Medical marijuana has been proven to be medically beneficial in so many ways from alleviating the symptoms of seizures, chronic pain symptoms, to helping cancer patients deal with their symptoms especially from the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Medical marijuana has also been found to have therapeutic effects regarding nausea, vomiting and improving appetite loss for patients dealing with many different medical problems. Allowing patients to have legal access to medical marijuana will help improve a patient’s quality of life and could improve a patient’s response to treatment. Many patients with serious chronic medical conditions have to take many different medications to help alleviate pain and other symptoms and have to deal with debilitating side effects, but medicinal marijuana has proven to relieve their pain and suffering without dealing with the debilitating side effects. Medicinal marijuana should be legalized to increase the quality of life for patients who suffer with chronic pain, cancer patients who also suffer with pain and other symptoms or side effects as a result of treatment and for patients who suffer from seizures and no other medications have helped. Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana has been around for many years and is known to society as an illegal substance. There are people who have suggested that it is a gateway drug but in fact Castaldelli-Maia, Martins, de Oliveira, de Andrade, and Nicastri (2015) reports that alcohol and tobacco have
Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.
“Marijuana has been shown to alleviate symptoms of a wide range of debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer 's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), epilepsy, Crohn 's disease, and glaucoma, and is often an effective alternative to narcotic painkillers.” (Merino) Medical marijuana helps increase people 's appetite, relieves symptoms of pain and diseases that affect their ability to move, and helps reduce anxiety levels when dealing with certain diseases or more intense treatments. There are also different and safer forms of using medical marijuana other than smoking such as edibles, oils, vaporizing, tinctures, transdermal patches, and beverages. “ Marijuana took away my nausea, so I could eat healthy. It took away the severe restlessness and anxiety, so I could relax. It allowed me to eat, sleep and be up and active when I was awake — all of which are critical to recovery.” (Bokland) Most medical marijuana supporters suffer from a form of cancer or other disease, medical marijuana is a safe treatment that has been proven to help people who suffer from these diseases. A group of physicians named “The Doctors for Cannabis Regulation” are the largest group of doctors that are in favor of medical marijuana legalization, deming that cannabis is far less dangerous and unhealthy for adults than both alcohol and tobacco. Even with all this information, people still refuse to allow the use of medical
Legalizing marijuana is crucial to the medical field because many patients cannot use this marvelous plant to relieve their pain. This plant can help patients with multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, HIV, nerve pain, and seizure disorders. Many patients must go behind the doctors back and consume cannabis or give it to a loved one to relieve their pain. Only twenty-nine states have allowed the use of medical marijuana. Furthermore, that means that twenty-two states do not allow the usage of any form of Cannabis. Marijuana should be an all-around legal
Many medically ill patients experience agonizing pain everyday that they can not easily control with regular pain medicine, so what’s the next best thing? There have been many recent cases where medical patients have used medical marijuana for therapeutic uses and found that it had slowed the progression of their disease or helped cure it. Medical marijuana has started to become more popular with medical communities and researchers. Medical marijuana can affect many things in a positive way such as financial situations and social aspects, while having benefits on medical illnesses. Medical marijuana that does not contain the THC drug should be legalized in the United States because it would provide therapeutic benefits without making the user feel high.
According to a report put out by the British Police Foundation in March 2000, cannabis has been shown to produce less harmful effects than its other legal counterparts such as alcohol and tobacco. This kind of information calls into sharper focus the question on the minds of many as to why such a plant that is not only less harmful than legal drugs but has significant health benefits has remained illegal.
Jacqueline Patterson was born with cerebral palsy. This condition makes her experience stuttering, crippling pain, and muscle imbalance. She has four children and was living in Kansas City, Missouri. Now she lives in California, where a judge determined that her cannabis use is medically necessary to ease her symptoms (Price, In Pot We Trust). Cannabis use for medical purposes and the relief of various symptoms has been around since before recorded history as the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that, “The earliest written reference is found in the 15th century BC Chinese Pharmacopeia, the Rh-Ya.” While cannabis can be used for recreational purposes, recent research and history provide evidence to its medical benefits (Procon.org, 2017). While the Chinese Pharmacopeia may not have understood the science behind medical benefits of cannabis on certain ailments, it provides a historical background into the use of medicinal cannabis. WebMD defines medical cannabis (or medical marijuana) as, “A drug that is made up of the leaves, flowers, and buds of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Medical marijuana is the use of this drug to help treat symptoms like pain, muscle stiffness (spasticity), nausea, and lack of appetite.” (WebMD, 2017) This definition provides us with a basis for what can be considered medical cannabis and what a doctor can prescribe legally. As with any other drugs like opioids, cannabis can be abused and it is important that we distinguish what can be used
First, let me begin by explaining what exactly is medical marijuana, medical marijuana is the use of the cannabis plant or extracts from it to treat disease or symptoms. This can happen because of two main chemicals in marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol or (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and these two chemicals both have different effects on brain that can help many people dealing with serious to normal health issues. THC increases appetite and reduces nausea. The FDA-approved THC-based medications are used for these purposes. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. This can be extremely helpful to cancer patients suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy which include weight loss and
Medical marijuana has been proven to an effective drug in the treatment of a number of encumbering medical conditions. A large number of legitimate medical organizations recognize the benefits of marijuana. It is far less harmful and poses fewer negative side effects than many prescription drugs, including painkillers - and patients often find it to be a more effective treatment for a variety of illnesses. However, it is perhaps the most commonly misunderstood substance in America. The usage of the drug has been widely researched and proven to be a “most viable and safe source of medicine to many Americans suffering from Aids, Glaucoma, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Chronic Pains” (Medical Marijuana). According to the Institute of Medicines, (1999) “marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known” (Legalization of Marijuana). More and more resources and case studies will be further discussed and practices to back up the claim, and determine marijuana’s medical value.
