Running head: LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 1

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS

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LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 2

Legalizing Marijuana for Medical Benefits.

Introduction.

Marijuana is a well-known drug also called as Cannabis and it has been consumed for a long

period of time thus, legalizing the use of it brings up interesting debates. Moreover, drug

abuse is considered to be a very sensitive topic especially that many families suffered the loss

of their children because of drug abuse. It is even more complicated when this drug might be

able to provide medical benefits for various diseases. Most people use it for its psychoactive

effects, but there have been increased calls by citizens, medical practitioners, and some state

governments as well as countries for its use for medicinal purposes (Kleber & Dupont, 2012).

More specifically, in the United States, several states are struggling with legalizing marijuana

debate in order to allow the use of it for medical purposes through law (Gannett, 2014).

In addition, over 30 states have recognized the medical properties of marijuana

and allow for its use only when prescribed by the doctor . The legalization of marijuana by

countries has had its beneficial use by controlling the use as a leisure drug. In addition,

justifications used by the countries that have controlled the usage of marijuana as a leisure

drug will be provided along with recommendations for the proper usage.
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 3

Marijuana has been banned for a while due to a number of reasons. Marijuana

has corrupted the social life of many individuals mainly due to the excessive use and resultant

addiction. The victims have not been able to carry out their normal routines and have hence

been pronounced unproductive by the society. Marijuana has thus been referred to as a

counterproductive drug. Many governments have since been reluctant to legalize it due to its

harmful effects on the users or abusers in this case since little is known with regard to this

drug.

In the past, there have been countless debates on the value of medical marijuana,

which detail its therapeutic benefits as well as its safety. For instance, in the report

"Marijuana and Health" conducted by the United States federal government states that the use

of marijuana started about 140 years ago when it was used as a painkilling drug and also for

the management of psychiatric illness (Bergstrom, 1997). Thus, the argument for the use of

marijuana for its medical benefits is based on the therapeutic properties of the drug .It is

argued that the therapeutic benefits of using marijuana far outweigh dangers, yet it remains

illegal in most states as it is considered to be harmful .Many attempts have been made to

legalize this drug but some states have still insisted that it has no medical benefits

whatsoever. This is mainly due to the increase negative perception of Marijuana among the

members of the public as harmful drugs instead of it being a useful or beneficial drug. In

addition, Governments who are against legalizing marijuana have continuously emphasized

the dangers of its usage and its user association with violence, criminal past, and mental

problems. Thus, it has limited the scope of understanding the benefits of marijuana recently;

opponents of the use of marijuana argue that it may increase the long-term deleterious effects

on the adolescents within the United States (Wright, 2015). This fostered the limited

knowledge that states have about the potential effects of marijuana and governments are not

bothered to prove or appreciate the potential effects of medical marijuana.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 4

However, recent attempts at understanding the use of marijuana for medical

purposes has emerged to appreciate the therapeutic properties of this drug .For example, the

Harvard Medical School has made attempts at studying the medical effects of medical

marijuana, which concluded that cannabis is considerably less harmful as compared to legal

drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. This confirms the fact that cannabis is not as harmful as

initially thought by other members of the public, and may have beneficial effects, in this case,

the therapeutic properties. Additionally, the Harvard study by Dr. Grinspoon confirmed that

the misconception that the drug is addictive is irrational and has no scientific base. Moreover,

National Institutes of Health study report on the use of marijuana for medical purposes has

concluded that marijuana could be used to treat certain serious illnesses; hence, more study

should be conducted on its benefits. The New England Journal of Medicine has stated the

marijuana should be availed to patients that are undergoing medical treatment, especially the

ones with life-threatening conditions (Jackson, 2001).

Furthermore, Medical marijuana has been proven to relieve certain illness and

painful conditions on patients. For instance, it relieves nausea that results after chemotherapy,

as well as effective in preventing vomiting (Uritsky, McPherson & Pradel, 2011). Marijuana

also increases the appetite of patients which leads to effective eating and reduced weight loss

in patients that live with conditions such as HIV/AIDS and it also reduces chronic pain.

Apart from the above conditions, marijuana can also be used medically to manage a condition

like paraplegia and epilepsy.

