Suffering Patients Need Medical Marijuana Essay - 2497 Words

Suffering Patients Need Medical Marijuana If a doctor told you that you could either go blind in three years from glaucoma or break the law by smoking pot, which would you choose? If marijuana could prolong your life by allowing you to continue cancer chemotherapy without the unending vomiting and nausea, would you consider it? If cannabis could stop epileptic seizures that had plagued you since childhood, would you use it? This medicine can benefit patients suffering from these and many other afflictions, but it is being withheld; they are being denied a right granted to all living things—that of self-preservation. â€Å"It’s not about drugs, it’s about letting men fight,† George McMahon told me when I was fortunate enough to†¦show more content†¦McMahon’s daughter, who suffers from the same condition as her father, cannot obtain the drug either. By 1994, 36 states had enacted legislation to make marijuana available for medical use, but federal laws still inhibit the states’ wills (Grinspoon 17). Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug—having a high potential for abuse, having no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and lacking accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. Schedule I drugs are not available to patients even by prescription and are only occasionally granted to researchers under strict guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has, at various times, based its refusal of a schedule change for marijuana on claims that it lacks the authority to regulate the practice of medicine and that there is an absence of data necessary for approval. Yet as Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young observed in his review of another drug, MDMA, on May 27, 1986: The last [statement] flies directly in the face of the preceding statements of a complete reversal of position with no stated basis whatsoever. One can only conclude that, in the context of the battle over marihuana, FDA temporarily lost sight of its long-acknowledged lack of statutory authority to regulate the practice of medicine. Perhaps it failed to realize theShow MoreRelatedMedical Marijuana Should Be Legal1651 Words   |  7 Pagesmost commonly referred to as marijuana. Medical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids to treat disease or improve symptoms (Wikipedia.com). Cannabis contains two active ingredients inside called cannabinoids (CBD) along with the delta-g-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The medicinal and psychoactive effects that personally associate with marijuana are caused by unique structures of cannabinoids. In addition, the major psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC, which additionallyRead MoreLegalization of Medical Marijuana Essay863 Words   |  4 PagesMedical 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 hasRead MoreMarijuana: the Good Part1506 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose, and it has a wide variety of therapeutic applications: Relief from nausea and increase of appetite; Reduction of eye pressure; Reduction of muscle spasms; Relief from mild to moderate chronic pain. 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For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used for many natural products such as seed oils, seed, fiber that is used to make hemp products and contains over four hundred chemicals, some of which have an antibiotic like effect (NordqvistRead MoreEssay Marijuana for Medical Use1547 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana for Medical Use For many years the United States government has prohibited some drugs, such as marijuana, from being sold in the marketplace. Yet, even with prohibition, marijuana use has only decreased minimally. Because of its illegality, only the bad aspects of marijuana use have been made known. However, there are many positive aspects of marijuana legalization, including its application concerning medical cures. As of today, in most of the states, marijuana is classifiedRead More The Many Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana Essay827 Words   |  4 PagesMedicinal Marijuana When the religious leaders of Nicholas Copernicus time excommunicated him for his radical studies, they ignorantly dismissed a brilliant idea. The idea that the earth revolved around the sun inherently brought controversy upon the traditional styles of science. A controversy our leaders need to examine is the medical use of marijuana. Instead of banning marijuana and ignoring the public voice, our representatives need to examine the facts and effects of marijuana for medicalRead MoreEssay about Legalizing Marijuana Is our Solution 1396 Words   |  6 PagesImagine you are lying in your home, suffering from the side-effects of chemotherapy and all you can do is think about how sick you are and what could possibly keep you from being secluded from life and happiness. Marijuana will prevent side-effects linked to terminal illnesses, does not cause any real harm to a humans well-being, and would increase US revenue due to taxation and also tourism. Well, according to Ed Rosenthal and St eve Kubby of the book Why Marijuana Should Be Legal, from which this viewpointRead MoreMedicinal Marijuana Should Be Decriminalized Essay851 Words   |  4 PagesFor the past fifty years, heated debates over the topic of the decriminalization of marijuana have been a great controversy among politicians. Some politicians believe that marijuana for the use of medicine should be outlawed. As Congressman Bob Barr in his debate with radio talk show host Neil Boortz on May 14, 2002, stated, quot;There is no legitimate medical use whatsoever for marijuana. This [marijuana] is not medicine. This is bogus witchcraft. It has no place in medicine, no place in pain