Cannabis

Cannabis (Bhaang) from  Illegal Drug to a RespectedMedicine?

  I am from SOUTH of PAKISTAN(Shikarpur) one of the hottest places on planet, from Sindh, area bordering Baluchistan and near to  Sibbi in Baluchistan. Jacobabad, Shikarpur in Sindh are hottest belt and are  mostly Agri districts where world class varieties of  rice are planted and dates grown in severe hot climates, in those killer hot months, farmers drink a juice extracted  from locally grown illegal cannabis or a dose of grass imported from North of Pakistan  in trucks through fruit packed in wooden boxes full of apples, oranges & other fruits and vegetables  transported  across the country  where cannabis (Indica & Sativa) widely grown spontaneously and called  code name “martial law” from local drug peddlers , they mix & add almonds and few more dry fruits and herbs, to make it palatable depending upon affordability of users, most of them just use cannabis in water with one or two herbs or just rose water this drink turns  55 degree centigrade in to zero degree cold,  after having two or three glasses of cannabis juice and work on the fields, same is used in cities and villages of southern Sindh with parts of Baluchistan and south Punjab where that drug is customarily local form of Drink, Now since last two decades I am living and working in North of Pakistan which is much colder and greener near foot hills of himalyas,in those northern areas of Pakistan Cannabis is grown naturally as local grass all over north of Pakistan including provinces of Khyber Pakhtoon khwa leading into Afghanistan & Central Asia , than up to north hills of Gilgit, Baltistan and serene hilly, snow clad peaks of Hunza leading into corridors of  Wakhan & China's Sinkyang province, this grass is local & indigenous, most of the locals use it as  juice after blending in a pastel morter called "sardai"or "Bhang", or it is mixed with fat of sheep to make a harder version called Charas, Ganja or hashish as internationally known . Its spread all over world in the form of charas, it is an old myth where the old people of sindh & Baluchistan tell stories of locals of central Asia on both sides of river Oxsus, had jungles of huge grass of bhang or Cannabis and locals used to wear sheep skin inner side out with fresh fat on it which is rubbed with leaves and plants of huge grassy jungles of cannabis after coming out of jungle they scratch mixture of cannabis and fat with knives from skin of sheep that mix is called charas or Hash in local languages, that myth is told to younger ones by old sages in the area. Before British came into power in sub continent there were no restriction on sale purchase and transportation of cannabis in any form in the India & areas called Pakistan after 1947, rather it was a source of revenue generation by the local union counsels and Market committees. Ports of Thatta, Debal, Bhambhore and before Karachi,  Keti bandar  was last port before british developed Karachi as their main port, British business men in the garb of east India company  made a cantonment and established births on Karachi’s natural port near Manhora island where a Light house was built, it was Keti- bundar which was so rich in financial resources that they paid for making roads, streets  and sewerage system, first of its kind in this part of world, So Karachi started fastly developing into a metropolis from a village of 10 to 15 thousand in to a lac in next few years, at partition it was half a million populus.

The Cannabis or as popularly known as Marijuana in west is one of the most popular drug of elation & relaxation which has medicinal properties, its medicinal properties were  first described in  2737 BC by a Chinese emperor Shen nang , cannabis or marijuana is called Charas or Ganja in local slangs, its more universally known as Hash or Hashish is obtained from leaves ,flowers or seeds and a sticky resin obtained from female plant of Cannabis Indica or Cannabis sativa. It contains atleast 60 active compounds cannabinoids most potent among them is THC ( tetra hydrocannabinol) .

Cannabis is used by mankind from time immortal for medical and recreation use, but its use increased in industrialized world as it brought pressures, broken family systems with increase in flow of money and its pressures, anxieties, depressions and other psychological pressures.cannabis plant contains over 400 chemicals out which 60 are called cannabinoids and THC is most potent compounds,when cannabis is smoked in any form it reaches brain with in no times through respiratory or oral mucus membranes, its immidiates effects  are on cerebrum, cerebellum, basal ganglia and hippocampus, which effects our  sensations, short term memory , blunts our reflexes towards anxiety and balance, cannabis compounds specially THC immediately binds to cannabis receptors in brain and creates feelings of relaxation in our above mentioned brain areas and immediate feelings to users are of Euphoria, blunting sensations of anxiety, depression & worldly depression, later on it increases appetite, calmness and effects of nausea & vomiting.

When inhaled cannabis is largely binds to brain receptors called cannabis receptors its augments the effects of neuro transmitter Anandamied  which has effects like THC and is present in the areas already described , these areas control our recent & short term memory, thought procession and thought regulation, balance & gait ,these receptors are in areas of hippocampus, basal gnglia and cerebellum of the brain , body coordination, balance and automatic muscle movements are regulated through cerebellum and basaql ganglia areas of brain so its effected widely by cannabis active compounds like THC. It also effects & stimulates dopaminergic pathways another widely spread neurotransmitter in brain which is actively involved in pleasure like feeling and the reward system in brain.Despite all positive things research is going n between negative effects of long term marijuana use and depression, anxiety and rebound stress , bipolar disorders and even link between marijuana use and schizophrenia , but there is no strong link is found between marijuana and psychological disorders mentioned above.

In a 10 year study on nearly 2 thousand young individuals between ages of 14-24 years has depicted chances of increasing psychotic symptoms in patients ,conclusion remarks chances of cannabis to be a factor if used prolonged as main factor in Psychotic symptoms of remarkable nature.

Recently a study was published journal of neuropsychopharmacology  in which young adolescent mice were exposed to active compounds of young mice they had in coordination as effects on cerebellum & basal ganglia and slow reflexes they were later on mixed with their families, those effects after discontinuation was seen to carry out in adult hood too, in contrast , these substances were carried out on adult mice too but their effects were not prolong they returned to normal as soon as active compounds like THCs  were discontinued ,so it was proven that adverse effects were harm full for developing brains not in adult brains of mice.  Another negative effect seen in rats is loss of neurons from hippocampus which lead them to difficulty in learning new skills , the effects was not remarkable in rats not exposed to THC at all or in small doses ,the effects were seen remarkable in old rats than in young rats and rats not exposed to THCs.

Due to positive effects of Cannabis as Medicine, drugs has been legalized for medicinal properties in some states of USA & Canada, along with five European countries ,in USA Colorado & Washington has legalized it for recreational purposes also, several other states & countries are discussing its possible legal use as  Medicine.the possible use of cannabis in Alzheimer’s disease where it is found to slow or ameliorate the progression of disease by decreasing formation of alzhiemer’s plaques over brain. It has use in glaucoma by decreasing optical pressures leading to damage of Optic nerve, it has anti emetic effects, it has seen killing brain tumor cells in brain cancers. This was observed in a study by university of Madrid where rats were implanted with human cancer cells and than exposed to cannabinoids effects were seen by autophagy of human cancer cells by exposure to cannabinoids, another study is going on with anti cancerous effects of cannabinoids on breast cancer. it has also seen anti metastasis effects of cannabis in spreading of breast cancers.

Research is going on effects of cannabis (THC) on many other diseases or conditions to unfold as times progresses and research results are published some of these are so debilitating as multiplesclerosis, Obsessive compulsive disorders, Autism & Autsim spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders in adult ,epilepsy, Obesity, weaning from ventilators in case of difficult weaning, delirium in old age and patients in ICU.   

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