Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, says he was wrong to ignore marijuana’s medical potential when he wrote an opinion piece in 2009 called “Why I would Vote No on Pot. 

Cannabis is a plant or herb that interacts with your body by way of a naturally occurring system called the Endocannabinoid system or (ECS). Receptors from this system are embedded on the surface of cell membranes throughout your body. There are cannabinoid receptors in your brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, and immune system. Both therapeutic and psychoactive properties of marijuana occur naturally in the body. When cannabis enters the blood stream it activates a cannabinoid receptor much like a lock fits a key. A transmission from the brain sends a message to block information coming from a stimulus. These messages are in the form of pain, nausea or inflammation. This system is called the Endocannabinoid system and it is this that makes Marijuana so effective.