The Medical Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

The truths about marijuana are slowly starting to resurface, the government keeps ignoring that cannabis could one day be as powerful for the U.S. Unfortunately, these truths about marijuana are under a lot of criticism because of the stereotype of what people see as a "marijuana or cannabis smoker." There is a great difficulty in this law because marijuana is still recognized as a harmful and dangerous substance in some states. This can cause problems because each state has their different views and opinions on the matter, and have their own rules and how the rules apply towards it. The twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, but California, Massachusetts, and Nevada just passed the law for recreational use. The states that have medical marijuana and recreational legalization are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. The states that only have medical marijuana legal are Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii (Ingraham). However, legalizing marijuana could have some benefits instead of being a drug with some bad reputations. Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, safety reasons, and have some benefits to society.

There has been a lot of debate on whether or not marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes in all fifty states. Many people believe that marijuana is an unsuitable substitute for many of the medications we have today. On the other hand, many researchers have conducted extensive studies that have shown how beneficial medicinal marijuana can be. Many states have already picked up on this, and have laws set in place to allow the use of medicinal marijuana. Medicinal marijuana has a wide variety of uses, and should be allowed for medicinal purposes in all fifty states.

Imagine having a son or daughter who has six or more seizures a day. If you could could decrease the number of seizures they had a day by half, wouldn’t you consider medical marijuana? It is well known that medical cannabis has been used to cure many medical conditions for a long period of time already. Among the diseases marijuana can help treat, nausea, glaucoma, anorexia, epilepsy and more. Medical marijuana also helps with the side effects of many treatments, such as cancer chemotherapy. There are many health benefits of marijuana; it may have some negative effects, but the pain and symptom relief of many diseases and disorders makes it well worth it.

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

Legalizing marijuana is crucial to the medical field because many patients cannot use this marvelous plant to relieve their pain. This plant can help patients with multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, HIV, nerve pain, and seizure disorders. Many patients must go behind the doctors back and consume cannabis or give it to a loved one to relieve their pain. Only twenty-nine states have allowed the use of medical marijuana. Furthermore, that means that twenty-two states do not allow the usage of any form of Cannabis. Marijuana should be an all-around legal

Jacqueline Patterson was born with cerebral palsy. This condition makes her experience stuttering, crippling pain, and muscle imbalance. She has four children and was living in Kansas City, Missouri. Now she lives in California, where a judge determined that her cannabis use is medically necessary to ease her symptoms (Price, In Pot We Trust). Cannabis use for medical purposes and the relief of various symptoms has been around since before recorded history as the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that, “The earliest written reference is found in the 15th century BC Chinese Pharmacopeia, the Rh-Ya.” While cannabis can be used for recreational purposes, recent research and history provide evidence to its medical benefits (Procon.org, 2017). While the Chinese Pharmacopeia may not have understood the science behind medical benefits of cannabis on certain ailments, it provides a historical background into the use of medicinal cannabis. WebMD defines medical cannabis (or medical marijuana) as, “A drug that is made up of the leaves, flowers, and buds of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Medical marijuana is the use of this drug to help treat symptoms like pain, muscle stiffness (spasticity), nausea, and lack of appetite.” (WebMD, 2017) This definition provides us with a basis for what can be considered medical cannabis and what a doctor can prescribe legally. As with any other drugs like opioids, cannabis can be abused and it is important that we distinguish what can be used

Medical marijuana has been proven to an effective drug in the treatment of a number of encumbering medical conditions. A large number of legitimate medical organizations recognize the benefits of marijuana. It is far less harmful and poses fewer negative side effects than many prescription drugs, including painkillers - and patients often find it to be a more effective treatment for a variety of illnesses. However, it is perhaps the most commonly misunderstood substance in America. The usage of the drug has been widely researched and proven to be a “most viable and safe source of medicine to many Americans suffering from Aids, Glaucoma, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Chronic Pains” (Medical Marijuana). According to the Institute of Medicines, (1999) “marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known” (Legalization of Marijuana). More and more resources and case studies will be further discussed and practices to back up the claim, and determine marijuana’s medical value.

