People seem to find it hard to have a good thing and not abuse it. Such is the case for marijuana or cannabis which was once solely used for medicinal purposes. Now it has become used as a psychoactive drug and its use is illegal in various parts of the world.

In the ancient worlds, cannabis was a very popular medicine that treated a variety of ailments. The ancient Chinese made it a powder and mixed it with wine to form an anesthetic to treat vomiting and hemorrhaging. Egyptians used it as suppositories for relieving the pain associated with hemorrhoids. In ancient India cannabis was used to treat insomnia, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders and pain, especially that which was a product of childbirth.

More modern times have expanded the capabilities marijuana has for medicinal use. It has been used to treat muscle spasms, stomach cramps, pain, melancholia and migraines. It is also effective for use as a sleeping aid, analgesic, anticonvulsant and even in reducing intraocular pressure which was believed to reduce the chance of blindness and thus keep glaucoma patients from becoming blind. More recently, cannabis has been used to treat the effects of many chronic diseases or the therapies which they require. It has been used in preventing the wasting syndromes and appetite loss associated with chemotherapy or AIDS. Cannabis has even been used to treat alcoholism and drug addiction.

The Federal court of the United States classifies marijuana as a Schedule I substance which is marked by a high potential of abuse and no medicinal value. Because there are clearly several medicinal values which have been in use for over 4,000 years, there have been huge debates petitioning to legalize the drug.