Additionally, the use of marijuana for medical purposes has been focused on

the management of cancer and palliative care within hospitals. In a study conducted by

Waissengrin et al (2015), the researchers held that Cannabis could be used for the palliative

treatment of patients suffering from cancer. In this study, the effectiveness of marijuana was

tested amongst adult cancer patients, and it was found to be very effective in some patients
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 5

with advanced forms of cancer. In these trials, the use of cannabis is based on the

understanding that the combination of two substances within the cannabis. In addition, it

shows how marijuana can help managing cancerous cells and reduce the rate of its survival.

Other studies have also suggested that smoked marijuana amongst people

suffering from HIV/AIDs may be beneficial in relieving the symptoms including the pain as

well as enhancing the appetite, increasing pleasure and reduced anxiety and depression

(Prentiss et al, 2004). Thus, it is important for medical practitioners to observe the indications

on the patients in order to manage the self-administration of the drugs .This includes

implying what is the best therapy of administration of marijuana and how it should be used,

whether it should be smoked or noncombustible cannabis in order to obtain the best results or

benefits.

The effectiveness of marijuana for various medical conditions has been ascertained

despite the debate on its adverse effects. Marijuana has been shown to be more effective in

controlling nausea and vomiting especially those induced as a result of chemotherapy. The

use of marijuana for this purpose has been preferred especially in patients who do not show

improvements after the use of various preferential medicines such as metoclopramide. The

use of marijuana to achieve this therapeutic effect is however limited in terms of frequency as

it may initiate hallucinations and drowsiness.

The effectiveness of marijuana has also been confirmed in relieving pain especially

the pain caused by neuropathies and medical conditions such as arthritis. Here, marijuana has

been proved safe for use. The management of post-traumatic stress has been effected by the

use of marijuana components. This has however not been deployed broadly and thus faces

some questioning. Some evidences on its efficacy exist. The use of marijuana for the

treatment of neurological conditions has also been put to practice producing varying results.
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 6

There is often relief of spasticity to the subjects of drug trials even though subsequent

examinations do not reveal impacting changes.

The support from the medical practitioners shows the potential success of the use of

medicinal marijuana which calls for the legalization of marijuana in order to benefit from its

numerous properties by allowing it by prescription only. Its monitored use is foreseen to be

very effective in managing various medical conditions. Marijuana use in medicine has

potential of achieving the desired therapeutic effects required for the well-being of ailing

human population.

Some may be concerned that the disadvantages of the drugs outweigh the

advantages. More specifically, especially that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laws

prohibit the form of smoking any kind of treatment (Kleber & Herbert, 2012, p.568). Critics

of the legalization of marijuana for its medical benefits have argued that it may lead to

negative impacts on the behavior of adolescents within the society. For instance, Hopfer

(2014) argues that the legalization of the medical marijuana may lead to its use by

adolescents as the increased availability and social acceptance or lower prices may increase

access to this drug, increasing the use of it. In addition, Hopfer (2014) also argues that this

may lead to other negative effects of marijuana, such as the edible or vaporized forms that

may possess significant harm and eventually lead to increased cases of drug abuse and

antisocial behavior.

Critics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have claimed that the use

of marijuana for medicinal purposes is not likely to be a success having stated various

reasons for their argument. They have based their argument on the fact that the entire

composition of marijuana is unknown. Thorough Studies have not been conducted on the

various components making up marijuana. This begs the question on whether the effects of

marijuana are fully known. The unknown components are likely to cause adverse effects
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 7

when used on individuals contrary to the medical reasons attained. The form in which the

drug is taken has also raised concerns due to the adversities associated with smoking activity.

This could cause potential harm to the respiratory system in users since the lungs are greatly

affected. This may worsen certain medical conditions especially those associated with the

respiratory system. Marijuana has also been discovered to affect the cognitive functions in the

users. The drug has an effect of tampering with this function and thus limits body functions.

For this reason marijuana use in the medical field faces challenges since there is an imbalance

in regard to the benefits and disadvantages.

While such critics oppose that the adverse effects may not be possible to know at

the moment, there is a greater likelihood that the legalization of marijuana for medical

purposes may lead to its abuse, hence challenges to the cognitive abilities of such individuals

because of disadvantages associated with its misuse (Hopfer, 2014). This may also lead to

decreased performances at schools as well as the possibility of development of psychotic

illnesses.

The above misgivings provide a basis for policies and public health recommendations

that can be used to guide the debate on the issue of legalization of medicinal marijuana within

healthcare institutions. This highlights the flaws of its use, especially amongst adolescents. In

addition, this also raises the issue of enforcement of these regulations that allow for the use of

medical marijuana, so that there is no case of misuse of cannabis for other purposes other

than for therapeutic roles.

