Do the Benefits of Medical Marijuana Justify Its’ Legality?
For a long time, marijuana has been depicted in the media as an illicit drug utilized in making individuals high.Additionally, individuals using marijuana have been perceived as drug addicts and hippies looking for a way ofevading the reality. Legalization of the medical usage of marijuana by several states has enabled such pessimistic stigmas to be refuted. They have been regarded to be frightening strategies and have been substituted with scientific proofsupporting marijuana as a great contributor to health and wellness (Lau et al. 655).Current studies propose that marijuanaassists in treating different medical conditions, which include relieving pain,especially neuropathic pain, vomiting, and glaucoma. Marijuana also strongly stimulates appetite, particularly for HIV or dementia patients. The present paper argues that the benefits of medical marijuana justify its legality by discussing its contribution to human health.
Evolving research implies that cannabinoids as well as terpenes that are contained in marijuana function jointly to assist in defending the body against certain forms of cancerous tumors. Harvest of Tempe generates fluidextracts, pervaded honey, sweets, baked commodities, as well as other foodstuffs to select. Marijuana can be put in any normal food in the state of marijuana pervaded margarine or oils. This process creates several alternatives for one’s medication (Metts et al. 180).Medical marijuana exists in diverse forms not just in pills like other chemical medicines. People can use medical marijuana in the form of nourishmentsput in food. Marijuana is also healthier compared to other medicinesprepared in a laboratory since it originates from plants.Individualsnormally use it to relieve pain,but it is also a good drug for reducinganxiety as well as muscle spasms. Among the major concerns regarding authorization of the use of marijuana for medical reasons is that it will lead to the rise of non-therapeutic consumptionamong members of the public, especially youth (Marijuana for Medical Purposes 4). Such concern is founded on the opinion that consenting marijuana for medical usage will enhance the perception that all marijuana use is harmless or advantageous. Many individuals no longer view marijuana as risky because of increased usage among youth. In America, states with medical marijuana lawshave increased cases ofnon-therapeutic use. Nevertheless, such relationship does not automaticallyshow that medical legislation results in higher levels of usage.Since increased levels of usage predate the establishment of medical marijuana legislation, chances are higher that current social norms that back marijuana use also forecastgreater public backing of medical marijuana legislation (Marijuana for Medical Purposes 5).
Marijuana is a safer alternative compared to prescription painkillers. Many people have died because of taking more than the recommended amount of other medicines that relieve pain. However, no complications resulting from marijuana overdose have been reported. One method of examining the safety of medication is its therapeutic index. It refers to the ratio between the medication’s fatal dose and its therapeutic dose. Research has revealed that marijuana has a therapeutic index of 40000:1; therefore,one is likely to die upon taking 40,000 times the usual amount of marijuana, which is rare. Some pain relievers have smallerhealing indexes. For instance, morphine’s therapeutic index is merely 70:1, meaning one can easily overdose. Research on numerous patients utilizing the derivate of marijuana discovered that they had less arthritis pain and managed to sleep well. Marijuana also assists in fighting pain-causing inflammation. Furthermore, certain animal and small human researches indicate that cannabinoids have a considerable analgesic effect andindividuals largely utilize them for pain relief. Several medications based on marijuana, for example,Sativex are being experimented on many sclerosis patients and are utilized in treating cancer pain. Marijuana can also relief pain when used with opiates. In the form of pills or sprays, the drug can minimize pain arising from damaged nerves like in HIV patients (Madras21). Locally manufactured, medicated creams of marijuana are prevalent for sore joints as well as muscle and back pain. The creams are efficient with a sweet scent, making one to feel comfortable while using it.
Despite marijuana having been used by many people for several years, there are no recorded deaths resulting from its overdose. Based on the 1998 ruling from DEA, a person using marijuana should take 20,000 to 40, 000 times the amount of THC jointly in order to be at risk of critical dose. Several studies also indicate that it is physically not possible for human being to die from marijuana overdose (Madras5). Since cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not situated in the brainstem regions regulating respiration, fatal overdoses from marijuana as well as cannabinoids do not take place. Marijuana and opioids impact different passageways of the body. Opioid pathways, called receptors exist in regions of the brain, which regulate breathing. Therefore, consuming too many painkillers can make an individual stop breathing. However, marijuana operates on different passageways known as cannabinoid receptors, which have no effect on respiration. Thus, no one can die of marijuana overdose. Generally, marijuana is a safer substitute for prescription medicines, particular for managing chronic pain, which may help in explaining the reason medical marijuana laws are related to reduced state-level opioid overdose mortality rates (Lau et al. 658).
