Legalization of Medical Marijuana
Medical Marijuana: A Topic Leaving People Up in Smoke
Renee Grant
ENC 1101-1002
Professor Bahle
March 30, 2013
Medical Marijuana: A Topic Leaving People Up in Smoke
Medical marijuana has been an ongoing fight between the federal government, physicians and patients. Contrary to many beliefs, marijuana, whether it is used for medical reasons or recreational is non-lethal. It has been proven to be useful in many medical conditions. There has been no evidence of an individual overdosing on marijuana, but there have been a tremendous number of deaths related to prescription drugs, and over the counter medications. The legalizing of medical marijuana will change the lives of so many suffering patients, without having to worry about overdosing, or side effects like prescription medication.
Patients suffering from intractable pain, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Multiple sclerosis, Glaucoma, Arthritis, Depression, Anxiety, Hepatitis C, Morning sickness, (Smith, 2012) to name a few have benefited from the use of cannabis, whether it is smoked or ingested. There has been a tremendous amount of research on this issue for many years. Yet there continues to be a constant dispute about legalizing cannabis for medical purposes. One of the reasons is that with all the different strains of marijuana it is difficult for physicians to determine the appropriate amount of Tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) to inform their patients to take or ingest. Another concern of government officials, regarding medical marijuana is letting patients smoke in or on the grounds of the facility that are now “nonsmoking facilities”.
With that being said, there are more ways to obtain the THC that is needed to help reduce the effects of the diseases that patients are suffering. A patient can “eat” marijuana in the form of brownies, cookies, etc. You can infuse it in hot water to make tea, or through a vaporizer (Lane, 2008). We always want our
Renee Grant
ENC 1101-1002
Professor Bahle
March 30, 2013
Medical Marijuana: A Topic Leaving People Up in Smoke
Medical marijuana has been an ongoing fight between the federal government, physicians and patients. Contrary to many beliefs, marijuana, whether it is used for medical reasons or recreational is non-lethal. It has been proven to be useful in many medical conditions. There has been no evidence of an individual overdosing on marijuana, but there have been a tremendous number of deaths related to prescription drugs, and over the counter medications. The legalizing of medical marijuana will change the lives of so many suffering patients, without having to worry about overdosing, or side effects like prescription medication.
Patients suffering from intractable pain, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Multiple sclerosis, Glaucoma, Arthritis, Depression, Anxiety, Hepatitis C, Morning sickness, (Smith, 2012) to name a few have benefited from the use of cannabis, whether it is smoked or ingested. There has been a tremendous amount of research on this issue for many years. Yet there continues to be a constant dispute about legalizing cannabis for medical purposes. One of the reasons is that with all the different strains of marijuana it is difficult for physicians to determine the appropriate amount of Tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) to inform their patients to take or ingest. Another concern of government officials, regarding medical marijuana is letting patients smoke in or on the grounds of the facility that are now “nonsmoking facilities”.
With that being said, there are more ways to obtain the THC that is needed to help reduce the effects of the diseases that patients are suffering. A patient can “eat” marijuana in the form of brownies, cookies, etc. You can infuse it in hot water to make tea, or through a vaporizer (Lane, 2008). We always want our
References: Lane, A. (2008). Medical Marijuana Proposal Divides Health Care Groups. In A. Lane (Ed.), (43 ed., Vol. 24, p. 38). Detroit: Retrieved from http://lirnproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=5bf2bdd4c8bb74de5548a9967d5965d/MuseHost=search.proquest.com/MusePath/abidateline/docview/212244059/abstract?source=fedsrch&accountid=35996 (Lane, 2008) Moody, M. J. (2011). Medical Marijuana: A Burning Question. In Medical Marijuana: A Burning Question (5 ed., Vol. 154, pp. 104-106). Indianapolis: Retrieved from http://lirnproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=d3b4945ee749bec8de95121c6944c92c/MuseHost=search.proquest.com/MusePath/abiglobal/docview/866355333/abstract?source=fedsrch&accountid=35996 (Moody, 2011) PR Newswire. (2011). Medical Marijuana Inc., Update. In PR Newswire (Ed.), Medical Marijuana Inc., Update. New York: PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved from http://lirnproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=ea9288553a84b2f94196dfc118287ad/MuseHost=search.proquest.com/MusePath/abidateline/docview/912434968/abstract?source=fedsrch&accountid=35996 (PR Newswire, 2011) Smith, D. (2012, August 08). Medical Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/print/‘medical’-marijuana-10-health-benefits-legitimize-legalization-742456 (Smith, 2012)