For many years the use of marijuana for medical purposes has been an issue of controversial discussion. Many claim that marijuana is a drug that has proven itself to be of no medical value in the treatment of terminal illnesses. Those who feel this way, usually ignore the long history of marijuana’s medical uses; a history that goes back thousands of years ago. The drug has aided many people with the coping of terminal diseases. The use of marijuana as a medicinal herb has allowed many with no hope, to enjoy life more fully and lead rather decent life-styles. Marijuana has been erroneously classified as an addictive drug that causes unfixable psychological side effects. This may be true if marijuana is taken in heavy doses and for recreational purposes. The real fact however, is that this condition could occur with the abuse of any drug, whether it is legalized by the Medical Board or not. If marijuana is abused, it is being used in an abnormal manner, therefore possibly leading to severe emotional reactions and personality changes. Marijuana should be classified as a non-addictive drug thereby being legalized for medical purposes. The use of marijuana, under medical observation and through proper doses, in fact will not create a drug-addict, but rather it will enhance and increase the chances of a better life style.
All throughout the different epochs of this world’s history, cannibis sativa and cannibis indica, more commonly known as marijuana, has verified to its users its medicinal powers. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most active ingredient out of the already known 460 compounds found in cannibis. It is present in large amounts and is extremely psychoactive (Grinspoon and Bakalar).
The Term Paper on Marijuana Hard Drug
Americans have been trying to legalize marijuana for years. It seems that all of their opinions divide into three basic groups. Many think that it is not worth legalizing marijuana, many seem to think it should be legalized, and a group of people say it should only be legalized for medicinal purposes. In the following paragraphs I will try to show you reason for all three opinions. My hopes of ...
The first known record of marijuana use for medical purposes was in 2737 B.C. by a Chinese emperor by the name of Chen-nung. He recommended it for the treatment of malaria, constipation, rheumatic pains, absent-mindedness, and female disorders. After Chen-nung discoveries, many cultures acquired the emperor’s knowledge and accepted the the therapeutic benefits of the medicinal plant. For example, in India, “Cannabis has been recommended to quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, cure dysentery, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, relive headaches, and cure veneral disesases” (Grinspoon and Bakalar).
Other places where marijuana began to make a big impact was Persia, Assayria, Greece, Africa, South America, Turkey, and Egypt. Within the realms of Western medicine, cannibis began to demonstrate its abilities from 1840 to 1900. During this time, doctors like William B. O’Shaughessy and R. R. M’Meems published hundreds of articles strongly enforcing the medical abilities of marijuana for certain discomforts (Grinspoon and Bakalar).
In 1860, physcicians from the Ohio Medical Society began an extensive research in treating cannibis as a medicine. They found great uses of the drug for painful maladies: stomach pain and gastric distress, chronic cough, neuralgia, and psychosis (Grinspoon and Bakalar).
In 1937, diligently persuing the prohibition of marijuana’s recreational social use, led to the repudiation of marijuana as a medicinal alternate. In 1978 however, the states began responding the pleas coming from seriously ill patients for the legalization of cannibis to aid their aching bodies. Many diseased people died waiting. Ever since, many have died and will continue dying, while the debating physicians are still dwelling in the courts of the United States trying to bring an end to the suffering of the patients.
Marijuana has an infinite number of uses. A recent discovery by a South Florida doctor says that after some experimentation, the placing of marijuana in a test tube with the herpes virus, killed the virus (Yates).
Over the years and through historical references, a list of medical uses for marijuana submerged. Found on the list are treatments for anorexia, asthma, pain, peptic ulcers, alcoholism, epilepsy, depression, migranes, anxiety, inflammation, rheumatoidal pain, hypertension, and insomia (Zeese 2).
The Essay on United State Marijuana Patients Drug
... and will be diagnosed. Chemotherapy treatment in cancer patients causes much nausea and vomiting, the use of marijuana in these patients is known to ... law will reduce the problems some are anticipating. 1. Medical Marijuana, by Gina Chon, Human Rights Volume 24 Number 4, ... increase the appetite and reduce the side effects of treatment. As heard from ...
“Interestingly, relief of many of the symptoms marijuana was used for in these illnesses are many of the same symptoms that have been proven in modern research. . .This should not be suprising unless we want to assume that all of the experience of thousands of years did not have some factual basis” (2).
