Marijuana
Marijuana
The pros and cons of using marijuana as medicine
The pros and cons of using marijuana as medicine can be established from a quote from page 63 of the book Marijuana, Noah Berlatsky, book editor, which has an excerpt from Bill McCarberg’s book “Marijuana and Pain Management” saying “Numerous studies have now established that cannabinoids help lessen pain and affect a wide range of symptoms and bodily functions.” Bill McCarberg, founder of the Chronic Pain Management Program for Kaiser Permanente, says that cannabinoids found in marijuana have been shown to be effective in reducing pain. He notes that much more clinical study is required and that it is difficult to balance the intoxicating and pain relieving effects of marijuana. Nonetheless, he concludes that cannabinoid pain relievers are very promising and hopes that they will soon become an important medical therapy for pain. When taken orally, cannabinoids are not very well absorbed and often have unpredictable effects. Patients often become sedated or have intoxication-like symptoms when tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis) is metabolized by the liver. A small number of studies with Marinol (synthetic THC analogue) have shown some effectiveness in pain relief, but optimal doses that relieve pain often cannot be achieved because of unpleasant psychological side effects. Inhaling cannabinoids, especially THC, also may cause problems for many patients. Blood levels rise suddenly and then drop off sharply. This rapid on-off effect may produce significant intoxication, particularly in patients who are new to cannabinoids. This may pose the risk of abuse potential. Smoking cannabis produces this effect, which is the very reason that recreational users prefer the inhaled route. Patients, however, generally wish to avoid psychological effects, and it is unclear how difficult it might be to find a dosing pattern that enables them to have pain control without
The pros and cons of using marijuana as medicine
The pros and cons of using marijuana as medicine can be established from a quote from page 63 of the book Marijuana, Noah Berlatsky, book editor, which has an excerpt from Bill McCarberg’s book “Marijuana and Pain Management” saying “Numerous studies have now established that cannabinoids help lessen pain and affect a wide range of symptoms and bodily functions.” Bill McCarberg, founder of the Chronic Pain Management Program for Kaiser Permanente, says that cannabinoids found in marijuana have been shown to be effective in reducing pain. He notes that much more clinical study is required and that it is difficult to balance the intoxicating and pain relieving effects of marijuana. Nonetheless, he concludes that cannabinoid pain relievers are very promising and hopes that they will soon become an important medical therapy for pain. When taken orally, cannabinoids are not very well absorbed and often have unpredictable effects. Patients often become sedated or have intoxication-like symptoms when tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis) is metabolized by the liver. A small number of studies with Marinol (synthetic THC analogue) have shown some effectiveness in pain relief, but optimal doses that relieve pain often cannot be achieved because of unpleasant psychological side effects. Inhaling cannabinoids, especially THC, also may cause problems for many patients. Blood levels rise suddenly and then drop off sharply. This rapid on-off effect may produce significant intoxication, particularly in patients who are new to cannabinoids. This may pose the risk of abuse potential. Smoking cannabis produces this effect, which is the very reason that recreational users prefer the inhaled route. Patients, however, generally wish to avoid psychological effects, and it is unclear how difficult it might be to find a dosing pattern that enables them to have pain control without
References: Marijuana / Arthur Gillard, book editor. (At Issue), Section 5, pp. 41-43, copyright 2009 Greenhaven Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. Reprint of article “Reefer Madness; Medical Marijuana (The Medical Uses of Cannabis),” The Economist, April 29, 2006, p. 83. Copyright 2006 The Economist Newspaper Group, Inc. Republished with permission of The Economist Newspaper Group, Inc., conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. Marijuana / Noah Berlatsky, book editor. (Opposing Viewpoints),Chapter 2, Viewpoint 1, Bill McCarberg, author, pp. 63-67, copyright 2012 Greenhaven Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. Marijuana / Noah Berlatsky, book editor. (Opposing Viewpoints), Chapter 2, Viewpoint 7, William Saletan, author, pp. 104-108, copyright 2012 Greenhaven Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning Word Count: 1887