Hemp for Health

HEALTH / CURRENT AFFAIRS "One of marihuana's greatest advantages as a medicine is its remarkable safety. It has little effect on major physiological functions. There is no known case of a lethal overdose. . . . Marihuana is also far less addictive and far less subject to abuse than many drugs now used as muscle relaxants, hypnotics, and analgesics. . . . The ostensible indifference of physicians should no longer be used as a justification for keeping this medicine in the shadows." --Journal of The American Medical Association, Commentary On November 5, 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted overwhelmingly to allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to their patients. This marks the return of a medicine that has been used by humankind for at least 5,000 years. Marijuana is far and away the most effective medicine in relieving the symptoms of those with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, arthritis, epilepsy, MS, and many other illnesses. Hemp for Health is the first book to explain all the facts about this exciting medicinal herb. Chris Conrad explores every facet of Cannabis sativa's healing properties, from its traditional uses in ancient China and India to the modern rediscovery of the nutritional benefits of nonpsychoactive hempseed. Hempseed is packed with protein, fiber, and essential fatty acids, which stimulate the immune system. Hemp for Health includes a section of recipes so that you can incorporate this ideal food into your diet immediately. In addition to examining the hundreds of scientific studies done on marijuana and explaining its therapeutic effects on each system of the body, Conrad includes practical information on how to get started with cannabis therapy, how to become part of the largest study of medical marijuana users ever undertaken, and what dangers--legal and otherwise--the prospective patient faces. A driving force behind Proposition 215, CHRIS CONRAD has been educating others on the benefits of hemp for nearly a decade. He is the founder of the Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp and the author of Hemp: Lifeline to the Future. He lives in Northern California.

Dedication

Acknowledgments

A Note to the Reader

Introduction

1 Hemp: A Plant for All Seasons
2 Cannabis Through the Millennia
3 Sympathetic Health-Care Systems
4 The Cannabinoids
5 Marijuana Classification
6 The Resinant Brain
7 Sight for Sore Eyes
8 Eating and Digestion
9 Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems
10 Reproduction, Metabolism, and Topical Applications
11 Nutritious, Healthy Hempseed
12 Holistic Health and Hemp
13 The Age of Deceit
14 The Legal Prognosis

Appendix A: Getting Started with Cannabis Therapy
Appendix B: Cannabis Therapy Reference Table
Appendix C: Recipes for Hempier Health
Appendix D: CPR Questionnaire
Appendix E: Resources

Notes

Bibliography