Marijuana: Medicine for the Planet
Little known facts on the healing potential of the sacred plant
Mar 12, 2007
Marijuana, also known as Mary Jane, pot, reefer, grass, 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 asthma, glaucoma, tumor reduction, epilepsy, arthritis, high blood pressure, insomnia, and headaches. 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.
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.