As of April 2017, 29 states in the United States have legalized medical marijuana. That now makes 58% of the 50 states that have recognized the medical benefits that marijuana can provide. Marijuana should be legalized in all states for health purposes because it can reduce seizure activity for those with epilepsy, provide better long term relief to people that have chronic pain (stemming from a variety of health issues) versus the use of opioids, and has been effective in not only treating the symptoms and side effects of cancer, but in killing cancer cells in preclinical trials as well.
Legalizing marijuana may serve as a medicine for ill and unhealthy people. Marijuana is famously known for its ability to relieve pain for people that suffer with ADDs/ ADHD, Alzheimer’s, seizures, migraines, and physical pain relief like knee or back pain. In addition, marijuana can be used to, “treat those disorders but also cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana kill cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth!” (Torres). American states like Colorado and Washington have already legalized the use of marijuana, not to mention
Marijuana has been used for its medicinal properties dating back to 2737 B.C. when it was used by the Chinese. From the Chinese, it began to spread throughout Asia and continually outward. Many different cultures began to use marijuana as a form of treatment for certain ailments. While there is a lot of debate on what exactly marijuana treats, there seems to be an overall consensus that it does provide some medical benefits. By delving into the history of marijuana use and its effects, one can see how this affects individuals in modern time, specifically focusing on high school/college students.
Next, let’s examine groups that support marijuana becoming officially authorized. These groups dispute that it has medical benefits for patients that have cancer or AIDS. It helps relieve pain, relaxes, and may help the patients get their appetites back. Marijuana is also known to help slow down the progression of the disease in Glaucoma patients. People suffering from epilepsy use marijuana to prevent the epileptic seizures. It’s also known that marijuana helps with the treatment of people who maybe clinically depressed.
Marijuana should be a medicinal option because it relieves major chronic pain to many symptoms. According to the Herald Editorial board, Marijuana shows a great impact on pain, “from a widespread number of causes, including cancer, spinal cord injury and disease, severe spasms, post-traumatic stress disorder, nausea, glaucoma, Parkinson’s and other debilitating ailments.” This drug is useful, as patients at times cannot use certain drug due to allergies or other complications. Marijuana helps elevated those who suffer severe pain that other drugs cannot, but doctors still prescribe stronger and more addictive opiates that are legal. If marijuana was a legal drug for the purpose of medication, marijuana can potentially save lives. Marijuana should be prescribed as there are fewer side effects compared to the drugs prescribed by doctors. Why would the government not allow doctors to prescribe patients with extreme health issues that can potentially help elevate their pain. There are individuals who suffer from epilepsy, epilepsy is a condition that causes nerve cell activity to disturb the brain. At times individuals can have up to 10 seizures a day, at any given moment. Having 10 seizures a day at random times makes it difficult for them to go on with their day, but marijuana can decrease the amount seizures into one day. It’s remarkable on how marijuana can reduce the amount of seizures an epileptic person has. Marijuana needs to be an option for medical purposes for the amount of benefits it provides.
There are so many diseases that can and can’t be curable. However, there are medications that can help ease the pain from different conditions. There is one medication that can be prescribed for pain is medical marijuana. Even though it’s illegal in some states, but marijuana has become the most profitable and healing vital substance. Medical marijuana, also refer to as medical cannabis, is a good herbal therapy according to health practitioners("Medical marijuana for pain and depression"). Medical marijuana has been around for centuries. Physicians back then used medical marijuana for illnesses and disorders("Medical marijuana for pain and depression"). This is used mostly for the GI System disorders (gastrointestinal
Marijuana is believe it or not, one of the safest ‘illegal’ drugs on Earth. It is safer than legal alternatives: alcohol or tobacco. According to CNN “1 in 8 Americans smoke marijuana on a regular basis.” the drug can provide medical benefits, lower social costs, and better the economy. Therefore Marijuana should be deemed legal for recreational and medicinal usage across America, because it provides medical benefits, lowers social cost, and betters the economy across the board.