Common name for Cannabis: Cannabis or Cannabis Sativa also popularly referred to as Marijuana or hemp, is an herb that has many medically beneficial properties.
Occurrence of Cannabis plant: The Cannabis plant is a small, leafy, flowering plant without a woody stem and is usually found in the hilly regions of the Himalayas. Graine Cannabis is an extremely fibrous plant and is well known for its strong tensile quality. The plant is an annual flowering herb that bears both male and female flowers. The Cannabis seeds are wind pollinated and are scientifically referred to as achenes.
Parts Used of cannabis: Graines Cannabis produces a distinct aroma and has a unique flavor. The parts used in herbal preparations of the marijuana Cannabis plant include the dried mature flowers and the subtending leaves of the pistillate (female) plants. Hashish is a derivative of the glandular trichomes collected from the same plant material. The canabis sativa herb contains and exudes resin from the flowers and these are collected and compressed into hard blocks. The color of these blocks range from black, light and dark brown. The resin of the Cannabis plant has a distinctive sweet, saccharine smell. The derivative of Cannabis can either be soft and malleable, or crumbly, and hard.
Medicinal uses of Cannabis: Medicinal uses of Cannabis are strictly a physician-recommended herbal therapy in the form of synthetic cannabinoids. Moreover the medicinal uses of Cannabis are legal only in a few countries. The usage is delivered only on the basis of medical prescription, and distribution is usually done within a framework defined by local laws. Medical Cannabis has had demonstrated effects in treating nausea, vomiting, unintended weight loss, and lack of appetite. Medical Cannabis is also used to treat spasticity, painful neurogenic conditions, movement disorders, asthma, and glaucoma.
In some practices and research studies, it has been revealed that Cannabis has been beneficial in dealing with symptoms related to treatments for cancer, AIDS, IBS and some forms of hepatitis. Other important medical qualities of Cannabis include its antispasmodic and anticonvulsant properties. Due to these properties Cannabis is also suggested in the treatment of neurological conditions like epilepsy particularly complex seizures, multiple sclerosis, and spasms. Cannabis is also an analgesic and an immunomodulator and it is due to these properties that doctors sometime recommend Cannabis for conditions such as severe migraine, painful arthritis, and severe spinal and skeletal disorders. It is beneficial in treating asthma due to its use as a bronchodilator. Cannabis also brings down the intraocular pressure and is useful in treating glaucoma.
Recent research indicates the efficacy of Cannabis sativa in the treatment of mood disorders and mental health problems such as depressive disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit disorders, and Crohn's Disease amongst other mental disorders. It is also helpful in dealing with premenstrual syndrome, high blood pressure and insomnia. Another benefit includes its usefulness in treating constipation.