions. Clinical trials are also referred to as clinical research.

You need to understand that the medications or treatments used in trials have not been proven to work, or even proven to be safe. This is very different than going to your doctor and getting a prescription for a medication that has been tested and found to be safe and effective. It is vital that you are clear on this point. Fortunately, most drugs used in clinicals have already undergone extensive testing - but not on humans. Animal testing is normally done, and some testing may have been conducted on a very small number of human volunteers.

In order to be eligible for clinicals, you will need to have a specific illness or condition. For some trials, it may be important that you have had no treatment at all for the condition at this point, or that you have been treated with a specific medication up to this point. You don’t even have to have a medical condition for some trials, as some medications are tested on healthy people. Some trials are discriminatory - because they have to be. This means that participants may be selected based on age, sex, race, occupation, or other identifying factors.

Most trials are done on a volunteer basis, and no payment is offered. However, in many clinicals, the cost of the medication that is being used for the trial is usually covered. It is vital that you understand that in some clinical trials, a placebo is used along with the medication being tested. This means that you could be receiving no treatment at all, even though you think you are.

In order to find out about available clinical trials for your condition, you can talk to your doctor. You can also find information in your local newspaper if you live in or near a large city. The National Institutes of Health also post listings of clinical trials on their website. Do not volunteer for a trial without discussing it with your doctor first. Also, realize that just because you volunteer for a clinical trial, this is no indication that you will be selected for the trial, even if you meet all of the eligibility requirements.