Anti-epileptic pharmaceutical drugs are powerful drugs that children with varying forms of epilepsy are often prescribed. Current epilepsy drug affects different parts of the brain, including the brain stem, which can basically shut off the body’s critical function if dosage is significant. Marijuana doesn’t do that and is part of the reason so many doctors are changing their minds. Marijuana may be safer because of cannabidiol, which with overstimulation or inhibition, does not shut off breathing or respiration like anti-epileptic drug could cause.

According to a report put out by the British Police Foundation in March 2000, cannabis has been shown to produce less harmful effects than its other legal counterparts such as alcohol and tobacco. This kind of information calls into sharper focus the question on the minds of many as to why such a plant that is not only less harmful than legal drugs but has significant health benefits has remained illegal.

Furthermore, the use of marijuana stops seizures for it is a muscle relaxant. A real life example of this would be Charlotte Figi, a 6 year old girl who suffered from an untreatable form of epilepsy; she endured some 50 seizures a night. Epilepsy, in short, is a disease in which a person suffers from recurrent seizures. Her parents had tried everything to save her- some nearly ended in her demise. However, as one final go, her parents gave her a high dose of CBD oil, or cannibis oil. According to her parents, her seizures stopped

Medical Marijuana is great for severe and pediatric autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD, and epilepsy. Nearly one-third of children who suffer from ASD also suffer from epilepsy. Children with ASD who started taking medical marijuana had instant and lasting results; such as repetitive behaviors, communication difficulties, and frustrations with social settings and interactions. Medical marijuana is the best medicine for ASD currently. With using marijuana to treat ASD, kids that could only scream or bang their head against a wall could finally live a peaceful life. Epilepsy makes the brain and body have lower inhibitions, which causes seizures. Marijuana increases inhibition, then stopping the seizure-triggering neurotransmitters, which then causes seizures to completely stop, or to at least lower the number of seizures per day. Medical Marijuana is the best treatment for epilepsy, that scientists and doctors know about. There is always a small chance that the seizures could increase as every child is different, but that is not likely. If states were to legalize it, so many people would be able to live their most fulfilling life,

There is no cure for the disorder and in some cases, it is deemed fatal. One in three epilepsy patients do not respond to traditional medicines and treatments. Introducing marijuana to epilepsy patients has shown to be a positive solution. They don’t actually have to smoke the plant. They are given CBD, which is one of the main compounds in marijuana. They are not exposed to THC, which causes the feeling of euphoria. Therefore, they do not get “high”. It has also been shown to be anticonvulsant and have antipsychotic effects. Establishing CBD as a safe and effective drug treatment has become the goal of many doctors that have epileptic patients. There are not many studies that have been conducted on it, but it doesn’t show any severe or life-threatening side effects.

Medical cannabis can be absorbed into your system a number of different ways. From smoking to transdermals and everything in between. The cannabinoids in cannabis can enter your body easily. Besides smoking, another popular form of engestion is through edibles. The question is, If you ate a pot brownie, how long is it in your system?

Epilepsy is a condition in which certain brain cells become abnormally excitable and spontaneously discharge in an uncontrolled way, causing a seizure. A study in 2003 showed CBD and THC control seizures by binding to the brain cells responsible for controlling excitability and regulating relaxation. Robert J. Delorenzo of Virginia Commonwealth University, gave synthetic marijuana and marijuana extract to epileptic rats. For about 10 hours the drugs stopped the seizures (Welsh & Loria, 2014). If a proper dosage is prescribed then it will work for all epileptic patients rather than having to take the time to determine which anticonvulsant drug works best for them. Marijuana does not only treat physical illnesses but it also treats mental illnesses.

Marijuana is believe it or not, one of the safest ‘illegal’ drugs on Earth. It is safer than legal alternatives: alcohol or tobacco. According to CNN “1 in 8 Americans smoke marijuana on a regular basis.” the drug can provide medical benefits, lower social costs, and better the economy. Therefore Marijuana should be deemed legal for recreational and medicinal usage across America, because it provides medical benefits, lowers social cost, and betters the economy across the board.