Running Head: Should Cannabis be a Medical Option

Should Cannabis be a Medical Option:

The many benefits of having Cannabis as a medical option.
Alexis Cortazar
Literature and Modern Media

Running Head: Should Cannabis be a Medical Option

Abstract

This research paper focuses on the many benefits that cannabis ha in the medical world. Today
Cannabis is labeled as a schedule 1 drug, which is in the same category as Heroin and Lysergic
Acid Diethylamide (LSD), which are far more deadly. However, many studies have shown that
Cannabis is a lot less harmless than other drugs and that it has medical value. The use of
Marijuana as a medicine is remarkably uncontroversial at the bedside of a cancer patient or child
suffering from convulsions who might be helped(Steven R Patierno PhD 2014) Other studies
have also shown much more benefits that cannabis has. It can help many people who suffer from
certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms caused by such illnesses. I found all
the research I have from many sites that focus on how much medical value cannabis has. I have
used resources from doctors and medical groups who have done many research to prove why
Cannabis should be a medical option.

Running Head: Should Cannabis be a Medical Option

Should Cannabis be a Medical Option: The Many Benefits of having

Cannabis as a Medical Option

Do you think Cannabis can have a huge impact in the medical world? According to the
DEA, Cannabis is a schedule1 drug because it is thought that cannabis has no medical value and
rather has a high potential for abuse. However, there has been research that shows just how much
medical value Cannabis has. Cannabis should be legalized because of its positive effects. It stops
the spread of cancer cells, stops nauseas and vomiting from patients going through
Chemotherapy, its less toxic and not addicting as prescription drugs ,and seems to help veterans
who suffer from PTSD. .
A reason Cannabis should be a medical option is because it stops the spread of cancer
cells in patients who suffer from different types of cancers. Dr.Deepak from American Medical
Association stated that cannabis use helped stop the spread of cancer in one of his patients.
(2012) The patient suffered from Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is a common and deadly
brain cancer, Cannabis helped stop the spread. The American Cancer Society stated that they
support the need of more scientific research on Cannabis. They also hope to develop
Cannabinoid drugs that will not only cure patients with cancer but also help people with other
deadly diseases such as AIDS and HIV. According to the Institute of Medicine(2013) "The
profile of cannabinoid drug effects suggest that they are promising for treating wasting syndrome

Running Head:Should Cannabis be a Medical Option

in AIDS patients. Nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety are ```all afflictions of wasting, and all
can be mitigated by marijuana.
Another benefit cannabis has is stopping nauseas from patients going through
Chemotherapy. Many patients reported that after ChemoTherapy, the feel nauseated and start
vomiting. Cannabinoids naturally produced in the body play a role in suppressing nausea in

normal circumstances. Intake of cannabinoids from medical marijuana during episodes of nausea
can also effectively relieve symptoms. Inhaled medical marijuana achieves superior results in
reducing nausea and vomiting over synthetic alternatives (United Patients Group). The body
absorbs medical marijuana quickly because it is similar to the cannabinoids the body naturally
produces. More cannabinoids are absorbed in inhaled form than in ingested form, since the body
attempts to metabolize any ingested medication before absorption.
Something many people might be concerned about is if cannabis is much safer and nonaddicting. Certain chemicals in prescription medications seem to be far more toxic than cannabis,
since it doesnt contain any chemicals to make it toxic. Another problem that concerns people is
if it will be addicting. The risk of becoming dependent on marijuana is comparatively low. Just
9% of those who have used the drug develop dependence. By comparison, 15% of drinkers
become dependent on alcohol, 23% of heroin users get hooked, and a third of tobacco smokers
become slaves to cigarettes. (John Cloud-Time Magazine 2006) The European Monitoring
System for Drugs and Drug Addiction claimed that the THC content of herbal

Running Head: Should Cannabis be a Medical Option

cannabis 1980 was 1% and increased to 4% in 1999, this shows that the level of addictiveness is
not high at all for someone to become hooked.
Finally, cannabis can help out veterans who suffer from PTSD. The Department of
Health and Human Services stated that cannabis was approved to treat PTSD in some states.
Naturally accuring cannabinoids, same as THC, helped regulate the system that causes fear ad
anxiety in the body and the brain. One open trial of 10 participants with PTSD showed THC was
safe and well tolerated and resulted in decreases in hyperarousal symptoms. This has

implications for patients with PTSD, who respond to stimuli that remind them of their initial
trauma even when it is no longer appropriate. By aiding in memory extinction, marijuana could
help patients reduce their association between stimuli (perhaps loud noises or stress) and the
traumatic situations in their past. (Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access) Other studies have
also shown cannabis helps veterans almost forgot of traumatic events. Many would claim that
cannabis should not be a medical option because it can be addictive and lead to criminal
behavior, but there is still a lot of research to be done.
In conclusion, cannabis should be a medical option because it has so many benefits. It has
been proven that it can stop the spread of cancer cells and that its non-toxic and non-addicting as
prescription drugs. It can also eliminate nausea and other side effects from Chemotherapy, and
also help veterans with PTSD. Cannabis is a safer medical option for many people who need it.

Running Head: Should Cannabis be a Medical Option

References

D'Souza, D. C., MBBS. (2015, May/June). Medical Marijuana: Is the cart before the
Horse. Journal of the American Medical Association. Retrieved June/July, 2015

Grinspoon, L., MD. (2003, August 17). Boston Globe. Views on Medical Marijuana.
Harvard Medical School

Bar-Sela, G., MD. (2013). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The Medical Necessity of Medical Cannabis. Retrieved June 24, 2013

The United Patients Group. Nausea and Vomiting. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from
www.unitedpatientsgroup.com

The American Academy of HIV Medicine(2007, October 8). "Cannabis Reducing HIV"
Reason Magazine.