(UNESP -2004)O texto seguinte foi extrado da pgina

(UNESP - 2004)

O texto seguinte foi extraído da página da internet www.aids.org.

 

AIDS Fact Sheet: Marijuana Click here to Help

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WHAT IS MARIJUANA?

            Marijuana or Cannabis sativa is an herb. It grows in many places around the world. It is also called hemp, reefer, or cannabis. It has had many uses in different cultures. These include reducing pain and increasing appetite. Marijuana contains chemicals called cannabinoids. The best known is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. The marijuana "high" is mainly due to THC.

            Marijuana was used medically in the US until the late 1930s. Then there were claims of "reefer madness." Supposedly, marijuana caused crime, violence, insanity, and death. In 1970, US drug law classified marijuana as having a high potential for abuse and no medical use.

            Marijuana was later found to have other health benefits. IT can lower pressure within the eye. THIS helps treat glaucoma, an eye disease WHICH can cause blindness. Marijuana also reduces nausea and vomiting in patients taking chemotherapy treatment for cancer. It reduces muscle spasms in people with nerve problems like multiple sclerosis and can help treat some types of pain. These uses led to the development of the drug dronabinol (Marinol?), a synthetic version of THC.

 

            NOTE: Federal and state laws generally forbid the sale or possession of marijuana. Eight states have passed "medical marijuana" laws that permit limited use for health reasons. However, in May 2001 the US Supreme Court ruled that medical use of marijuana is illegal under federal law. Federal officials can take action against medical marijuana users or "buyers' clubs" even in states with medical marijuana laws.

 

WHY DO PEOPLE WITH HIV USE MARIJUANA?

            People with HIV use marijuana to stimulate appetite and to reduce nausea. Many people with HIV have low appetite. This can be due to fatigue or drug side effects. Low appetite can lead to AIDS wasting lives. Some people with HIV get nauseated when they take antiviral medications. This can make it difficult to take all scheduled doses. Marijuana can help control the nausea.

            It may also relieve the pain of peripheral neuropathy and is being studied for that purpose.

(Marijuana Policy Project, http://www.mpp.org National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, http://www.norml.org)

 

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