It might come as a shock, but humanity has been using marijuana plants as medicine for a very long time. The plant originated in Central Asia and has been an herbal medicine since 500 BC. Eventually, this plant was brought to Africa, Europe, and the Americas. People loved how hardy hemp was and used it to make ropes and textiles. Oh yes! Hemp is a type of cannabis plant. What differentiates hemp from other strains of cannabis is the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC Doesn’t Exist Alone
The cannabis plant naturally produces THC, but not at today’s concentrations. Like with all domesticated plants, people have bred cannabis plants to produce more and more THC over time. But not all people use cannabis just for fun. The plant itself contains hundreds of other chemicals that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Together, all these chemicals work together to help decrease pain, anxiety, and other issues. It wasn’t until the 20th century that chemists began to isolate out each cannabis product.
Anti-Nausea, Promotes Hunger
Despite the stigma, there was enough interest in using medical marijuana that scientists were able to get funding to study THC. Two interesting properties of this chemical is that it lessens nausea and promotes hunger (aka gives you the munchies). Thanks to all those studies, there are now two FDA-approved drugs, Marinol and Syndros, that are used to treat chemotherapy symptoms for cancer patients and loss of appetite for AIDS patients.
Recreational THC
If you’ve tried smoking, vaping, or eating cannabis, you know about the psychotropic effects of THC. The general consensus is that it makes you relaxed, maybe sleepy, and it can distort time and perception for some people. Others only experience the negative effects such as anxiety, paranoia, and sometimes even projectile vomiting (though this is rare). Experts generally recommend using the cannabis plant as a whole instead of inhaling or ingesting pure THC. This is because cannabis also produces CBD, a compound that can lessen the negative effects of THC.
THC That Doesn’t Get You High?
If you enjoy learning about the medical uses of THC, but have no desire to actually use it recreationally, we have the perfect solution for you: our THC necklace. You don’t have to be a stoner to own it either! It’s a great conversation starter and helps people understand that cannabis can be about improving a patient’s quality of life. Get this necklace for yourself or buy it for someone else. It’d make a great gift for cannabis researchers, botanists, chemists, and starry-eyed pre-med students.
written by Science with Evie
