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¶ … Medical marijuana is slowly gaining steam in becoming a legal drug to treat disease and chronic illness. Its main beneficial component, THC, delivers a number of benefits such as increase in appetite, help with nausea, and even pain management. People with chronic incurable diseases like multiple sclerosis and AIDS have found relief through consistent use of medical marijuana. Marijuana has shown in multiple studies not only its effectiveness but its safeness compared to other typical treatments like opioids and steroids. Therefore it is my belief that medical marijuana should be legal nationwide for use in treatment of chronic illness and disease management.
What are the major "PROs" of medical marijuana?
Some pros are the growing number of people using and growing marijuana. Not only does this help in making it more easily available, but it also increases its qualities and sellers have to compete and deliver better product, especially in places like Colorado where marijuana is legal. "Given its widespread availability throughout the United States and expanded use for medical conditions, it is reasonable to anticipate increasing number of adolescents...
647). Availability is a pro-as marijuana is also a lot cheaper and less toxic than traditional medications like Prozac and Valium used to treat anxiety and chronic or acute pain.
Chronic pain is a definite problem facing many Americans. Teens and adults have to face the reality of living with pain on a daily basis. Medical marijuana has been known to curb chronic pain. It also has lesser and less problematic symptoms if smoked, or used excessively and is less likely to create severe addiction.
In fact, in the past people used marijuana for a myriad of things, some of which were pain and loss of appetite. "During the mid- to late 1800's and early 1099s, cannabis was also used to treat symptoms of dysmenorrhea, insomnia, gonorrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, migraines, and typhoid fever" (Johnson, 2013, p. 301). If people in the past could see the use of marijuana from a medical standpoint, why can't it be used now to treat the same medical problems treated before? People who deal with chemotherapy suffer from a loss of appetite. If they can use something that does not make their condition worse, why should it not at least be an option for them?
In another article by Adams, the writer states several sources hypothesize marijuana use as a good alternative to treat loss of appetite. "Marijuana has also been hypothesized…
References
Harrison, B.E., Bruce, B.K., Weiss, K.E., Rummans, T.A., & Bostwick, M.J. (2013). Marijuana and Chronic Nonmalignant Pain in Adolescents. Mayo Clin Proc, 647-649.
Johnson, B.L. (2013). Medical Marijuana. Mental Health Practitioner's Guide to HIV / AIDS, 301-303. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-5283-6_60
Nunberg, H., Kilmer, B., Pacula, R.L., & Burgdorf, J.R. (2013). An Analysis of Applicants Presenting to a Medical Marijuana Specialty Practice in California. Journal of Drug Policy Analysis, 4(1), 1-8.
Medical Marijuana To Governor Rick Perry: In the state of Texas, the use of marijuana for medical reasons is illegal, but I would like you to reconsider this issue. I have a personal interest in this issue as I am terminally ill with colon cancer. By the time this issue is resolved in Texas, it will likely be too late for me, but being ill has made me wish to be proactive
Medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5-B-Subs-1.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=1&rnd=414.848519162785)." March 1, 2007 Lester Grinspoon One of the more controversial uses of marijuana is the fact that it is believed to alleviate inflammation which opens the doors for arguments with regard to disorders including fibromyalgia which doctors still debate the existence of. However, as long as the patient is suffering and can match the set criteria for the disorder, who is society to argue that it does not exist and
" By characterizing the use of illegal drugs as quasi-legal, state-sanctioned, Saturday afternoon fun, legalizers destabilize the societal norm that drug use is dangerous." Allowing medical use of marijuana sends the wrong message to children. Children entering drug abuse treatment have routinely reported that they heard that marijuana is medicine'and, therefore, believed it to be good for them. Those in favor of medical marijuana believe that studies such as the 1999 U.S.
Medical Marijuana and Civil Liberties Research Project Part II Literature Review As the specter of Reagan's poorly planned and disastrously waged War on Drugs continues to haunt the American social landscape, an increasing number of ordinary citizens are indulging in an activity which has been demonized by prior generations and criminalized by the federal government. Casual ingestion of marijuana and other cannabis-based products has become legitimized in the eyes of many
Medical Marijuana Use and the National Drug Policy It is clear that the marijuana plant covers numerous elements that may prove prized when it comes to treating a variety of symptoms illnesses or, leading numerous individuals to argue that it should be made legally obtainable for medical determinations. The states of Colorado and Washington in the United Sates have legalized marijuana for fun use. However, there is a quantity of other
Although the decision does not invalidate laws in the 11 states that have approved medical marijuana, it does prevent protection from prosecution of users and doctors who prescribe the drug (Henderson). The 11 states that have legalized medical marijuana use include Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington (Medical). Eight states did so through the initiative process, while Hawaii's law was enacted by the