All of our lives we have heard marijuana is bad for us, that it's the first step to drug addiction and life as a slacker, but it just isn't true! Over the last 75 years the Federal government has done everything it can to discredit a natural medicine that has been used throughout the world for centuries. Now, finally, the American people are beginning to learn the truth. The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue in the United States for many years. There has been a long standing debate whether marijuana should be made legal or what should the consequences be for illegal use. There has been an interesting change in the recent years with the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. Time magazine published an article on …show more content…
Marijuana is a flowering plant with many different varieties sharing many chemical characteristics. However, the varieties have different effects that provide targeted benefits for a wide range of medical conditions. Marijuana is a hearty plant that adapted to many different climates and growing conditions. You may be familiar with the common image of the five-fingered marijuana leaf. These leaves grow along strong branches that extend laterally from the main stem. The flowers develop along the ends of the branches forming thick clusters that are usually thin and long or bulky. They produce a sticky crystalline resin and have a strong, sweet-to-pungent aroma. Some varieties grow tall and lanky, while others grow short and busy. Each variety has its own growth rate, appearance, and medical usefulness. The term "buds" refers to the dried flowers of the female plant. Buds contain the medical compounds and are the part of the plant that is typically used. The leaves are used to make extracts because they contain small quantities of the active ingredients found in