Running Head: MEDICINAL MARIJUANA Medicinal Marijuana Dylan Jenkins Jefferson Community and Technical College
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 2 Marijuana (cannabis) is a plant, which produces a chemical called THC (delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol) in its dried leaves and flowers. US Congress classified marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance in 1972, which legally defines it as an illegal drug with no medical benefits. Because of this classification, the plant it currently illegal in most states, but the medicinal benefits of it isn t something to overlook. Patients have found relief from pain, nausea, anxiety, and other medical conditions with the use of marijuana, it is less addictive and harmful than the current legal medications on the market, and the legalization would be a good step economically because of the jobs it would produce. The medicinal use of marijuana includes, but is not limited to, the treatment of nausea and improvement of appetite in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, decrease of neurologic symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients, and decrease in intraocular pressure for those suffering with glaucoma (Malerba, 2010). The benefits most associated with medicinal marijuana include pain relief. A study done in 2009 found that 46% of HIV patients given medical marijuana had at least a 30% reduction in their neuropathic pain. People who suffer from muscle spasms or tightness experience relief because inhaling marijuana smoke is known to relax muscles. It has also been found useful in the treatment of some mental disorders such as anxiety and ADHD (Uddin, 2011). Despite the fact that some people still believe that marijuana is ineffective medically, the benefits of it for patients with AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and all kinds of pain have been documented and legimitized by at least one court of legislature or government agency (Gale). Patients have also found relief in arthritis, headaches, menstrual cramps, and addiction from alcohol and opiates. Some of
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 3 the neurological pain marijuana relieves cannot be touched by any other medication, so the use of marijuana is necessary for certain patients with no other options. Using marijuana for medicinal purposes is not a 21 st century invention, and its certaintly not something confined to the United States. Records of it s use has been found in Egyptian documents that date back to 1,550 BCE. It s been used in insomnia, labor, and headache treatment in ancient India, and the Greeks used it for ear infections, tapeworms, and nosebleeds (Malerba). In the United States, marijuana use was legal until 1937 when the Marijuana Tax Act made it federally illegal. Before that date, marijuana could be found in over 27 different legal medicines. The main argument against medical marijuana is that the majority society sees it as dangerous, but that majority is misinformed. No one has ever died from an overdose of THC (while nearly 500 Americans die annually from liver failure caused by Tylenol, a completely legal drug), and according to Times Magazine, a person weighing around 160lbs would have to smoke around 900 joints for it to be a lethal dose. Abusing anything in a high dose is harmful. Alcohol, highly caffiniated energy drinks, cigarettes, even McDonalds are all much more addictive and harmful than smoking marijuana. There has never been a link to any kind of respirtory problem that can t be fixed by using a vaporizer (CBS). Even if marijuana was scientifically linked to whatever illnesses people claim it is, so what? The drugs currently used to combat the same systems can cause all kind of problems, such as liver failure, blood pressure problems, stomach lining problems, etc. The American Medical Association claims that, Although marijuana smoke delivers THC and other cannabinoids to the body, it also delivers harmful substances, including most of those found in tobacco smoke. (Frater, 2011). Why, then,
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 4 are cigarettes allowed to continue to be legal? If respiratory risks are at stake, why should marijuana be outlawed and not tobacco; especially when tobacco is not a beneficial medically as marijuana? The same question can be asked when considering all of the other medications given out instead of this alternative. When you think about it, natural marijuana is a great deal better than pumping your body with manufactured chemicals that make up the pills doctors prescribe so freely. Most important in combating the myth that marijuana is harmful is the fact that the drugs that big name corporations are pumping into the community for treatment for the same things marijuana aid in are significantly more harmful and expensive. According to Deborah White, the author of an article about the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana, The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS, or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day. Most physicians are more likely to prescribe drugs such as morphine, oxycodone, and codeine, all of which contain very powerful and highly addictive chemicals, than something natural and safe. Marijuana is also much cheaper. A happy medium that some doctors have found in the battle between the benefits and taboo of marijuana is use of dronabinol. This pill is a synthetic version of an ingredient in marijuana. However, the use of only one active ingredient that marijuana posses does not hold the same relief (marijuana is made of at least 66 cannabinoids that
