some information on medical marijuana

this is a report i did on medicinal marijuana for my writing class.... i hope u learn and enjoy....

Medical Marijuana
\tMedical marijuana should be made legal throughout the United States. There are many people living in America that suffer from diseases that are both life threatening and minor conditions. These ailments leave the patients in pain and suffering and in some cases, even loss of mobility or eyesight. With the help of medicinal marijuana many patients are relieved from the pain and misery that they live through each and everyday. At federal level cannabis is illegal, which leaves people needing the drug for medical reasons without access to the valuable resource. Some states have legalized medicinal marijuana with the prescription of a doctor. There are also many well-known and respected organizations that support cannabis for its medical use. The drug itself is actually safe when used in the correct amounts. Marijuana has many therapeutic and medical values that, when made legal, can provide relief to patients.
\tMany states and organizations support medical marijuana. In 1996, patients in California were granted access to marijuana with the prescription from a doctor. This statewide legalization was made possible by the California Compassion Act, which passed by the citizens of California. Citizens of other states also feel the legalization of medical marijuana to be necessary (“Pot-ential Healing” 1). In Arizona declassification of marijuana and other drugs was passed, but then vetoed by the state legislature and governor. The medical marijuana initiative was returned to the ballot two years later with the collection of over 150,000 Arizona citizen signatures (Herer 1). After two studies in
1977, The American Medical Association came out saying they supported the decriminalization of cannabis (Levine 1). There are 12 medical marijuana states and some are undecided. Even though many states support marijuana's medical value, the federal government does not (Goodwin 55-56).
Because there are many patients that are looking for relief with the help of marijuana, cannabis buyer's clubs and cooperatives were set up in California after its legalization. These clubs supplied medical marijuana to patients that have been approved to use it. Since these clubs were breaking federal law, then they were put under persecution. Without the clubs and cooperatives, the California patients faced a problem of how they could get the medical marijuana they needed. Colorado states attorney general comments on the supreme courts ruling against these clubs with, “It's unfortunate that the Supreme Court was unable to respect California's historic role as a … leader in the effort to help sick and dying residents who have no hope for relief other than through medical marijuana.” With the legalization of medicinal marijuana all over the United States, then this problem will disappear. In 2001, Canada made medical marijuana legal. With the passing of this law, patients were allowed to access to medical pot (Goodwin 87-88, 91).
Many aids and cancer patients, which find cannabis beneficial in relieving pain, are for the legalization of the drug. Other than patients, there are many scientists that feel marijuana is a valuable medical resource because of recent research. Some of this research includes the finding of cannabinoids in humans and also cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body. These cannabinoids are also found in marijuana. This
leave scientists and pharmaceutical companies wanting to look further into the relationship of these findings (Levine 2).
\tOver all, marijuana is a rather safe drug. A main factor that should be looked at is that there are no official reports of someone overdosing on marijuana. Research in mice shows that the ratio of needed dosage for overdose to the amount needed for intoxication is 40,000:1. This illustrates that it is almost physically impossible to overdose on marijuana. Compared to other legal drugs used for the same purposes, this is very good. There are 14,000 to 27,000 deaths per year in the United States of legal prescribed medicine overdoses. The Administrative Law Judge, Francis L Young stated “A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response”, which backs up the theory of no deaths caused by smoking cannabis (Levine 2).
One of the few bad side affects of medical marijuana is smoking the drug for its effects. Unlike other drugs though, marijuana can also be ingested, such as a pill form. With more research, scientists can find a way to get THC, which is medically beneficial, into the patient without having to smoke he cannabis (Fuchs 1). There is no evident long term problems caused to the heart from marijuana use. Smoking pot in may harm people with cardiovascular disorders, but there are other forms of taking it to avoid further complications. Marijuana is nontoxic to the liver and kidneys, which is not the case in other prescribed drugs. Even after chronic use, cannabis does not wear out brain cells or produce any type of toxin to kill them. All the drug does to the brain is stimulate certain brain receptors (Levine 1-2).
Cannabis has many therapeutic and medicinal values. Aids and cancer patients go through chemotherapy, which is very beneficial, but has awful side effects. Marijuana can relieve the pain of these side affects, such as nausea, which Dr. Thomas Underleider backs up by saying “Marijuana is the best agent for control of nausea in cancer chemotherapy”. When marijuana is smoked it stays in the system, unlike pills, which can be thrown back up. Cannabis can improve appetite and then help patients with aids gain weight, which is lost from “wasting”, a severe weight loss condition. The “high” of smoking or ingesting cannabis is what lawmakers use a bad side effect to cannabis. This “high” can also depression and give a better outlook on life for people suffering from disease and even old age.
Marijuana can replace existing prescription drugs that are unhealthy and less affective. Other than taking morphine, which is highly addictive, marijuana can be smoked or used as an herbal pack for patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. When pot is smoked in the evening, it can help patients suffering from sleeping disorders to sleep better. This can get rid of the need for pills, such as Valium, which are abused drugs. Many Americans suffer from asthma, but cannabis can mean relief for 8 out of 10 of these people. Even with though this information is made apparent, patients with asthma can only use marijuana in California with a doctor's recommendation. One of the properties of using cannabis is that lowers ocular pressure in the eye better than any current medicine, which can benefit 90% of glaucoma patients. The medicinal effects take place in seconds when smoked, which is very helpful in the instances of pain relief (Herer 1).
\tMedicinal marijuana should be legalized all over the United States. Cannabis has many medicinal properties, but without legalization these properties cannot be used to their full potential. Not only is medical marijuana safe, its values are backed by many well-known and respected organizations. With the help of federal officials, doctors, patients, and the citizens of the country, medical marijuana can be made legal for those in need of therapeutic relief.

 

thanx.....

 

i think people who hav MS should be allowed to smoke marijuana... my aunt has it and she has to get around in a wheel chair and sinse she lives in conneticut she cant use marijuana as a remedy for pain relief....