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should marijuana be legalized as a form of medicine
should marijuana be legalized as a form of medicine
Medical marijuana for pain.
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There has been a lot of debate on whether or not marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes in all fifty states. Many people believe that marijuana is an unsuitable substitute for many of the medications we have today. On the other hand, many researchers have conducted extensive studies that have shown how beneficial medicinal marijuana can be. Many states have already picked up on this, and have laws set in place to allow the use of medicinal marijuana. Medicinal marijuana has a wide variety of uses, and should be allowed for medicinal purposes in all fifty states.
In the report, “Marijuana and Medicine,“ released by the Institute of Medicine, it is stated “the most encouraging clinical data on the effects of cannabinoids on chronic pain are from three studies of cancer pain.” The Institute of Medicine conducted three studies to show the benefits of medicinal marijuana in cancer patients. They noted that cancer pain may be caused by a number of problems, and that it may be severe and persistent. Often, it is not effectively treated with narcotics. However, in a well designed, controlled study, it was found that THC produced significant analgesia in this hard to treat group of patients. The Institute of Medicine stated, “In conclusion, the available evidence from animal and human studies indicates that cannabinoids can have a substantial analgesic effect.”(69). Medicinal marijuana is prescribed to patients who have a variety of conditions including nausea,
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insomnia, lack of appetite, asthma, cancer, glaucoma, alcohol abuse, bipolar disorder, depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease...
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...ze marijuana for medicinal purposes, it would be very beneficial to the patients who need a drug of this type.
Works Cited
Clare O'Connor, “Billionaire Peter Lewis: My War on Drug Laws.” Forbes.com. Web. September 21, 2011
Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr., Editors. “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.” Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health Institute of Medicine. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. Web. April 7, 2003
ProCon.org. "Pharmaceutical Drugs Based on Cannabis." MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 5 July 2011. Web. 6 Oct. 2011.
ProCon.org. "16 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC." MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 19 Sep. 2011. Web. 6 Oct. 2011.
ProCon.org. "73 Peer-Reviewed Studies on Marijuana." MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 6 Oct. 2011.
middle of paper ... ... Cannabis has been used throughout the ages in many societies around the world to treat many conditions; an ancient Chinese emperor prescribed it to cure conditions such as gout and malaria, soon its healing properties were heard around the world and the use of cannabis as a medicine spread like wildfire to many other regions (Earleywine, p. 168). In fact, marijuana was legal in the United States until 1942 when, against the medical community's recommendation, it was removed from the list of acceptable medications. Today there are numerous studies being conducted on the effects of medical marijuana and scientists have proven its effects on treating many symptoms.
According to this article, more than 20 states have already legalized medical marijuana. It also points out that some experts have been changing their minds on this issue and believe that the medical marijuana should be legal. In addition, new laws could help researchers study the medicinal uses of the drug and better understand how medical cannabis impacts the body.
There has always been controversy about marijuana and the affects it has on health and the issue of legalization. Some people believe it is very destructive to one’s health, and yet others feel the complete opposite about it. Is Marijuana truly harmful to one’s health? “Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug”, written by George Bierson, was published in the Massachusetts News. In this article, Bierson determines that marijuana is harmful in many ways. He seems to think that it damages the brain, the reproductive system, and also contributes to the halt of production in the immune system. Bierson also tries to persuade the reader that marijuana is a “gateway drug” that leads to larger drugs in the future. However, by conducting research of my own, I have come to the conclusion that Bierson’s article simply lacks truth.
Is it possible for an illegal drug to be deemed legal for medical purposes? Well for an illegal drug like marijuana, that is the question. There are currently many people who use marijuana legally to suppress their illness. Marijuana should be allowed for medicinal purposes.
The Physiological Effects of Marijuana Marijuana derives from the dried leaves and flower of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa; for thousands of years, physicians regarded marijuana as a useful pharmaceutical agent that could be used to treat a number of different disorders. In the 19th century, physicians in the United States and Europe used marijuana as an analgesic, as a treatment for migraine headaches, and as an anticonvulsant (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1993, 1995). In 1938, a physician used marijuana (hashish) to completely control the terror and excitement of a patient who had contracted rabies (Elliot, 1992, p. 600).
Mekdlawit Demissie IGED 130-06 Informative Speech Outline Topic: Marijuana Speech Goal: To inform the audience about the long and short term effects of marijuana usage. Central Idea: Marijuana is the most commonly used drug amongst young people in the United States. Introduction: I. Attention getter:
Schwartz, Richard H. "Marijuana: A Decade And A Half Later, Still A Crude Drug With Underappreciated Toxicity." Pediatrics 109.2 (2002): 284. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Earlywine, Mitchell. Understanding Marijuana: A new look at the scientific evidence. New York Oxford University Press. 2002.
Medically, marijuana has proven to be a productive drug. Studies show marijuana has helped dealing with “pain, muscle spasms, seizure disorders and nausea from cancer chemotherapy.” (Weir) Scientist believes these benefits come from a chemical compound in marijuana called cannabidiol. This chemical is not the active chemical that gives marijuana users the mind-altering effects. With the unce...
Should Marijuana be Legalized for Medical Purposes? Marijuana has been used extensively as a medical remedy for more than five thousand years of experience. In the early 1900s, medical usage of marijuana began to decline with the advent of alternative drugs. Injectable opiates and synthetic Drugs such as aspirin and barbiturates began to replace marijuana as the physician's drug of choice in the twentieth-century, as their results proved to.
Marijuana use for medical purposes has been a major controversy in the United States and other countries for several years. A few doctors favor medical marijuana use because it specifically helps certain types of medial issues such as cancer, Aids, etc. It is obviously hazardous to give a patient too much medication and in some cases, the medications that is prescribed does not help and can make the patient more sick. Across the United States doctors should be allowed to use it to help patients whose conditions may be alleviated by marijuana use. Doctors should legally be able to use marijuana to assist patients who have certain types of medical problems.
Stanley, Janet E., Stanley J. Watson, and John A. Benson. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington D.C.: National Academy P, 1999.
Against Marijuana Legalization Should Marijuana Be Legalized? In society today, many people look for a feeling of freedom. Many people go on vacation and spend money. The most common escape for people is drugs. Our American society is facing a tremendous drug problem.
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.
“Marijuana Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse: The Science of Drug abuse and Addiction. NIH, n.d. Web. 4 Feb 2014.