FREE ESSAY ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

I decided upon the question "Should Marijuana be Medicine?" because I wanted to confirm my
strong beliefs of an anti-drug policy, but after research, my attitude towards medical
marijuana changed because it seems the benefits far out-weigh the risks.
Of the 60 some chemicals unique to the marijuana plant, the main psychoactive ingredient
and the one for exploring the physiological as well as the psychological role in the
anandamide system is delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or more commonly known as THC. The
anandamide system is concerned with mood, memory and cognition, perception, movement,
coordination, sleep, thermoregulation, appetite, and immune response (a). Cannabis is the
term used to describe the dried hemp spike. When burned and inhaled, the cannabis
receptors bond to the macrophages in the brain and spine, which control the anandamide
system. Macrophages are chemicals in the body, which attack the infected areas in the
body and help take away the waste from an injury (a). THC acts as a catalyst in this
process. It speeds up the macrophages' disposal of the waste and is why therapeutic
relief comes as such a rapid onset to the user (b). Even though the THC bonds with the
processes going on inside the brain, there are few THC receptors in the part of the brain
that controls the basic life functions therefore making it impossible for cannabis
intoxication to lead to death (c). There are strong links to cannabis relieving aches and
pains, numbing the symptoms of opiate withdrawal, improving sleep, reducing anxiety, and
alleviating the vomiting, anorexia, and depression associated with certain AIDS related
disorders, specifically AIDS wasting syndrome(c). Some studies have also shown that
cannabis can relieve muscle spasms especially in multiple sclerosis patients' (b). "With
smoked marijuana, patients get immediate relief, whereas with the oral drug they get a
delayed, big rush of unpleasantness. " Studies on animals have shown it could also quite
possibly be an anticonvulsant. Doctors have been able to make a synthetic delta-9
tetrahydrocannabinol, which they call Nabilone, that helps relieve nausea and vomiting
after chemotherapy and may pose as the strongest evidence that cannabinoids do work (a).
It is a non-psychotropic drug and therefore greater accepted. Researchers have also
developed a delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, which they call dronabinol (a). This oral drug
has proven itself in stimulating the appetite of AIDS patients and has won approval from
the American Food and Drug Association; one of only three drugs approved for this
treatment. This drug has also been found to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory
properties along with possible anxiolytic , hypnotic, and antidepressant properties,
which gives this drug a profile unique to other man made drugs, and is compelling enough
for further studies (a). 
The adverse effects have also been studied and there have been no deaths due to cannabis
toxicity alone. Some of the most common side effects include sedation, euphoria, anxiety,
and paranoia, dry mouth, blurred vision, and incoordination. Dependence can occur but
withdrawal symptoms are mild. The smoke is toxic and may increase the risk of
cardiovascular and respiratory disease (a).
When I began this study, I was greatly opposed to marijuana for whatever reason it was
being used, but now that I have found more information on the subject, my opinion has
definitely swayed. I have attained a greater understanding for how this drug interacts
with the body and why it has the effects on pain that it does. I think that if I were to
compile more research, especially now that medical marijuana is actually a respected
topic and no longer a joke, I think that I would find even more reasons as to why this
drug should be seriously considered for therapeutic reasons. 
One of the reasons that this drug is so frowned upon is that society has taken for
granted and abused a very unique and possibly beneficial drug therefore almost
permanently attaching a bad name and delaying the necessary research which could be
putting millions to ease. 
(a) British medical journal 
Cannabis as a medicine
The major point that this article brought out was that delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the
active ingredient in marijuana more commonly known as THC, does ease a wide variety of
various symptoms from aches and pains to AIDS related disorders. They described how
patients told their doctors how effective cannabis is in relieving aches and pains,
numbing the symptoms of opiate withdrawal, improving sleep, reducing anxiety, and
alleviating the vomiting, anorexia, and depression associated with AIDS related
disorders. It also discussed how THC acts as a catalyst in the anandamide system, which
helps dispose of the waste from an injury, and is involved with mood, memory and
cognition, perception, movement, coordination, sleep, thermoregulation, appetite, and
immune response. They also explained that there is a synthetic form of delta-9
tetrahydrocannabinol, Nabilone, which is not psychotropic like the natural form and has
been proven to relieve nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy. There is another drug
called dronabinol, which stimulates the appetite of AIDS patients and is so effective
that the American Food and Drug Association has approved of it. All these evidences help
my argument that marijuana should be a drug available by prescription but strongly
regulated so misuse can be avoided.
