Final answer:
Marijuana's medicinal benefits are recognized in the form of FDA-approved drugs containing THC for chemotherapy nausea and AIDS-related anorexia, and a CBD-based drug for childhood epilepsy. The full potential of marijuana in medicine remains under-researched due to federal legal restrictions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marijuana has chemicals like THC and CBD that are used to treat nausea from chemotherapy, increase appetite in AIDS patients, and control severe childhood epilepsy.
Marijuana contains cannabinoids, with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) being of particular medical interest. The FDA has approved pharmaceuticals containing THC for alleviating chemotherapy-induced nausea and for appetite stimulation in AIDS patients experiencing severe weight loss. Additionally, a CBD-based liquid medication has been approved to treat two types of severe epilepsy in children.
Despite federal classification, some states have legalized medical marijuana to treat various conditions. Due to Federal restrictions, comprehensive and large-scale research on marijuana's full medicinal potential is limited, prompting the scientific community to call for reclassification to facilitate more studies. While recreational effects include altered senses and mood changes, medicinal use of marijuana components shows promise for medical applications. However, the classification at the national level still reflects marijuana as illegal, constraining the extent of research and medical use.