Marijuana’s wonderous therapeutic abilities have proven to be exceedingly useful for the medical patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. People with cancer undergo a number of therapeutic sessions called chemotherapy. This treatment can last from six months to two years (Ekert et al. 657).
cancer chemotherapy can extend the patiens life for quite a number of years, if not completely “cure” the deadly disease. The major drawback of this rehabilitative agent is that it has drastic and severe side-effects. The two most noticeable ones are vomiting and nausea. There are medicines in the market with the purpose of somewhat controlling the effects, but have shown to be rather useless. These side-effects are sometimes so harsh, that patients prefer to abandon the therapy (Randall and O’Leary 3) rather then “seriously diminishing the quality of life during treatment” (Ekert et al. 657).
Different studies and investigations with cannibis have documented that THC has the ability to reduce, or even eliminate, the terrible symptoms that proceed chemotherapy sessions. From these studies, researchers have concluded that the patient is capable of tolerating life-long chemotherapeutic treatments and do not have to deal with the nauseating and vomiting side-effects. In one of the many studies held to affirm the medicinal abilities of marijuana with cancer patients, nineteen children requiring chemotherapy were placed under extensive study and constant watch. They ranged from the ages of five to nineteen. Researchers wanted to compare the effects of THC with metoclopramide, a drug used for nausea and vomiting side effects (657).
The Term Paper on Medical Marijuana Use Side Effects
... Cancer patients have found marijuana to be very effective in treating the side effects of chemotherapy. In an article in Time, "Marijuana: ... well marijuana operated on combatting chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting ("Medical use of Marijuana" 2). Their studies concluded that marijuana an ... another type of hormone called Menace, and the synthetic THC pill, Marinol ("Your Health" 3). These are the ...
The study was designed to be double blind. As THC was presented in the form of brown capsules and metoclopramide could not be obtained in the same form it was decided to dispense metoclopramide in the form of a syrup. . .Placebo capsules made of soft gelatin containing peanut oil and placebo syrup were dispensed together with the antiemetic preparations. Thus, the patients were taking either THC and Placebo syrup or metoclopramide syrup and placebo capsules. . . To compare the antiemetic properties of the two agents in the same patients receiving the same chemotherapy, a crossover study was designed. For 50 patients, five consecutive courses of the same chemotherapy were randomized so that the patients received antiemetic agents in all possible combinations, except those which allowed the use of the same antiemetic on five consecutive occasions (658).
The results were significantly impressive. THC was without a doubt a great help to the reducing of nausea and vomiting. It allowed for the patients to retain normal eating habits, being released of the anorexic life styles they were caught up in. The results showed that THC was very helpful in controlling side effects to the patients undergoing chemotherapy. It clearly surpassed any high dosage of any other conventional drug (659).
The issue has gone a step further. In another study with cancer chemotherapy patients, new discoveries were found. After having used conventional medication for nausea and vomiting, 250 patients in New Mexico received marijuana or THC from 1978 to 1986. Both the marijuana and the THC were effective, but 90 percent preferred the marijuana over the THC. With the marijuana, the improvement was almost instantaneous. Incidentally, none of the patients reported problems with abuse or addiction of either marijuana or THC cigarettes after the chemotherapy sessions had concluded (Grinspoon and Bakalar).
The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that “`THC is an effective anti-emetic for patients receiving cancer chemotherapy`” (Zeese 7).
Subsequent studies show that marijuana helps over 90 percent of its users overcome and/or control nausea and vomiting, also stimulating appetite (Randall and O’Leary 5).
People who suffer from the deadly disease Acquired Immune System (AIDS), also experience these problems. Over one million Americans are infected by the deadly virus (4).
The Essay on Found In Marijuana Thc Smoking Effects
THC (TetraHydroCannabinol) is found in marijuana, a mixture of the dried flowering tops and leaves from the plant cannabis sativa. This chemical, THC, is responsible for the euphoric feeling associated with smoking marijuana. Marijuana contains over 400 different chemicals. THC belongs to a group of chemicals found in marijuana called cannibinoids. There are only 60 of these cannibinoids known at ...
Powerful and highly toxic anti-viral drugs such as AZT and the new protease inhibitors can induce severe nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal difficulties. Due to these terrible side effects, an AIDS patient can easily become bulimic and starve to death. These conditions can easily debilitate the patient, forcing them to lead very shameful lives. Smoking marijuana has shown to help in coping with the side effects from AZT. Many attempts have been made to obtain legal marijuana for these distressing patients, but have all failed. Despite the law, these tormented people have had to take other measures to obtain their relief. They are now on the streets, getting a hold of marijuana through illegal maneuvers (Wesner).
A group of AIDS patients living in Honolulu, Hawaii, were sent a questionnaire with the purpose to research on how they felt about the healing power of cannibis. The questionnaire sought information in three different areas: awareness and communication about the medical use of marijuana, patterns of therapeutic use and attitudes toward the legal reform. The questionnaire also included an optional comment section in which the respondents could express their emotions.
