Medical Marijuana Research Paper

Marijuana has been used over thousands of years by different cultures for medical purposes. Throughout the decades, due to extensive research, society’s views on medical marijuana have changed. Many people are use to seeing it as a harmful substance. Medical marijuana, or cannabis, is a plant that some physicians may recommend to be use as a herbal remedie or a liquid medicine as part of a medical treatment. Cannabis has an ingredient called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is often abbreviated as THC. This ingredient alters the mind and it is usually about one to seven percent of this in the marijuana. Some states have went above and beyond to legalize marijuana for medical purposes and have been successful. If medical marijuana was legalized
with limitations, then there would be less prisons full of people being arrested for using marijuana. When marijuana was compared to other drugs, it was proven that it was less harmful and toxic than legal substance such as alcohol. Another point that should be clear is that legalizing medical marijuana will allow government control by being able to track dosages. This will inhibit the use of the substance by teenagers and society will not have to worry about them using it. It has also been scientifically proven that marijuana can aid in the treatment of certain diseases such as cancer, to mention one. Despite all this facts, congress does not want to legalize the use of medical marijuana. However, medical marijuana should be a valid consideration. Legalizing can reduce crime and by doing so, it can reduce the amount of prisoners at prisons that are full. These prisoners are occupying the spot of a real dangerous criminal. According to sundial.edu, the United States spends “$68 billion a year on its prisoners and one –third of which are imprisioned for a nonviolent drug crimes”. About half of these prisoners are for using marijuana. This means that one-sixth of the United States’ prisoners are in prison for the illegal use of marijuana substance. If the drug was legalized, then our country would spend $11.3 billion less per year in prisons. This is money that could well be use for schools, hospitals, and roads. Legalizing medical cannabis may actually reduce violent crimes and homocides. Researchers from a University of Texas at Dallas published an article that based on their study, it was proved that medical marijuana had actually reduced crime which settle the concerns that believed completely the opposite. Robert Morris, who was the leader of the study, stated the following, “We believe that medical marijuana legalization poses no threat of increased violent crime”. The study was based on looking up the crime for the 50 states during the period when 11 states decided to legalize medical marijuana, which was form 1990 to 2006. They looked up crimes such as rape, aggravated assault, homicide, burglary, and auto theft. The researchers did include and take into accountability factors that included the type of employment and poverty. No increase in such crimes were found when legalizing medical marijuana. They actually found that in some states where medical marijuana was legalized, crimes like homicide and assault rates were decreased. Not only will legalizing medical marijuana decrease crime rates, but it will also help many patients that suffer from diseases that are difficult to keep under control as far as pain and other symptoms.
The marijuana plant contains two cannabinoids that interest those in the medical field. These two cannabinoids are THC and CBD. THC, as previously mentioned, changes the way the mind works or thinks but it decreases pain, swelling, and helps with muscle control issues. CBD does not affect the brain or the behavior of the user and as THC helps with pain and inflammation. CBD may also help control epileptic seizures and it can even help treat mental illness problems and addictions. The National Institution on Drug Abuse states that recent studies shows that marijuana extracts may reduce the size of cancer cells and even kill others. It also showed that it slow down the growth of cancer tumors from the
brain. Small clinical and laboratory studies suggest that the CBD in the cannabis plant can help control the seizures. A study that was performed with 137 who received Epidiolex which contained 99 percent CBD, demonstrated that seizures were decreased by 54 percent. A family decided that for the well-being of their 3 year old daughter, it was best to move to Colorado where she would benefit from the medical cannabis. Heather Benton, mother of Addyson, a three year old that was diagnosed with myoclonic epilepsy when she was 18 months, decided that it was enough for her family to see Addyson go through this situations. She was having over 1,000 seizures a day and the treatment was not working for her. Two doctors in Colorado told Heather that they believed her daughter could really benefit from CBD cannabinoid part of the plant. They stated that within two weeks they saw significant changes in the way she talked, walked, and her attention. In June of 2015, the governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, passed a bill that would allow patients with the Dravet Syndorme to use low dosages of TCH , which would by used in oil. This extract would come from the Cannabis