STUDY FINDS ANOTHER USE FOR MARIJUANA

Marijuana Advocates Say The Herb Can Treat Another Serious Illness.

They claim the active ingredient THC has been shown to help fight
Alzheimer's disease. About 4.5 million Americans suffer from the
disease which gradually destroys memory. According to Fox News, cases
of Alzheimer's disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years.

People with Alzheimer's have an enzyme in their brain called
acetylcholinesterase or AChE for short, that does two things: first
it accelerates the formation of abnormal protein clumps in the brain,
and second, it breaks down a brain chemical that is linked to memory
and learning. The main ingredient in marijuana, THC, inhibits this
enzyme. THC could completely prevent the formation of abnormal
clumping unlike the two medications already used to fight Alzheimer's
- -- donepezil and tacrine which only reduce clumping by 22 and 7
percent, respectively.

Medical marijuana is legal in 11 states: Alaska, California,
Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island,
Vermont and Washington. Marijuana is used to treat not only
Alzheimer's but cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma,
arthritis, and migraines to name a few. Most states with legalization
laws allow 1 to 3 ounces to be on a person; people in California on
the other hand can possess up to 8 ounces.

The ability to possess medical marijuana is important, according to
the Alzheimer's Association fact sheet, "Finding a treatment that
could delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by five years could
reduce the number of individuals with the disease by nearly 50
percent after 50 years." Currently there is no treatment available
that can cure the disease, only medications that can slow down the
deterioration process. THC is considered better at suppressing the
disease than any currently approved prescription drug.

Controversy about the legalization of marijuana has been a hot-topic
in recent years, especially due to the medical discoveries that have
developed over this time. "I see nothing wrong with legalizing
medical marijuana; doctors give out prescription drugs to patients
that other people can't use on a daily basis, using marijuana as a
medical drug is the same thing," Sarah Piper said.

Others have a negative view of medical marijuana, "Based on current
evidence, I believe that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that there
are less dangerous medicines offering the same relief from pain and
other medical symptoms said," Bill Frist, M.D.

[Marijuana] can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and
other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer
and AIDS-or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it
can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic
than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day," Joycelyn
Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General said.

The controversy will continue, but scientific evidence has proven
that marijuana can help patients that have been diagnosed with severe
illnesses. Right now, marijuana is the most useful drug to patients
with Alzheimer's in comparison to the two prescription drugs
available. For more information about the medical marijuana debate
visit medicalmarijuanaprocon.org.