We know that the cannabis plant has many amazing medical properties, and that more are being discovered every year. Now researchers are saying they may have found more uses for some of the chemical in marijuana.

Investigators now announce they have discovered two substances–cannabidiol and THCV– in marijuana leaves that can increase the amount of calories the body burns.

This discovery, along with previous test results showing that these two substances can treat type 2 diabetes in animals, will hopefully lead to drugs that treat people who have metabolic syndrome–the combination of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure that significantly increase a person’s chances of having a stroke or heart disease.

The discovery opens up new possibilities when it comes to treating diabetes and helping with weight loss, something that affects tens of millions of people in this country alone.

We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the incredible things that the cannabis plant can do. It’s time to unleash the floodgates of research and reschedule marijuana under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Why must people who need relief continue to wait?

- Joe Klare