Types of Medical Marijuana

Cannabis is considered to be the most consumed drug in the world and it is illegal in many countries around the globe.

However, smoking marijuana is not the only way to use this plant. People have been using it for thousands of years as a cure for various diseases.

Nevertheless, its abuse in modern times has led to its crackdown, with many countries criminalizing its use. Today, though, eight out of ten doctors in the US want the cannabis hemp plant to be legalized due to its health benefits. 

It is currently used mainly as a recreational drug and as an auxiliary method in the fight against diseases. In some states, like Maryland, it’s allowed only for medical purposes. While it’s forbidden for recreational use, it’s essential that patients with diseases, which can be treated with marijuana, have access to it. For safe use, patients can consult with certified marijuana doctors in Maryland to obtain a medical marijuana card. Meanwhile, we have to bear in mind that there isn’t only one type of marijuana. Nature and human modifications produced hundreds of varieties of this plant.

Main Types of Medicinal Marijuana

As we have said, there is a large number of marijuana variants, depending on the plant from which the leaves and stem are obtained. Below are the three main natural types that can be found worldwide.

1. Cannabis Sativa

Originally coming from South America, Asia, and countries with a tropical climate, cannabis sativa is one of the best-known cannabis plant varieties. In fact, the typical leaf that people usually imagine when talking about marijuana is normally of this type. This is one of the most consumed types of marijuana. Cannabis sativa tends to be a tall plant and is frequently found in outdoor plantations.

Cannabis sativa is oftentimes called hemp and it has just been made legal to produce in the US. It has a very low level of THC, which in small doses is very desirable in treating anxiety. This 0.3% of THC is the precise reason why hemp has been made legal in the first place. Here, the CBD edibles are legally available for sale online.

2. Cannabis Indica

Coming from Asia, especially countries such as India or Pakistan, cannabis indica is one of the types of marijuana that can be found naturally. This variety is of an intermediate size and has much wider leaves than other sorts.

Speaking of the type of effects it produces, the indica variety usually has a slightly narcotic effect linked to physical relaxation and analgesia. As opposed to the previous type, its THC level can be very high.

This variety is frequently used in the treatment of pain caused by different diseases, as well as for its anti-convulsant and relaxing effects.

3. Cannabis Ruderalis

Cannabis ruderalis is the third and the least popular natural variety of cannabis. It is found in Russia. Although sometimes considered to be a variety of cannabis sativa, this plant’s peculiarity is that it has great strength and the ability to bloom regardless of the level of luminosity. It is usually used in hybridization to create other subspecies.

Small in size, low in THC, and high in CBD, its effects are more relaxing than activators and sometimes are used in medicine. Cannabis ruderalis has been traditionally used in treating depression in Russian and Mongolian folk medicine. This variant is seldom used recreationally.

Bottom Line

While marijuana has been sidelined in many countries due to its continued abuse, different types of the plant are spread out across various parts of the world and are relevant in the medical field. However, no one can say for sure if the substance will become globally legalized or not in the future.