This article also mentioned the side effects of cannabis, which include sedation, minor
psychological and physical systems, and mal interaction with the central nervous system
possibly causing depression. All of these negatives are minor when compared to the wide
list of benefits this drug can have.
I found the most information in this article and it was presented in a sophisticated yet
understandable way. 
(b) Issues in Science and Technology
From marijuana to medicine
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy asked the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) to determine the risks and benefits of marijuana and their findings were displayed
in this article. They found that marijuana is potentially effective in treating pain,
nausea, and vomiting but the therapeutic effects and mild when compared to other
medicines. However, a majority of patients do not take well to these man made drugs and
therefore would rather smoke marijuana with no bad reaction at all. There is also
conclusive evidence that it stops muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis patients. All of
these findings support my side of the argument. They did say that there are also adverse
effects to chronic smoking which include increased risk of lung cancer, lung damage, and
problems with pregnancies, but when patients use the drug strictly for medical purposes
and not on a regular basis there is actually very little risk. Tests have been approved
for six-month trials on patients who seem most likely to benefit. They want to make
perfectly clear that the goal of these tests is not to find reasons to make marijuana
legal but to find new drugs related to the compounds found in the plant, specifically,
delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Another point that this article brought up was that the
health hazards identified with marijuana use are from the smoke inhaled during ingestion
and not from the actual drug. Another advantage of marijuana that they pointed out was
that its drug effect has a rapid onset unlike man made drugs.
I felt that this was the least helpful article, of the three I found, in defending my
claim that marijuana should be used as medicine because I was able to find the contained
information in my first source and it was presented too novice. 
(c) Consumer Reports
Marijuana as Medicine- How strong is the science?
This internet site neatly outlined all the pros and cons of medical marijuana. It first
started with the harm it can cause and the effects it has on the brain, which concern
coordination and short term memory. Even when they were addressing the cons of the drug,
they mentioned that it is impossible to take a fatal dose of marijuana because there are
hardly any THC receptors in the area of the brain that control the basic life functions.
Another argument they brought up against marijuana is that there are 50-70% more known
carcinogens than tobacco smoke and more irritating particles are sent to the lungs
because there is no filter used and joints are usually smoked down to the last fraction
of an inch. Users also try to hold the smoke in as long as possible which further
irritates the lungs. These arguments are from a user prospective though and more
precautions would be taken if the drug were being used medically. The article then went
on to describe the good marijuana can do. Less is known about the beneficial side because
the Government has refused funding so research, at this point, is at a virtual
standstill. The researchers that can afford it are interested in three major areas:
nausea from chemotherapy, AIDS wasting syndrome, and spasticity. Physicians speculated
that the one major difference between the synthetic Marinol pills and smoked marijuana is
that the smoke enters the bloodstream immediately, allowing patients to control their own
dose, whereas the oral version is absorbed slowly over a longer amount of time and relief
is not felt as quickly.
I felt that this was the second best article in helping to defend my stand on medical
marijuana.
I learned from this process that there are books located near the entrance to the library
which give topics like the one I found along with a brief summary of the question and a
list of sources to use. That book was where I found both my periodical and journal
sources and really made the research process an easy one. I also learned that it is
easier to find one good source and decide on your topic when you do so even though I
understand that that may not necessarily be the case each time a research report is
assigned.
The authors of each of my texts, I made sure, are credible. Dr. Philip Robson, author of
Cannabis as medicine: Time for the phoenix to rise? is a member of the British Medical
Association and is a senior clinical lecturer at Warneford Hospital in Oxford. The three
authors of From Marijuana to Medicine have high status positions and are respected in
their field. John A. Benson is dean and professor of medicine emeritus at Oregon Health
Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland. Stanley J. Watson, Jr., is coordinator
and research scientist at the Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor. Janet E. Joy is a senior program officer at the Institute of Medicine. There
is no author stated for the internet site but Consumer Reports is a well recognized and
credible institution.
Bibliography
Bibliography
(a) British Medical Journal. Cannabis as a Medicine: Time for the phoenix to rise?
London: Robinson, 1998.
(b) Issues in Science and Technology. From Marijuana to Medicine.
Washington: Spring, 1999. 
(c) Consumer Reports. Marijuana as Medicine- How strong is the science?
http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/MEDICAL/consumer.html