Updated May 02, 2014.
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Question: Is Marijuana Sometimes Used as a Medicine?
Answer:
Although several states have made marijuana legal for medical use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved marijuana for the treatment of any medical disease or condition. However, some of the ingredients found in the marijuana plant may prove to have significant medical uses.
But, smoking marijuana may increase the health risks of using the drug that outweight any value it has as a medical treatment.
Consequently, scientists have converted some of the medical beneficial ingredients of the plant into pill form.
Two pills containing marijuana's psychoactive ingredient THC have been approved to treat nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and to stimulate appetite in some patients with AIDS, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
In some countries, outside the United States, a mouth spray version that contains a mixture of THC and cannabidiol has been developed for medical use.
Current research is focused on finding safe ways that marijuana ingredients can be used medically, without the risks of inhaling dangerous smoke into the lungs.
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Back to: Marijuana FAQ for Teens
Sources:
National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Marijuana." DrugFacts Updated January 2014
National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Want to Know More?- Some FAQs about Marijuana." Marijuana: Facts for Teens Updated October 2013
National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Marijuana." Research Report Series Updated July 2012
The Partnership at DrugFree.org. "Marijuana." Drug Guide. Accessed April 2014.
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