An article from the New York Times shared with readers a story of a young girl with severe epilepsy that was treated with CBD (Cannabidiol), a form of medical marijuana, and went from having hundreds of seizures per week to only one or three per month. She had previously been on multiple high doses of powerful anti-seizure drugs and with the help of medical marijuana they were able to eliminate the use of those powerful medications and enjoy a better quality of life. The article then goes on to say how although there are many research studies that show the benefits, there is still a lack of evidence for the safety and efficacy of marijuana so it is not yet approved by the FDA.
Medical Marijuana has been a very controversial topic talked about
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throughout the United States for many years. According to ProCon.org, the cannabis plant had been used medicinally by many cultures around the world and was used as a medicine in the United States until 1937 until a new tax fee led to its discontinued use (1).
Although I have not personally been affected by the use of medical marijuana, I know it has been able to benefit many lives across the nation just like it was able to improve the quality of life of the young above. As stated on Ballotpedia, California was the first of the states to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 by using proposition 215, which exempt patients who poses marijuana for medical treatment from criminal laws. This was the first attempt to making marijuana legal across the United States. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a total of twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico now allow use of medical marijuana. This leaves twenty-one states where marijuana is still illegal, including Missouri. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wrote an article describing what medical marijuana is and why they have not approved it as a safe and effective drug. Although it is still illegal, they have approved two drugs containing a synthetic version of a substance that is present in the marijuana plant. The FDA is aware that there is interest in using marijuana to treat a variety …show more content…
of medical conditions including glaucoma, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), neuropathic pain, cancer multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, Tourette’s syndrome and certain seizure disorders. Because of this, the FDA supports those in the medical research community who intend to study marijuana. The FDA claims several states that have legalized medical marijuana have either passed laws that remove state restrictions on the medicinal use or are considering doing so. At the federal level, marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I substance which is considered to have a high potential for dependency and no accepted medical use, which makes it a federal offense. Many research studies prove this to be false and have found there to be many benefits to the use of medical marijuana. It has been shown when marijuana was used to treat medical conditions such as chronic pain, depression and other disorders, patients showed an improved quality of life in terms of sleep, depression levels and social interactions. HIV and AIDS are a group of conditions caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.
Around 35 million people worldwide are infected with HIV virus and AIDS has caused approximately thirty-six million deaths since the 1980’s. Medical marijuana has been shown to be effective at treating many symptoms of these conditions. Because there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, people living with these conditions must find ways to improve their quality of life while still dealing with the pain of the disease. Medical marijuana can help treat these symptoms by working as an appetite stimulant, anti-nausea medication, antidepressant, analgesic and by reducing peripheral neuropathy. Nausea is a big problem for these patients and as the disease progresses, so does the nausea. Cannabinoids can counter the symptoms of nausea and a patient survey found that ninety-three percent of HIV-positive cannabis users found improvements in nausea after smoking (Seshata). Peripheral neuropathy is caused by damage to neurons in the peripheral nervous system. This usually occurs on top of the symptoms of other conditions, only making the pain worse for the patient. Several studies have showed that cannabis is effective in treating and reducing this pain which is extremely helpful to people fighting this
disease. Cancer is another disease that can be greatly benefited by the use of medical marijuana. There are not many medical options to treat cancer in patients and it is a leading cause of death around the nation. Scientists have recently proved that marijuana can be used to fight aggressive cancers and can actually stop metastasis and return the cells back to their original states. Scientists found that CBD can turn off the ID-1 gene, the gene that causes cancer to spread, causing the cells to return to normal (Wilkey 1). It can also be used as an anti-nausea drug to help aid cancer patients going through chemotherapy for treatment. “Approximately one-third of children with epilepsy have seizures that do not respond to medication” says Elizabeth Thiele, MD. “CBD is going to prove to be an effective and well tolerated epilepsy treatment for some” In 2013, researchers conducted a survey of one hundred and fifty families with children who were using CBD cannabis to treat seizures. The responses from these families came from children with a variety of different syndromes all resulting in major seizures. From the results, it was concluded that eighty-four percent of respondents noticed a decrease in seizure frequency during treatment using medical marijuana, with two children completing remission (Greb 1-4). Many studies have been done on the treatment of seizure disorders with the use of marijuana and although it does not help all, it is able to help many. Crime rate is greatly reducing all throughout the United States but in states where medical marijuana is legalized, it has fallen approximately five percent more than in states where it is still illegal. In a study done to find if medical marijuana poses as a threat to public health and safety they relied on state crime rates in states that had approved medical marijuana and states that had not. Results showed that states that had legalized medical marijuana may be correlated with a reduction in homicide and assault rates (Morris et al. 1-4). Many people that use marijuana are using it for medical purposes but are being criminally charged for it because it is not legal in their state and they are technically consuming it illegally. According to the American Civil Liberties Union’s original analysis, marijuana arrests account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States. Making it legal in all states would decrease crime rate in these senses so the law could focus on bigger and more serious crimes rather than charging people with petty marijuana charges. It would also save millions of dollars on housing inmates in prison for these crimes. The legalization of marijuana could also yield a new tax source of the government which will greatly increase the government revenue. Marijuana tax could produce up to twenty-eight billion in yearly tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments according to a study done by Tyler Koslow. An industry report projected that the state of Florida will reach $1.6 billion in medical marijuana sales within the next three years alone. A fiscal analysis of marijuana legalization by the California attorney general’s office found that it would save hundreds of millions in enforcement dollars and gain hundreds of millions in tax revenue (Hesson). Medical marijuana has the potential to be a huge money maker but because of its illegal stature, it is unable to benefit the states.
