Medical Marijuana Overview of Marijuana:

Medical Marijuana

Overview of Marijuana:

Marijuana comes from the Indian hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The leaves and flowers are typically dried and crushed, for use in pipes or rolled into cigarettes for smoking. It can also be added to foods and beverages, for consumption. The active ingredient in Marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is present in all parts of the marijuana plant and in both males and females. However, THC "is most concentrated in the resin (cannabin) in the flowering tops of the female" ("Marijuana"). The effects of marijuana on the user vary considerably.

Depending on the strength of the marijuana, the amount the user consumed, the setting the user takes it, and the experience of the user with the drug all affect the effects. Primarily, however, psychological effects to be the most common experience, with a mild sense of euphoria. Distortions in time and space can occur due to alterations in vision and judgment. Visual hallucinations, depression, anxiety, extreme moodiness, paranoia, and psychoses lasting from four to six hours can result during acute intoxication. Physically, marijuana consumption most often results in reddening of the eyes, dry mouth and throat, moderate increase in the heart rate, tightening of the chest if the drug is smoked, unsteadiness, drowsiness, and muscular incoordination. Phyical dependence is not established with chronic use. Additionally, users do not suffer from extreme physical discomfort after withdrawal from marijuana. However. The drug may be psychologically habituating ("Marijuana").

Marijuana's Use Medicinally:

Marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries (Martin). For generations cannabis preparations have been used to reduce pain, relieve nausea and improve appetite, in patients. Chinese herbal texts, dating from 2700 BC, touted these and similar effects of the plant. At this time, it was typically administered externally, either as a balm or smoked. In the 19th century, the tips of the marijuana plant were occasionally administered internally to treat angina pectoris and gonorrhea ("Marijuana"). In the 20th century, the manufacturing of synthetic drugs supplanted the use of marijuana, as well as other herbal remedies. However, the last several decades has seen a resurgence of interest in the use of cannabis and cannabinoid preparations, for medicinal purposes. Studies have shown cannabinoids as being effective in elevating a variety of symptoms, in patients (Degenhardy & Hall).

The medicinal uses of marijuana has been under scientific investigation for generations, however it was the mid-1960s that saw an increase in the study, when THC was finally isolated and then produced synthetically. By the late 20th century, a variety of therapeutic effects of marijuana and THC were proven in medical research. It was found that patients suffering from glaucoma experienced a lowering of internal eye pressure, with the use of marijuana. Patients using chemotherapeutic drugs to treat cancer and AIDS discovered that by using marijuana they could alleviate nausea and vomiting (Degenhardy & Hall). "Marijuana also has been found to reduce the muscle pain associated with multiple sclerosis and to prevent epileptic seizures in some patients" ("Marijuana"). These positive research results inspired legislatures around the country to consider the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, several states passed legislation to fund research for further studies on the medicinal use of marijuana or to legalize its use medicinally. Despite the fact that some of these statutes either lapsed or were repealed, many states saw decriminalization efforts, in the 1990s, leading to medicinal marijuana becoming legal. These states included: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. However, in 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Interestingly, that same year, America's neighbor to the north, Canada, eased restrictions on medical marijuana, licensing growers so that they could produce the drug for patients with chronic or terminal diseases ("Marijuana").

The Concerns of Medical Marijuana:

There are a variety of concerns with the legalization of medical marijuana. At first glance, the safety of marijuana for medicinal use appears to not be in question; however, most testing has been conducted on those casual users who are young and healthy. This does not necessarily mean these same findings will translate to ill patients or those who use marijuana on a continual basis. As Martin noted, adverse consequence on the lungs have been noted on long-term inhalation of marijuana smoke. There is also a potential for the suppression of the immune system, and although not commonly extreme, withdrawal symptoms upon cessation. Martin also cited Solowji et al. And their findings in their observational studies that demonstrated impairment of cognitive functions, for marijuana users who had a long-term and heavy usage history.

Degenhardt and Hall agree that short-term use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has an acceptable safety profile; however, long-term use is another question entirely. Although use of marijuana for short-term symptomatic relief, such as nausea and vomiting when connected with cancer treatment or postoperative relief of acute pain, the use of marijuana for chronic disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, still may have risks that trials with relatively short duration periods didn't identify.

One adverse effect of long-term use of marijuana, when smoked, is increases in the risk of cancer. This risk is due to the prolonged exposure to carcinogens that are contained in cannabis smoke. Psychosocial issues that occur in chronic recreational users may also present themselves, even amongst older adults. However, the three consequences of most concern are: cannabis dependence, development of psychotic disorders and cardiovascular disease (Degenhardt and Hall).