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 5 contribute to its medicinal value), and the ingredient in dronabinol is most effective when combined with the others. The fact that it is a pill and must be ingested orally poses difficulty for patients suffering nausea and vomiting, and it takes up to an hour or more to work (CBS). While doing research to figure out how to utilize more of the cannabinoids may be useful in the future, that could take years and it does not help the people in need of it s therapeutic effects now. Plus, if it is recognized that some of the cannabinoids are useful, what is the problem in the first place? The fact that marijuana is a crude plant seems to make some people wary of it, even though one would think that going natural would be the safest way to go. In a world of fancy pills and medical treatments, people don t want to go back in time. They also worry about dosage control, which is hard in a crude plant product. The thing is, smoking marijuana actually makes dosage control easier. The act of inhaling the smoke makes the effects noticeable in only a few minutes, so you can inhale a small about and know when you ve had the right amount in a very short amount of time. That cannot be said for things in pill form where you just take an entire pill and hope your body can handle all of those chemicals at once. And, when dealing with pain relief, it is a lot safer to take one extra hit on a particularly rough day than to take a whole other pill. It is important to consider the many other uses of marijuana when trying to prove that the illegality is unjustified if the medical benefits aren t enough. Apart from medicinal use, marijuana has also been used spiritually during religious rituals for centuries. Being an entheogen, marijuana is used for its psychoactive properties to enhance spiritual experiences, and early Christians used cannabis oil during baptisms. Ancient Taoists practices included using cannabis as incense and it is popular within the
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 6 Hindu community to offer marijuana to their deities (Malerba). Marijuana also has uses artistically in that it heightens aesthetic sensibilities. 250,000 products can be made from the hemp plant, including rope, paper, materials for insulation, insect repellent, and dynamite (Messerli, 2011). The biggest benefit of the use of medical marijuana besides the symptom relief itself is the economical boost it would bring. In an article in Time Magazine, they estimated that marijuana is the largest cash crop in California, which rakes in about $14 billion annually. Making medical marijuana use more widespread would allow a tax to be put on, and just a 10% tax would increase that money to 1.4 billion dollars, and that s just in California. This would also generate countless jobs in farming, packaging, marketing, advertising, etc. It is, admittitedly, hard to believe in the medical benefits of such a taboo product without first being exposed to real life examples. Barbara Smith, diagnosed with an incurable pancreatic cancer at age 56, was given a six-month life expectancy. During chemotherapy, Barbara experienced high levels of pain and a diminished appetite, so her cancer specialist recommended that she try marijuana to ease her symptoms. She was at first given dronabinol in capsule form, but as her digestive system deteriorated, another option was needed. Smoking marijuana increased Barbara s appetite, which let her lead a healthier life for two years past her life expectancy date before she died at age 58. If people like Barbara can defeat the odds of medicine and live a longer and fuller life by smoking something that is naturally grown, there is no reason why they should be denied that right.
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 7 So where do we stand today in the fight for legalization for this wonder drug? Community-wise, a CNN poll found that in 2002, 80% of Americans were in support of the legalization of marijuana to adults with a proper prescription. Over the last decades the polls in favor of legalization for this purpose has been between 60-80%. Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, California, Montana, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Mexico have all removed state-level consequences for marijuana use for medical purposes. A doctor s recommendation is required, and anyone using/growing/selling for any other purpose are still subject to penalties. The legalization of marijuana to be used medically is not meant to be an excuse for everyone to be able to purchase and use marijuana for his or her own recreation. There needs to be standards for the growth to make sure it is safe and effective, as well as possession limits. As it is now in the few states that have legalized the medical use of marijuana, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the potency and quality of available products because it is still illegal on a federal level. A strong patientphysician relationship is needed to make sure everything is going smoothly, as it should be for taking any other drug. The movement for allowing medical marijuana is not for the sake of legalizing marijuana to all individuals; doctors can prescribe drugs like cocaine, morphine, oxycodone, and tons of other wildly abused drugs and there is no movement to try to make those legal for recreational use either. When looking at the big picture, marijuana causes more good than bad. If something that grows naturally on this earth has been proven to produce helpful medical benefits, there is no reason for it to be outlawed. Scientific and experiemtnal research has proven the effectivness of marijuana as well as disproven the myths of it s harmfulness.