Thesis: Despite its legal status cannabis and CBD has been recognized as being beneficial in many ways. After all, cannabis and CBD has been medically beneficial when treating pain, seizures, and cancer.
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.
Marijuana is a proven agent to prevent nausea in people. In 1985, the FDA approved a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol(THC). It was approved to combat nausea and vomiting that accompanies chemotherapy. In a 1988 study, 78% of 56 people said that they had received some
in Colorado and Washington as not only medicinal, but recreational use. They have also begun
Maa, E., & Figi, P. (2014). The case for medical marijuana in epilepsy. FigiEpilepsia,55(6), 783-786. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/epi.12610/full
Marijuana has had a negative appearance towards the public and government, but that all seems to be changing. Medical marijuana has started to have a huge impact on the United States and the world. It is a borderline substance that some people frown upon, but it has boosted the economy and has helped thousands of people across the United States overcome illnesses. But most people relate medical marijuana to recreational marijuana, which is still illegal in some states. Although many individuals find medical marijuana illegal, and unnecessary, it is a natural herb used to help symptoms caused by chronic illnesses. Over three million Americans use medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is the most widely used drug used to treat chronic illnesses. The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue here in America. Although, there are healthcare professionals that do believe that the use of medical marijuana can be very beneficial for certain patients. Just as there are benefits associated with the use of medical marijuana there are also negative effects associated with it.
A few major states such as California legalize marijuana and every other state is supposed to just follow suit. Research on medical marijuana should be further into development before others decide to legalize marijuana. Some just may see as a means of helping society, but the truth is it’s an illicit drug. The marijuana legalization will cause a slippery slope effect, causing accidents such as impaired driving, increased child use, and misdemeanor within the law. The Supreme Court has begun to investigate cases of medical marijuana use. According to Reflections On Medical Marijuana Prosecutions and The Duty To Seek Justice, “ Just four years later, in Gonzales v Raich, the Court affirmed the federal government’s authority under the Commerce Clause to prosecute the non-commercial, intrastate cultivation and possession of medical marijuana” (Kreit, 2012). The Commerce clause regulates commerce with other nations. This gave the federal government the power to prosecute non-commercial marijuana from other nations. Since marijuana isn’t legal in all states, the public will try to find other ways to get
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?” Unlike a person who uses marijuana for medicine or entertainment, some people use marijuana as a means of income. Honestly, marijuana sales are a very profitable business, but the problem is that there are still a numerous number of people who sell marijuana illegally. Usually with illegal sales of marijuana, also comes other illegal activity.
The world is changing. The push for marijuana legalization is in full effect in the United States. With the legalization of medicinal marijuana in California on November 5, 1996, the United States has progressed in its movements for full legalization (mbc.ca.gov). Now with 21 states, plus Washington D.C, having state level medicinal marijuana legalization laws in full effect, along with both Colorado and Washington having recreational use of marijuana legalized, the United States is on a path for full legalization (whitehouse.gov). The legalization of cannabis in the United Sates will provide the state and federal governments with increased tax revenue, save money and resources from the war against marijuana, and most importantly, benefit the people in numerous ways.
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.”
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...
There are many other uses for medical cannabis including treating symptoms of IBS, Chron’s disease and other gastrointestinal disorders, pain relief from cancer and multiple sclerosis, the prevention of Alzheimer’s and helping individuals suffering from ADD, seizures or Tourette’s. Unfortunately, the federal government fails to see the many benefits of cannabis and clear proof shown in the countless peer-reviewed studies done through the years and instead maintains its classification as one of the most dangerous drugs with no acceptable medical benefits. More and more states are taking steps to regain their rightful authority from an over-reaching federal government, and taking the necessary steps to offer relief to many patients suffering from a wide array of maladies.
Those against medical marijuana have given many reasons for why it should not be legalized. One of the main reasons they argue is that “Marijuana smoke may contain known carcinogens and produces dependency in users” (Medical). But there have been many studies it has be proven that it actually does have some harm that is also associated with smoking, but the according to National Academy of Science they believe that “marijuana’s short term medical benefits outweigh any smoking-related harms for some patients”(Medical). Though marijuana has been proven to be less damaging to the lungs than tobacco, a study in 2006 “found no evidence that marijuana smokers had higher rates of lung cancer” (Medical Marijuana). The FDA have conducted test proving the effectiveness of marijuana many times and have found that the cannabinoids in marijuana are helpful in “treating pain associated with chemotherapy, postoperative recovery, and spinal cord injury, as well as neuropathic pain, which is often experienced by patients with metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes”.
...ause of the psychoactive ingredient THC can cause paranoia and seizures. The CBD in marijuana may have many medical benefits but until more dispensaries reduce the amount of THC, it is still questionable weather some patients should use marijuana as a medicine. Marijuana can cause damage to premature developing brains and should be tested in a lab before giving to children.
Currently in our country there is an issue at hand that has divided not only American people, but even politicians across the country. The highly debated issue that has been dividing the country for many years now is the legalization of medicinal marijuana. While the government has left the issue up to individual state’s legislations, the pressing debate at hand has been calling for a federal law to nationally legalize marijuana for medical purposes. For years now, it has been something that has been highly debated and something that people on both sides feel highly passionate about. What if medical marijuana could save the life of one of your loved family members but that being denied to you because it hasn’t been legalized in your state. The legalization of medical marijuana would not only benefit the country health wise but also economically and its something that must be legalized throughout the whole country.