In today’s society, there are certain diseases that are debilitating and causing painful reactions to Americans throughout the United States. The patient with MS who cannot control the spasms created by their disease, the rheumatoid arthritis patient with pain so severe they cannot rest and nothing seems to be easing the pain. Then there is the AIDS patient who cannot eat, as they are so nauseated from the HIV medications that they are taking; these patients have just some of the disease scenarios that medicinal marijuana can help. Many people have long used marijuana for both medicinal and other purposes for many years. However, its modern use is a very controversial issue having both strong supporters as well as firm opponents. With all the clinical studies that have been done on marijuana it has been proven effective enough when compared to conventional treatments to overcome the fact that it is an illegal substance therefore, it should be legalized for medical purposes.
Marijuana has been found, through clinical trials, when used by MS patients or patients with spinal cord injuries that it can relieve spasticity, pain, and tremors. In the AIDS patient, marijuana has been found to quickly relieve nausea and vomiting at the same time increasing the appetite of the patient. This has helped significantly in those patients with AIDS –wasting syndrome. When this happens, the patient who has a lowered or nonexistent immune system becomes susceptible to increased risk of infection and muscle wasting, as they are unable to eat the needed proteins and carbohydrates to support recovery.
As of today, 15 states have passed propositions that allow patients the use of medical marijuana. California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington...
... middle of paper ...
...al Medical Marijuana
Therapeutics and Research. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.
Cohen, Peter J. "Medical Marijuana 2010: It's Time to Fix the Regulatory Vacuum." Journal of
Law, Medicine & Ethics 38.3 (2010): 654+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 18
Nov. 2010.
Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Marijuana Facts & Figures." Michigan Health Go
Local. MedlinePlus. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.
"Study finds no link between marijuana use and death." Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly 26
May 1997: 3+. Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
Ware, Mark A., Tongtong Wang, Stan Shapiro, Ann Robinson, Thierry Ducruet, Thao Huynh,
Ann Gamsa, Gary J. Bennett, and Jean-Paul Collet. "Smoked cannabis for chronic
neuropathic pain: a randomized controlled trial." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association
Journal 182.14 (2010): E694+. Nursing and Allied Health Collection. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.
Marijuana is a relatively harmless drug that governments around the world have made illegal. If legalized, marijuana can be beneficial to society in a number of ways: whether it be for medical, economic, or public safety reasons. Marijuana has been proven to treat several life debilitating, and even life threatening diseases. Although it is not a cure, marijuana can ease the pain and suffering of a dying person. Another benefit of legalization is the financial gains that governments will accomplish through the taxation of marijuana. This is a realistic claim if marijuana sales are compared to that of cigarettes; governments make billions each year from cigarette taxes (Caputo and Ostrom 484). Every year law enforcement spends countless man-hours trying to apprehend marijuana dealers and growers. This time would be better utilized in dealing with more serious crimes. This essay will display some main reasons why marijuana is a substance with beneficial uses and applications. First, marijuana can be used as a treatment for the effects of diseases such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and other terminal diseases. A study carried out in California clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for cancer: “Over 74 percent of the cancer patients treated in the program have reported that marijuana is more effective in relieving their nausea and vomiting than any other drug they have tried.”(Zeese 1990). Chemotherapy for cancer patients often produces nausea and vomiting. Marijuana has been proven to relieve these symptoms and there have been no known side effects recorded (Ad Hoc Group of Experts part 4).
Legalization of Marijuana has quickly become a controversial issue in America. In the United States, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is spreading to the state level. For example, in November 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons. As a result of Proposition 215 in California, patients now smoke marijuana provided their physician recommends its usage. A prescription is not required, and marijuana continues to be illegal to prescribe. The Clinton administration responded that it “would not recognize these decisions, and would prosecute physicians who recommend or provide marijuana to their patients.” Although California and Arizona are the only two states to have already passed laws regulating marijuana usage, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have laws and resolutions regarding marijuana usage. These laws and resolutions range from establishing therapeutic research programs, to allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana, to asking the federal government to lift the ban. Despite the states’ desires to have marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes, the US National Institutes of Health examined all existing clinical evidence about smoked marijuana and concluded that, “There is no scientifically sound evidence that smoked marijuana is medically superior to currently available therapies.”
