The discovery of pot’s astonishing medical potential is the most compelling new reason for legalizing the plant.
Martin E. Lee
November 6, 2013
For many years, the federal government has subsidized studies
designed to prove the negative effects of marijuana, while blocking
inquiry into its potential benefits. Ironically, the government’s
steadfast search for harm has yielded remarkable scientific insights
that explain why cannabis is such a versatile remedy and why it is the
most sought-after illicit substance on the planet.

Cannabis and the unique chemical compounds produced by the plant,
called cannabinoids, have been at the center of one of the most
exciting—and underreported—developments in modern science. Research on
marijuana’s effects led directly to the discovery of a molecular
signaling system in the human brain and body, the endocannabinoid
system, which plays a crucial role in regulating a broad range of
physiological processes: hunger, sleep, inflammation, stress, blood
pressure, body temperature, glucose metabolism, bone density, intestinal
fortitude, reproductive fertility, circadian rhythms, mood and much
more.
Within the scientific community, the discovery of the endocannabinoid
system is increasingly recognized as a seminal advance in our
understanding of human biology. The Rubicon was crossed in 1988, when a
government-funded study at the St. Louis University School of Medicine
determined that the mammalian brain has an abundance of receptor
sites—specialized protein molecules embedded in cell membranes—that
respond pharmacologically to compounds in cannabis.
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