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 through the Chinese physician Hoa-tho within the early 2nd century as a surgical anesthesia. Today many experts recognize that medical marijuana (MMJ) and the healing properties of cannabis offer relief for many different 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 with 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 by the Institute of Medicine entitled, "Marijuana and Medicine" points out that the cannabinoids in marijuana "have benefit in relief of pain, increase 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 within the treatment of nausea, PMS, weightloss, Cancer, glaucoma and muscle spasticity. New studies and findings are showing positive results for a whole host of health concerns including: Chron's disease, fibromyalgia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, as well as Tourette Syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

If you have problems with these or like conditions, seek out the recommendation of an experienced physician in your state. Your well being as well as general well-being could be improved through the utilization 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 the District of Columbia, the marketplace is expanding vigorously.

THC, the active ingredient in marijuana has been shown to effectively treat a number of conditions. It can reduce nausea, insomnia, neurogenic pain and movement disorders and 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 linked to Alzheimer's disease.

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

Medical marijuana opponents object strongly to the most typical method of ingestion: smoking. In contrast, there are various 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 type of smoking.

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

Among the biggest challenges facing these legal businesses is obtaining the full selection of business services, for example merchant accounts for processing credit-card sales or bank accounts, since marijuana is only legal on the region level, not at the federal level.

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