Marijuana For Medicinal Purposes Essay, Research Paper

Marijuana is illegal in fifty states because of its classification as an illicit drug, but controversial issues have been established that this "illicit drug" has improved the course of treatment for suffering patients. Marijuana has beneficial effects when used in medicinal scenarios for the treatment of pain; thus it should be an administered drug for patients who can benefit from the use of this drug. Marijuana has undergone analysis for its use as a medicine and the results have shown improvements in the patients who were treated with this drug. Doctors have expressed opposite opinions, making this issue very controversial. As the debate about marijuana?s use as a medicine continues, experts have given us information pertaining to its positive effects when used properly.

Much of the controversy falls in the hands of the government, which purports that marijuana is not a safe medicine, versus the doctors who research the topic for medicinal purposes. Granted, not all doctors feel cannabis should be a "legal" prescribed medicine, it is in their hands to decide so. The Institute of Medicine has ignited the controversy when it said smoking marijuana is risky, but also recommended that critically ill patients should be allowed to use it under closely monitored settings (Koch 707). A specialist at the National Cancer Institute authorized his patients to use the drug, but not over do it (Koch 708). With all the speculation, one would think that doctors wouldn?t be so eager to offer the drug as a reliever. The National Institute of Drug Abuse renders approximately 300 free joints each month for patients whom are enrolled in an experimental program (Iversen 12). The Government proclaims there is no therapeutic value in the medicinal use of marijuana, but they do not have hard evidence to prove it (Grinspoon 46). Ira Glasser, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, (at a congressional forum) expressed: "the government has demonized all drug use without differentiation and has systematically and hysterically resisted science."(Koch 714) Possibly if the two "sides" would work together an agreement could be established concerning procedures for further development and treatment.

Marijuana has eased the pain of chemotherapy, severe muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, weight-loss due to the AIDS virus, and other problems (www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html). Experts from the National Institute of Health or NIH have confirmed that marijuana is an effective, safe and inexpensive alternative for treating nausea caused by AIDS medications and cancer treatments other such ailments as glaucoma, muscle spasms, intractable pain, epilepsy, anorexia, asthma, insomnia, depression and other disorders (Iversen 23). Other such ailments in which marijuana has been said to help are Parkinson?s disease, Huntington?s disease, repetitive migraines, and Alzheimer?s, but the NIH has not reported those results (http://www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html). The National Institute of Medicine shows us that the benefits from cannabis short term use doesn?t hinder the possible hazards of its long-term use (Rosenthal 58). Marijuana has beneficial outlook for some illnesses, but experimentation is limited due to its unlawfulness. The positive effects of this drug are helping a limited number so doctors have tried to work with the government to create a reliable way to distribute the drug without smoking it.

The work being done to find a chemical fabricate should clarify that marijuana has some medicinal value. In 1986 a THC based synthetic called Marinol was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, unfortunately it did not treat as well as cannabis (Rosenthal 61). Government experts have indicated that marijuana does relieve pain, and other disorders, but it does not cure them, therefore can not be legalized as a prescription drug (Grinspoon 55). In many cases marijuana has been the building block for recovery, and it has given sick people a chance to move on without the tension and pain (www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html). Government experts have concealed some information about similar prescription drugs, such as: percocet and codeine. Both are very addictive and they only relieve the pain. Medicinal marijuana has similar side effects as the often prescribed stimulants, but it is not quite as addictive (Rosenthal 125). Marijuana is not so different from other frequently prescribed stimulants, but its stereotypical summary has the government questioning its output.

With all the research and time spent on the use of marijuana as a medical treatment, one would think that cannabis is beneficial and could possibly lead to other developments for treatment of disease and pain. There are proven facts that the National Institute of Health have provided, but government officials have their own set of ideas. Experimental programs, which have been going on for thirty years, have established the effectiveness of marijuana?s treatment. Patients with such infirmities as AIDS, cancer, anorexia, muscle spasms, insomnia, and other ailments have benefited from the use of medicinal marijuana in an experimental setting. Thus the treatment or drug should be administered to those who are infected but not on an experimental program.