Medical Use of Marijuana Essays

Medical Use of Marijuana Essays Medical Use of Marijuana Paper Medical Use of Marijuana Paper Marijuana whose other names include Mary Jane, hashish, herb, weed or pot is a hemp plant whose consumption triggers mixed reaction among people across the globe. Trimm Harold in his distinguished book ‘Forensic the Easy Way’ notes that marijuana is a greenish brown mixture of leaves, flowers, stem or seed of cannabis plant. Its active ingredient or chemical is THC delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol. It can be smoked, mixed with food and eaten or brewed as tea. (Trimm H, 2005). Different people use the substance for varying purposes and its effects are also varied depending on one’s body as well as the amount consumed. Marijuana is argued to produce a relaxation feeling on those who consume it but to others it brings about anxiety, thirst or hunger while others feel nothing after its consumption. History has it that marijuana has been cultivated for more than 40 decades although its intoxifying effects were established about 80 years ago leading to its criminalization. Despite the fact that hashish was criminalized, many people continue to use it and the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana laws (NORML) estimates that to a tune of 70 million Americans have smoked marijuana at least once in their lifetime while another 28 million are regular consumers. Supporters of the decriminalization of the use of marijuana cite its medicinal benefits as a basis for their stance. The paper will take an opposing view in the use of marijuana for its medicinal benefits and will therefore highlight the factors that support its criminalization. Various issues are raised regarding the appropriateness or inappropriateness of the consumption of marijuana. Its opponents argue that its use ought to remain banned as it has harmful effects like distorting their cognitive abilities, sight, perception as well as their sense of time. Marijuana affects one’s reasoning and it can therefore be a cause of inappropriate behaviors in the society. It is also associated with a negative effect on the users reasoning as well as their memory. (Earleywine M, 2002). Marijuana’s use is also associated with increased heart beat rate as well as the loss of motor coordination. The role of marijuana in the medicine field can be countered by the fact that it has not out done other drugs and the relevant field. Again, it would be better if drugs administered have minimal chance for abuse. According to a Food and Drug (FAO) official, although it was true that smoking of marijuana was found to have medicinal benefits on some patients there was need for more research to verify the findings. To him, without proper and further studies it was too early to make any comprehensive and conclusive judgments. In conclusion, FAO and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would not advocate for the use of marijuana due to its medicinal effects. (Twombly R, 2006). The credibility of marijuana in as far as its medicinal roles are concerned is tarnished by the fact that it can be of negative effects on one’s cognition, concentration, sight and lungs. The congress also fails to recognize the effectiveness of marijuana regarding its role in medicine. (Gravel M, 2008). All in all there is need for effective scientific research so that lack of it is not quoted as the reason behind its application. In the ancient times, marijuana was used in making food, ropes as well as incense. The process used to criminalize the use of marijuana did not have a scientific backing but was from a generalization. The mere knowledge that marijuana had some intoxifying effects on its consumers led to its criminalization on the grounds that by so doing the members of the society would be safe from its harmful effect. The National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) argues that the criminalization of marijuana ought to be recalled as it was based on improper or inadequate information. Concerns are however raised up to date concerning the potential of its abuse if all states decriminalized it. Despite these concerns it is true that marijuana’s benefits in medicine are too significant to ignore. This paper will focus on supporting the argument that marijuana has medical benefits as well as other advantages and will consequently highlight factors for its decriminalization. Gerber in ‘Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics’, noted that marijuana was used in the ancient times as both an analgesic as well as an antiseptic. It was used when treating burns and it relieved pain. It is also argued that marijuana could be used as an antibiotic and would therefore used for the treatment of tuberculosis, liver swelling, gonorrhea, impotency as well as tetanus. (Gerber R, 2004). In support the medical uses of marijuana a 1997 report by the US National Institute of Health and British Medical Association indicated that marijuana had therapeutic advantages which included analgesics, antispasmodics, anti-emetics, and appetite stimulants. (Gravel. M, 2008). Marijuana can also be used as a pain relief medication for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) where it is further argued that it controls the incidence of spasms. When administered on patients with cancer, especially those who cannot use chemotherapy it can reduce or rather suppress nausea. Another medicinal effect of marijuana is that it boosts or stimulates one’s appetite and can be used by HIV AIDS patients as it is also easily absorbed compared to other medications. This is attributed to the fact that it is easily soluble in lipids. Marijuana in its oral form as dronabinol or Marinorcan can be used in cancer chemotherapy and it also worsens schizophrenia. (Levinson M and Johnston P, 2002). A closer comparison of marijuana and other drugs like cocaine can clearly depicts that the many concerns raised against it are uncalled for. The harm caused by drugs like cocaine and heroin are of much weight when compared to the possible effects of marijuana. Heroin and cocaine are expensive, addictive and known to trigger aggression which is highly associated with criminal behavior. Moderate intake of marijuana is thought to reduce the risks of one acquisition of lung cancer as well as bronchitis. A research by the American Thoracic Society in 2006, found out that heavy marijuana smokers registered reduced risks of developing emphysema. The reason behind this finding was that they did not exhibit obstruction of the lungs small air way. Some arguments against the use of marijuana established that marijuana would lead to a permanent mental illness but this can be easily dismissed as a hypothesis due to the fact that it lacks a scientific backing to support it. Again, the effects of marijuana are mostly temporary. Supporters of the positive effects of marijuana especially due to its medicinal effects would term the constant allegations or link between it and crime as a misguided. The use of marijuana by pregnant women seems to have minimal effects on the unborn children and it can comfortably be used. The new born of mothers who use it show no sign of impairment be it mental, physical or developmental. There is a high possibility that the use of marijuana boosts one’s resistance to infections whether caused by bacteria or by viruses as a study using animals established this. However, only scientific research would verify this assumption. Of most drugs that are commonly abused marijuana stands as the only one where many health benefits can be pointed out. The advantages or uses of marijuana will remain even as time moves on and it’s the role of the society to exploit these benefits. States should decriminalize it but create awareness as they have done in the cases of alcoholism. This way it would ensure that chances for abuse which contributes to a large extent the manner in which people gauge marijuana is influence in favor of marijuana. Decriminalizing marijuana will be beneficial to the members of the society especially those who use it. This is attributed to the fact that they will no longer be arrested and imprisoned leaving their children unattended. For the farmers who plant marijuana this will be a plus in as far as their financial well being is concerned. The government can also benefit through taxes paid by the farmers. References: Harold Trimm. 2005. Forensics the Easy Way. Barrons Educational Series, Rudolph Gerber. 2004. Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics. Marijuana and Government Policy in United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. Martin H. Levinson Paul D Johnston. 2002. The Drug Problem: A New View Using the General Semantics Approach Greenwood Publishing. Martin H Levinson. 2006. Sensible Thinking for Turbulent Times. Psychology / Cognitive. Universe. Tatiana Shohov. 2003. Medical Use of Marijuana: Policy, Regulatory, and Legal Issues. Marijuana Therapeutic use United States. National Organization for Reform of Marijuana laws. Federal Laws. Retrieved on 13 th October 2008 from http://norml. org/index. cfm? wtm_view=Group_ID=4575 Mitchell Earleywine. 2002. Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence. Oxford University Press. Renee Twombly. 2006. Despite Research, FDA Says Marijuana Has No Benefit Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Oxford University Press 98(13):888-889; Mike Gravel. 2008. Citizen Power: A Mandate for Change Author House Publishers