In the last few years there have been a few propositions to legalize Cannabis here in California. In 2009 the Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act was introduced to California legislators. The Act was to “remove penalties under state law for the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana for persons over the age of 21.”, although the proposition lost it was the first bill for the legalization of marijuana to be passed by a legislative committee, the Assembly Public Safety Committee. Since 1996 the Medical Marijuana program has allowed the use of Cannabis to patients that have Cancer, AIDS and other chronic illnesses. As of 2014 Cannabis is illegal to use or obtain without the consent from a doctor. The Cannabis Policy Reform Act of 2014 has not been approved. It is currently undergoing signatures to present it as a proposition during the November election.
Marijuana has been proven to increase appetite which results in a weight gain for the person. For an AIDS patient, gaining weight not losing it is a main focus. In 1992, the FDA approved a pill form of THC called Marinol for AIDS patients who suffer from wasting. In a study of 139 people with AIDS, half of the people were given the Marinol and half were given a placebo. The Marinol significally improved the appetite in AIDS patients(Cowley and Hager 22). Gaining weight and keeping it on for AIDS patients is key in extending their lives. M...
Wingerchuk, Dean. "Cannabis for Medical Purposes: Cultivating Science, Weeding Out the Fiction." The Lancet 364.9431 (2004): 315-16. Print.
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.
Simoni-Wastila, Linda, and Francis B. Palumbo. "Medical Marijuana Legislation: What We Know-- And Don't." Journal Of Health Care Law & Policy 16.1 (2013): 59-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Smith, Dave. "‘Medical’ Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization." . N.p., 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
and loss of appetite caused by the disease itself and by treatment with AZT and
The debate on Medical marijuana has been a controversial subject mainly because people have an abundance of opinions and very little scientific research to back up either side of the debate. The most important question here is “will medical marijuana be used for medical purposes or will it be used inappropriately?”
Richard Sepulveda (2006). “Marijuana: The Simple, Logical Benefits of Legalization.” August 16, 2006. Retrieved from Lancet 2009; 374: 1383-91.
Despite the 1976 ruling by the federal government that marijuana has “no acceptable medical use”, sixteen states have passed medical marijuana laws that allow for patient use o...
For thousands of years human beings have attempted to find ways to get passed the struggles of their lives. With the pain of the world stopping people from enjoying simple pleasures, sometimes there is a need for help. Marijuana brings millions of people relief from the pain they feel on a day-to-day basis. This completely natural plant which helped so many people has puzzled the leaders of our nation for a long time. The THC in marijuana causes its users to experience a mild-huluciginic or high. The effect that marijuana has on a person has prevented the product from being legalized. Many other details about the plant, like the speculation of it being a gateway drug, have put another blockage on its legalization. Even though there are speculations about the plant, the benefit that it brings to the table most definitely out way its disadvantages. Marijuana can also alleviate several symptoms associated with cancer and Aids treatments and disorders. While Marijuana is effective as a medicine, it is also extremely lucrative. The economic benefits that Marijuana brings to the table are endless. Upon marijuana’s legalization, the economy would experience an immediate influx. Legalization of Marijuana would also drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The benefits that marijuana brings medically and economically are considerable enough to legalize its use medically or recreational.
To the AIDS or cancer patient, marijuana is the plant that fights nausea and appetite loss. To the nutritionist, its seed is second only to the soybean in nutritional value and is a source of cooking oil and vitamins. To the paper or cloth manufacturer, it is the plant that provided much of our paper and clothing for hundreds of years and produces four times more fiber per acre than trees. To the environmentalist, it is the plant that could greatly slow deforestation, restore robbed nutrients by other crops, and help prevent erosion. Preliminary findings show the drug may prove effective against glaucoma and asthma, and control such side nausea in cancer treatment. I concretely believe that marijuana should be legalized in the United States, primarily for the use of medicinal purposes. In technical or for the average American, marijuana, it is used only for recreational purposes. I think marijuana is a plant that could save many lives if it was made legal. My goal is to reverse prejudices, relieve ignorance, and inform people of the known and potential therapeutic uses of this remarkable plant.
There has been no solid evidence proven showing that patients who have and are using marijuana become addicted like other drugs even though the opposing side disagrees about this, there is no shown proof in the supporting this claim, which t...