The side effects of marijuana are insignificant compared to the side effects of several prescribed drugs. Research indicates that an individual who weighs 140 pounds needs to take more than 4 pounds of marijuana in one setting to attain toxic levels and that would not still be considered a lethal dosage. Several people who have utilized marijuana recreationally have not witnessed addiction to it. Additionally, marijuana is not physically addictive, and individuals can utilize it on a daily basis and stop it abruptly. Discontinuing its use has a similar response as stopping the use of coffee. Studies have revealed that marijuana contains the lowest risk of mortality and is safer than the often used alcohol and tobacco. The risk of mortality is determined by comparing the fatal dose of every substance with its frequently utilized amount. Additionally, marijuana is much less addictive than alcohol and even less than caffeine. Therefore, marijuana is not a habit-forming. Based on the survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 4 and 9% of consistent pot users can develop addiction tomarijuana, compared to 15 % of drinkers who develop addiction on alcohol (Baron894).Many individuals have made marijuana their drug-of-choice due to less harmful side effects as well as possible dependence compared to alcohol, illegaldrugs, and pharmaceuticals (Lau et al. 658). Marijuana has fewer side effects, which include respiratory discomfort, and it has never been associated with lung damage.The physical harm caused by marijuana is rated below that of tobacco, alcohol, and ketamine taken for leisure purposes. The advantage of nausea as well as emesis suppression during the late stages of life overshadows the risk of addiction or psychosis (Chan et al. 45).
Besides being a good painkiller, marijuana can treat several diseases, which include cancer, glaucoma, andinflammatory bowel diseases. Animal researches have indicated that marijuana extracts can assist in killing some cancer cells and minimizing their sizes. Marijuana has also been recommended to counter the side effects of chemotherapy (Madras24).It alleviates symptoms of cancer, such aslow appetite, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, as well as pain.
Medical marijuana cures and averts glaucoma, which is aneye condition that damages the optic nerve and causes blindness because of high pressure in the eyeball. Marijuana reduces the pressure inside the eye. The National Eye Institute states that past researches indicated that when smoked, marijuana reduced intraocular pressure (IOP) in individuals with normal pressure and those with glaucoma. Therefore, marijuana can suppress the condition, which averts the loss of sight.
Individuals suffering from inflammatory bowel illnesses, such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis can gain from the use of marijuana. The University of Nottingham discovered in 2010 that compounds in Marijuana comprising THC and cannabidiol, interrelate with cells in the body that contribute to gut function and immune response. Chemicals that resemble THC within the body make the intestines morepermeable, which encourage bacterial entry. The plant-derived cannabinoids in marijuana obstructthese body-cannabinoids, averting such penetrability and enabling the intestinal cells to bond together firmly (Madras21).
Medical marijuana should be legalized because of its clinical uses, which save the lives of many people. Marijuana has been used for treating various illnesses, such as cancer and relieving pain. Since many states arecurrentlyauthorizing medicinal marijuana, it is essential for medical practitioners to acquire knowledgeabout its history and appropriate clinical utilization because patients will clearly understandthat marijuana as a probable treatment for many diseases.
Works Cited
Baron, Eric P. “Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Marijuana, Cannabinoids, and Therapeutic Implications in Medicine and Headache: What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been….” Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 55.6 (2015): 885-916.
Chan, Alex, et al. “A Review for Australian Nurses: Cannabis Use for Anti-Emesis among Terminally Ill Patients in Australia.” The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 34.3 (2017): 43-47.
Lau, Nicholas, et al. “A Safer Alternative: Cannabis Substitution as Harm Reduction.” Drug and Alcohol Review 34.6 (2015): 654-659.
Madras, Bertha K. “Update of Cannabis and Its Medical Use.” Report to the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (2015).
“Marijuana for Medical Purposes.” Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, July 2015. file:///C:/Users/edu/Desktop/marijuana%207.pdf. Accessed 7 April 2017.
Metts, Julius, et al. “Medical Marijuana: A Treatment Worth Trying?” Journal of Family Practice 65.3 (2016): 178-186.