plant. He did this with the intention of helping those that suffer from this type of epilepsy to decrease their seizure episodes. By legalizing medical marijuana, people would not have to completely change their way of living and leave their home and family so that they can use cannabis for medical purposes without being penalized. The FDA refuses to approve marijuana as a medical substance stating that it does not meet the criteria for it. Nevertheless, it has been scientifically proved that medical marijuana can be less toxic than other approved and legal drugs. Alcohol is said to be more harmful than the cannabis plant. Based on a study of scientific reports, alcohol is 114 times more dangerous than cannabis. Aspirin is said to be more harmful than marijuana. Tobacco is proven to be more harmful than marijuana. Based on the Center of Disease and Control, there has been over 480,000 deaths reported and this count does not include the people that have been harmed by secondary smoke. Marijuana has been used for thousands of years and it has never been said that an individual overdosed on marijuana. On the other hand, about 500 people die a day due to the use of Aspirin. Marijuana is illegal, being a Schedule 1 drug means that the government believes it is really dangerous and has no medical use. Aspirin is sold at the pharmacies and stores and any one that desires to purchase it can do so with no hesitations. The list of side effects and dangers of Aspirin outgrows the cannabis list and dangers. Medical marijuana can be the safest and most effective pain killer when compared to other authorized prescribed drugs such as Morphine and Oxycontin. These medications that are typically use for patients with pain have a sever constipation effect and addictive. Methadone is another DEA approved drug. This drug is used to help with pain and is also use in patients who are addicted to Heroin. Methadone helps these patients detox. However, Methatdone killed over 4,400 people in the year 2005. In the year 2009, it had caused the death of over 15,500 people. But yet it is approved by the DEA. Twenty-three states have passed laws to legalize the use of medical marijuana. Other states have only legalized the medicinal interest of the cannabis plant which is cannabidiol (CBD). The supreme court overruled these states that have legalized the marijuana as a whole. This means that federal agents can prosecute individuals that use the marijuana to aid in their medical treatments. Most of these states have received letters from their United States attorney’s office in which they explains that marijuana is a Schedule 1 substance and that the federal continues to consider the use, grow or possession of it to be against the law, therefore, will be consider a crime regardless of the state law. Few congress members are willing to pass the law. States and local law enforcement do not have the obligation of following federal laws. Federal agents will only go after those individuals that are abusing the system of the states that have passed this law. Several things have been done by the states so that the Federal law can reconsider legalizing the cannabis plant for medicinal purposes.
Groups of patients and caregivers have gathered and put in a petition so that the government of the United States can consider “rescheduling” the cannabis plant. This would be not making it Schedule 1 drug and reconsidering the benefits that it can bring to a patient. The DEA instructed the Health and Human Services to take a further look into marijuana and to re-evaluate it. The petition was on hold for a long time only to later on be denied.
Medical marijuana has taken a different volume in each state. Colorado being an example, passed the Amendment 20 in the year 2000 with a vote of fifty-four percent. This amendment permitted the physician to give medical marijuana licenses who could use, possess, and grow cannabis. According to John Geluardi, in 2007, a court brought down the limit of medical marijuana on patients and the cannabis industry was brought down as well. Many dispensaries were operating in 2009 and in this year, a US attorney declared that if the patients were compliance with the state law, then the DEA would not prosecute
them. Medical marijuana attributes to the cannabis plant to be used for medical purposes. Legalizing medical marijuana can be beneficial in many ways. It can help a person live a better life or even save their lives. Consider it to be selfish from those who believe that legalizing medical marijuana will be harmful to our country and do not take the time to think about those patients suffering from cancer or that family that left everything to have a better life for their daughter. Medical marijuana may also decrease crime rate which will eventually help with the control of prisons being full. Less people will be put in jail for minor crimes such as the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A lot of people do not agree with this matter but are also not well educated about the benefits it can bring to others. The use of recreational marijuana is prohibited in the United States by the federal law and some states. However, many states have already legalized it. This does not mean that the federal law can not ban possession in the states. Legalizing Medical Cannabis is very well a valid consideration.