Victoria has now joined the ranks of many states in the US after becoming the first state in Australia to legalise medicinal cannabis.
A Bill simply named Access to Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2015 was pushed in parliament by Victorian premiere Daniel Mathews and officially passed in Parliament on the 14th of April.
The legislation enables the manufacture, supply and access to medicinal cannabis products in the state. The cannabis will first be issued to children with severe epilepsy in 2017. Cannabis will also be issued to patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma and Parkinson’s.
This huge political move has once again brought up the long-running 420 debate, discussing the good and bad of recreational and medical use of weed. Are you on the “Ganja” (weed) band wagon or not?
“Herb? Herb is a plant. Herb is so good for everything. Why these people who want to do so much good for everyone, who call themselves government and this and that, why them say you must not use the herb? You see, them say you must not use the herb because it makes you a rebel. Against what?”
If you know this quote you’re definitely in the reggae fan club, if you have no idea who said it I, suggest that you study up and start listening to Bob Marley.
Marijuana has been a hot topic throughout the world as more and more countries decide to legalise the plant for medical use.
Using Marijuana is definitely not something new to the world: it was booming in the 70s with the hippie revolution. We hear about people smoking it almost on a daily basis, all you have to do is turn on the radio and there are songs about getting high from artists like Three 6 Mafia all the way to Lana Del Rae.
We often hear about the negative affects of Marijuana, but what is not often discussed are some medical benefits of smoking herb:
- Slows the growth and spread of cancer cells
- Relieves arthritis
- Decreases anxiety
- Helps eliminate nightmares
- Controls epileptic seizure
- Helps with PMS
- Helps with migraines
And food tastes way better.
There are numerous ways to smoke it, but today we’ll just discuss the most common way: in a joint (aka doobie or blunt), in a bong, and in a pipe.
For those of you who are new to the hemp world, here is a breakdown of what marijuana actually does to you when you smoke it.
When a person smokes weed, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs in the body. If you were to eat the weed your body would absorb the THC faster.
Marijuana over activates certain receptors in the brain which causes the “high” that users feel.
As with any drug, there are, of course, many downsides to smoking weed as well. Some of the long and short-term effects of weed are:
- changes in mood
- impaired body movement
- impaired memory
- breathing problems
- increased heart rate
- temporary paranoia
- hallucinations
While the debate rages on over this controversial substance, it’s important to remain informed about the science behind getting high, so hopefully you now feel like a weed expert! If you were a blazer hater maybe you have decided to join the dark side and decide that medicinal cannabis is OK. Or, if you were already a hard core stoner, maybe you have decided to go down another path due to some hectic effects on your brain. Whatever path you have chosen, remember ….
“When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.” – Bob Marley