It is arguably correct to bring forth the adverse side effects of the use of marijuana for

medical purposes since these cannot be assumed. However it should be noted that a drug is

any substance that when taken alters the functioning of the human body. As for the stated

reason marijuana is a drug and is expected to have its alterations of the human body system
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 8

functions. This is a characteristic of many if not all of the manufactured drugs used for

medicinal purposes. The drugs used for treatment of various medical conditions usually have

various side effects on the subjects. These are usually stated in some cases on the packaging

materials and users thus get to read and know what to anticipate when using them. Marijuana

is also a drug and is thus expected to have effects on the human systems. It should thus not be

disputed on the medical field based on grounds of its side effects. The positive effects should

be ascertained and invested on. It is normal for any good substance to have its disadvantages

and this greatly depends on the usage. This calls for research to be conducted on marijuana to

be conducted on this drug in detail to understand its make up i.e. the chemical composition.

This way all the effects of this drug can be researched on. Here both the positive and negative

effects are anticipated and should be brought forward.

The medicinal drugs are often effective since they are used in right dosage following

pharmacology tests. These tests should be conducted with regard to marijuana and all effects

ascertained. These way medics can get to know what proportion to use to achieve a certain

therapeutic effect and the overall drug efficacy can be determined. This way some adversities

will be avoided that mostly come as a result of overdose. The remaining side effects

regardless of the dosage can be evaluated against the therapeutic effects achieved from the

use of the drug. This will allow the medical use of marijuana since most drugs certainly have

their side effects which are outweighed by their importance. Restrictions however should be

put in place to control access to the drug. The drug should be used only after prescription by a

qualified medic and they should be the ones administering the drug. The drug should be

manufactured into less harmful forms before administration. This is mainly because the use

of this drug in smoke form greatly affects the respiratory system. Smoking should thus not be

used as an administration method. Efforts should also be made to ensure it is not over the

counter to minimize its abuse.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 9

Conclusion.

In conclusion, it should be reaffirmed that there is need to legalize the use of medical

marijuana in institutions of healthcare. The reason for this legalization is that scientific

research has proven that it is extremely beneficial in providing therapeutic relief to patients or

individuals that may be suffering from a myriad of conditions. Apart from relieving the pain

and suffering of these people, it also offers other benefits such as the killing of cancerous

cells amongst patients within palliative care. It has also shown that it can stop vomiting,

inducing appetite and relieving a patient from stress, depression, and anxiety amongst others.

Contrary to the desire to legalize the medical marijuana, there is also the opposing view that

it can lead to increased abuse or misuse of the drug thus urging criminal behavior amongst

adolescents. It is contended that this fear is unfounded and is far outweighed by the perceived

and proven medical benefits that marijuana offers to patients and people in need of

therapeutic care. Therefore, this paper emphasizes the need to legalize marijuana for medical

purposes as it has several scientific benefits that have been proven to lead to positive

healthcare outcomes.
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 10

References

Bergstrom, A. L. (1997). Medical Use of Marijuana: A Look at Federal & State

Responses to

California's Compassionate Use Act. DePaul J. Health Care L., 2, 155.

Caulkins, J. P. (2012). Marijuana legalization: What everyone needs to know. New

York: Oxford

University Press.

Gannett, J. C. (2014, June 20). NY Legislature passes medical marijuana bill; Cuomo

to sign. USA Today. Retrieved from

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/20/ny-set-to-legalize-medical-

marijuana-/11033195/ on April 9, 2016.

Hall, W., & Degenhardt, L. (2003). Medical Marijuana Initiatives: Are They Justified?

How Successful Are They Likely to Be? CNS Drugs, 17(10), 689-697.

Hopfer, C. (2014). Implications of marijuana legalization for adolescent substance

use. Substance Abuse, 35(4), 331-335.

Jackson, T. (2001). Press: Cannabis The Wonder Drug?. Bmj: British Medical

Journal, 323, 7321, 1136.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL BENEFITS 11

Kleber, H. D., & Dupont, R. L. (2012). Physicians and Medical Marijuana. The

American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(6), 564-8.

Noonan, D. (2015). Marijuana's Medical Future. Scientific American, 312(2), 32-34.

Prentiss, D., Power, R., Balmas, G., Tzuang, G., & Israelski, D. M. (January 01,

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Uritsky, T. J., McPherson, M. L., & Pradel, F. (2011). Assessment of Hospice Health

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