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 8 Marijuana is significantly less harmful than the drugs legally prescribed for certain illnesses and any other opposition to it s use can be easily refuted with some reading and common sense. The drug works, plain and simple, and its illegality is based mainly on misinformation, taboo, and big drug company s struggle to monopolize all medical happenings. People are going to use marijuana for their benefit whether it is legal or not; it would make a lot of sense to allow it for there is no point in putting a sick person in jail for trying to make themselves feel better.
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 9 References F r a t e r, E l i z a b e t h. ( 2 0 1 1 ). T h e m e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a d e b a t e : a n o v e r v i e w. G a l e o p p o s i n g v i e w p o i n t s. R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / i n t e r n a l. j e f f e r s o n. k c t c s. e d u : 2 3 2 8 / i c / o v i c / R e f e r e n c D e t a i l s P a g e / R e f e r e n c e D e t a i l s W i n d o w? d i s p l a y G r o u p N a m e R e f e r e n c e & d i s a b l e H i g h l i g h t i n g = t r u e & p r o d I d = O V I C & a c t i n = e & w i n d o w s t a t e = n o r m a l & c a t I d = & d o c u m e n t I d = G A L E E J 0 1 0 2 0 2 1 1 5 & m o d e = v i e w & u s e r G r o u p N a m e = l o u i 6 3 4 0 8 & j s i d 8 3 6 2 5 d 5 5 a 7 9 d 2 6 9 a 5 9 4 1 5 1 d b a 9 0 4 e f 1 b M a l e r b a, L. ( 2 0 1 0 ). M e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a : T h e p r o s a n d c o n s o f l e g a l c a n n a b i s. T h e H u f f i n g t o n P o s t, R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / w w w. h u f f i n g t o n p o s t. c o m / l a r r y - m a l e r b a / m a r i j u a n a h e a l i n g - h e r b - o r _ b _ 7 6 5 5 3 1. h t m l M e s s e r l i, J. ( 2 0 1 1 ). Should m a r i j u a n a b e l e g a l i z e d u n d e r a c i r c u m s t a n c e s? R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / w w w. b a l a n c e d p o l i t i c s. o r g / m a r i j u a n a _ l e g a l i z a t i o n. h t m K l e i n, J. ( 2 0 0 9 ). W h y l e g a l i z i n g m a r i j u a n a m a k e s s e n s e. T i m e M a g a z i n e, R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / w w w. t i m e. c o m / t i m e / m a g a z i n e / a r t i c l e / 0, 9 1 7 1, 1 8 8 9 1 6 6, 0 0. h t m l ( 2 0 1 0 ). O p i n i o n : M e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a b e n e f i t s. C B S N e w s, R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / w w w. c b s n e w s. c o m / s t o r i e s /
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA 10 2 0 0 9 / 0 3 / 0 5 / h e a l t h / c b s d o c / m a i n 4 8 4 4 6 6 5. s h t m l U d d i n, R. ( 2 0 1 1, J u l y 1 8 ). B e n e f i t s f r o m m e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a. R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / w w w. l i v e s t r o n g. c o m / a r t i c l e / 8 5 9 6 3 b e n e f i t s - m e d i c a l - m a r i j u a n a / W h i t e, D. ( 2 0 1 1 ). P r o s a n d c o n s o f l e g a l i z i n g m a r i j u a n a. R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / / u s l i b e r a l s. a b o u t. c o m / o d / p a t r i o t a c t c i v i l r i g h t s / i / M a r i j u a n a P r o C o n. h t m