The medicinal uses of cannabis, more typically referred to as marijuana, dates back thousands of years. One of the first known uses of cannabis was by the Chinese physician Hoa-tho within the early 2nd century as a surgical anesthesia. Today many experts recognize that medical marijuana (MMJ) and also the healing properties of cannabis offer relief for a number of crippling health issues like nausea from chemotherapy, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, and glaucoma.

Are you an applicant for MMJ? Opinions vary from expert to expert, but a common thread emerges in regards to the advantages of MMJ. The healing properties help many patients cope with their disease by improving the overall quality of their lives. A report through the Institute of Medicine entitled, "Marijuana and Medicine" points out that the cannabinoids in marijuana "have benefit in relief of pain, rise in appetite, and relief of nausea and vomiting."

Don't let this rather narrow list dissuade you in seeking out a medical recommendation. Medical cannabis has been well documented to be effective in the treatment of nausea, PMS, weight loss, Cancer, glaucoma and muscle spasticity. New studies and findings are showing positive results for a whole host of health conditions including: Chron's disease, fibromyalgia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and also Tourette Syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

If you suffer from these or like conditions, seek out the recommendation of an experienced physician within your state. Your health and general well-being could possibly be improved through the usage of medical marijuana.

Even with no pun intended it is hard to ignore the thriving business environment surrounding the production and sale of medical marijuana. With MMJ now legalized in 15 states and also the District of Columbia, the market is expanding vigorously.

THC, the active ingredient in marijuana has been shown to effectively treat a number of conditions. It can reduce nausea, insomnia, runtz weed neurogenic pain and movement disorders and also the symptoms of glaucoma. It may be useful in controlling the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, migraines and fibromyalgia. Recent research has indicated that THC prevents the formation of deposits of plaques connected with Alzheimer's disease.

Of-course more research will be vital in determining which conditions medical marijuana can assist, but even this short list is encouraging.

Medical marijuana opponents object strongly to the most typical method of ingestion: smoking. However, there are lots of safer ways to ingest marijuana. Marijuana can be inhaled in a vaporized form and added to food after being processed into hemp oil. Both methods bypass the risks involved with any form of smoking.

Opening a medical marijuana dispensary involves a bit of work. In each of the states where the sale of medical marijuana is legalized the prerequisites are a bit different. Businesses must apply for a license and provide proof that the storefront is either owned by the business or that the leaser has approved the business. Some states require a safety plan to be drawn up, or request tax documents and so on.

Among the biggest challenges facing these legal businesses is obtaining the full variety of business services, such as merchant accounts for processing bank card sales or bank accounts, since marijuana is only legal on the state level, not at the federal level.

Perhaps the strongest argument that the federal government will respond to will be the potential tax base that medical marijuana will generate. In tough financial times it's hard to turn away any source of much needed income.