As per written records, cannabis has been used by humans since at least the third millennium BC, and according to archaeological data, it may have been used as far back as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (8800–6500 BCE).
Marijuana has been prized for millennia for its use as food, medicine, rope, and fibre, and for its hallucinogenic effects for religious and recreational purposes. Cannabis has been used for medical purposes since ancient times.
It has also been combined with various remedies by ancient doctors around the world to cure pain and other afflictions. Cannabis was first used therapeutically in Western medicine in the 19th century.
People often confuse both terms. In this blog, you will read about the difference between Medical and recreational cannabis.
The Difference
You may consider that Adult-use cannabis and medical cannabis are more alike than different. Cannabis used for medical purposes and cannabis used for leisure can be said to be quite similar in nature.
Cannabis is a drug that falls under both medical and recreational legal classifications. A physician’s prescription is necessary to use medical cannabis.
Everybody above the age of 21 is allowed to purchase recreational marijuana. There are many different reasons why people use cannabis, both medically and recreationally. However, allowance for different states will be different and may vary.
Speaking of differences, Legality and quality are the two main distinctions between cannabis used for medical and recreational purposes (both on prescription and without a prescription).
For the consumption of medicinal marijuana, patients need to be given/ are required to take additional permissions for the consumption as a cure.
What is Recreational Cannabis?
Even if marijuana is being taken for medical purposes, it is still deemed recreational use if it is not obtained with a valid prescription or through a pharmacy.
Note: Toxic substances may be present in genuine recreational cannabis. The plant may absorb and concentrate heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury when growing in soil.
The two main cannabinoids of importance, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) fluctuate with changes in temperature, sunshine, nutrients, and water.
Knowing about marijuana can help you tell if your child or someone else is using it, and help them get treatment.
Marijuana is the most commonly used mind-altering drug in the U.S., after alcohol. It’s illegal in some places like India. Medical Cannabis Due to production and political constraints, the use of cannabis as medicine has not undergone thorough testing. As a result, there has been a little clinical study to determine the safety and effectiveness of utilising cannabis to treat ailments.
Research and evidence show Cannabis may lessen nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, as well as chronic pain and muscular spasms.
When it comes to medical cannabis the administration of medical cannabis can be done in a number of ways, including smoking or vaping dried buds, vaporising pills, lozenges, tinctures, dermal patches, oral sprays, and edible cannabis.
Apart from mentioned causes, cannabis may also help treat a number of illnesses, including pain, stiffness, nausea, anorexia, and seizures, according to anecdotal reports and the findings of randomised research trials.
THC Vs. CBD Levels
The CBD to THC ratio is the primary distinction between medical strains and recreational strains. There are several strains and ways to consume medicinal marijuana, just like there are with recreational marijuana.
Common medical marijuana strains contain less THC and more CBD since CBD does not cause intoxication but still has therapeutic benefits.
Medical cannabis can be used to treat the following:
- Pain and inflammation
- Epilepsy and seizure disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety
- Multiple sclerosis
- Insomnia
Along with THC being less, another point to note is that both substances are not available everywhere and so is the access and permission to them for the same.
