They are claims of medical benefits, not sure how legit the claims are but I'm all for it as a medicine if it actually has a chance of working. Legalizing it for "recreational use" is a complete disaster though.
There is a compound in marijuana called CBD that does not make anyone stoned, but from the things I've read, it's the next greatest wonder drug ever - according to the claims, it cures or helps everything from Asthma to Cancer to Alzheimer and everything in between.
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It's a fine line between CBD and THC. They are two different substances but they come from the same plant.
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CBD doesn't produce any "high" like THC does, but has several prominent medicinal effects the most remarkable of which is its anti-inflammatory power. I'm waiting to see case studies where CBD is compared objectively with other anti-inflammatory agents such as ibuprofen, for example. You can presently go to a smoke shop like one that sells e-cigs or pipes, tobacco and accessories (hookah) and get CBD oil in a range of concentrations. A 2-ounce bottle with a dropper cap can range from $15 to $100 depending on strength. So a 10-drop dose from the weaker bottle is comparable to one or two drops from the most powerful bottle. People suffering from migraine headaches claim this relieves the pain
instantaneously, like nothing else they know of. And there is no "high" involved, just a general soothing effect like a body-wide reduction in stress.
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Marijuana edibles don't require you to smoke it, just eat it. And when eating this, both THC and CBD is consumed. So for some users, the difference might not be discernible. And for someone who is trying to avoid THC, the taking of CBD for medical reasons could greatly increase the urge to smoke some more dope.
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There is a kind of appetite associated, but "addiction" might be too strong of a word. It's certainly not addictive like alcohol or heroin or certain drugs like opioid pain relievers (cocaine, oxycodone, etc.). Someone might have a hankering for smoking dope but it's more like the urge to eat chocolate cake or drink pineapple juice, than it is like feeding your manifest addiction by getting a caffeine fix.
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And who is up-in-arms about the sinfulness of drinking coffee?