Cannabis is among the very oldest of economic plants providing humans with fiber for spinning, weaving cloth, and making paper; seed for human foods and animal feeds; and aromatic resin containing compounds of recreational and medicinal value. Human selections for varying uses and natural selection pressures imposed by diverse introduced climates have resulted in a wide variety of growth forms and chemical compositions.
The most famous users of cannabis were the ancient Hindus of India and Nepal.
Cannabis has an ancient history of ritual use and is found in pharmacological cults around the world.
Much has been written about the history of the medical uses of cannabis. In the past two centuries, there have been numerous references to the use of cannabis extracts for a wide range of disorders.
In the early part of the 20th century, a standardized cannabis elixir was marketed in the United States. Following the introduction of synthetic drugs such as barbiturates and opioids into medicine, interest in cannabis elixir declined.
The discovery of the primary active constitutent in marijuana, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in 1964 rekindled interest in the area. However, the emphasis shifted to synthetic cannabinoids rather than the plant or plant extracts.
For example, in the 1970s, clinical studies were conducted in an effort to determine the efficacy of THC as an analgesic, antiemetic , antidepressant , appetite stimulant , and for treatment of glaucoma .
These efforts resulted in the approval of THC (dronabinol, Marinol™) for treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in 1985 and for appetite stimulation in 1992.
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