I was in a class the other day where the discussion turned to natural herbs & remedies as it connected to Thai culture. But then the teacher veered off into a story of how her niece had started working in a medical marijuana plant out in California where it is now legal to use if one has a prescription for it. The niece (in her early 20's) started smoking while working there, stating she tried it to see if it would help with severe menstrual cramps - and of course she claimed that it did. But here's the kicker - she easily obtained a prescription from her Doctor as did her friend for the relief of migraine headaches. The ensuing discussions raised the concern how this new environment is now being supported by the medical community by "justifying" it's use for a variety of maladies - and also how easily one could use/abuse it as a smokescreen for "recreational" use which many felt was the greater underlying issue.

In much of the past years of marijuana use I observed how it gave one a glimpse of the conscious self in a higher state but only for a short while until it soon faded into a cloud. My observation was how this external substance seemed to impair one's clarity over extended periods of use and often dispersed cellular brain activity to the extent that it felt like brain waves were broken into more scattered particles. I once had a buddy who smoked several times a day - he could not even finish a complete sentence without drifting back and forth from one topic to another - very disconnected in thought and would stop in mid-word creating his own symbolic vernacular. At the time I thought it was funny but later thought more about the effects of daily smoking. I would love to see a study on brain activity both during marijuana use - and clear -on the same individual and contrast the waves.

There is no doubt in my mind this plant has medicinal properties that can be used to "assist" the body, as well as other productive uses such as hemp for rope and clothing etc.. but just like many other things intended for "limited" use has become a huge distraction in developing personal responsibility towards maintaining a natural and healthy lifestyle that often requires more work and more effort to sustain.

I agree that it is more often used as a smokescreen to be used for recreational use and is typically highlighted for it's medicinal benefits in order to legitimize it's use and/or abuse.