This article should perhaps have clarified that one particular component of cannabis, cannabidiol, or CBDs, is showing the most promise for medical applications. CBDs don’t get an individual ‘high’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol
research does need to be done in this area. currently there is a treatment for seizure that uses a specific breed of marijuana plant called charlets Web the plant has very little THC in it witch is what all the stoners want. what it has that benefits those that have epilepsy is the CBD chemical compound which has proven to be a god send to children. I am very critical of how medical marijuana has been implemented I would love to see it dispensed only from a pharmacy and only under strict guid lines. in the states that now have medical marijuana. you can get a prescription because you stubbed your toe.
There are analgesic properties, antibiotic properties, antianxiety properties, etc.
If these things can be separated from the rest of the plant, then great. If not, a patient can set the temperature on their vaporizer to extract (mostly) only the things they want.
I was researching electronic components for a DIY project and came across a discussion of the components on a medical cannabis website. I read all the comments on the site, and it became apparent that these were not 18 year olds wanting to get wasted: they all had serious medical maladies that greatly reduced their quality of life. Multiple Sclerosis was just the starting point for these folks.
A repeating meme was that husbands were making cannabis extracts and products for their sick wives who refused to smoke it due to their social programming. That made me sad: If a family member was sick or dying and I had the means to improve their life and make it more tolerable, I would move heaven and earth to do that, no matter what the law or public opinion said.