... Washington. It is not however, legalized for recreational use. Under the Medical Marijuana Act, cultivation of marijuana plants for personal, medical use of patients is permitted. However, cultivation for recreational use is still considered a felony. This act addresses cultivation only for one's personal consumption. There is ... Act was designed to protect patients from prosecution for medical use of marijuana. Primary caregivers are people who may have contact with the medicinal marijuana for somebody who is too ill to prepare it themselves. The Medical Marijuana Law does not cover a...

• Word Count: 1318
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the eyes of the Food and Drug Administration. The prohibition of marijuana is historically counteractive and a direct defiance of First Amendment rights. This prohibition has denied thousands of critically ill patients a drug that would effectively treat their illness and relieve their pain. The basis upon which marijuana is prohibited has been proven by the very government which has banned the ... a federal judge on Friday, April 11, 1997 the following statement: "The federal government has issued broad threats against physicians who might recommend marijuana to some of their seriously i...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... By this time with no more options left, anything is worth a try to get some relief. Marijuana has been known to help cancer patients, but the physician cannot prescribe marijuana as medicine. After resorting to other methods of treatment using marijuana has relieved pain and nausea, which are ... been debated for many years and it is time to see which side has more powerful an argument. The prohibition of marijuana has denied critically ill patients across the United States a drug that would effectively treat their illness and relieve their pain. Oregon grandmother Stormy Ray was diagnos...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... also used marijuana to treat headaches, insomnia, and menstrual cramps and the drug was available in most drug stores (Hermes 51). In today's society, patients and doctors argue that it relieves pain, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle spasms, and other symptoms of cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, asthma, multiple sclerosis ... Cancer Institute, Cornell Medical College in New York, and the National Institute of Health; marijuana undoubtedly controls nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients, some of whom are not helped by standard anti-emetics. Lester Grinspoon, leading activist for medicinal mar...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and the number of times individuals eat per day" ("Medical Marijuana"). The March 1999 NAS report found cannabinoid drugs "promising for treating wasting syndrome in AIDS patients," and recommended those patients unresponsive to conventional AIDS medications smoke marijuana to combat the wasting syndrome ("Medical Marijuana"). Cannabis can also be useful for people with glaucoma. A 1982 report by ... Oregon, and Washington state. Also, numerous organizations have recently taken place in support of legal access to medical marijuana and/or opposing the criminalization of medical marijuana-...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... also reduce muscle spasms. About a decade later, marijuana's pharmaceutical capabilities began to capture the attention of sick patients around America, and many of these citizens were being arrested for possession of marijuana. To get marijuana into the hands critically ill cancer patients, at least 20 states passed laws allowing their health departments to conduct research on cannabis" medicinal effectiveness, ... using marijuana provided by the federal government's Investigational New Drug (IND) program. The IND program allowed experimental drugs to be made available to critically ill...

• Word Count: 771
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of all prescription drugs on the market today. Marijuana posses many medical benefits which could be used by wide variety of patients. In fact Physician's Association for AID's Care and National Lymphoma Foundation, among others, all support the movement for legalizing marijuana for ... medicinal purposes to treat the terminally ill. For people with glaucoma, when marijuana is smoked it has been shown to reduce the intraocular pressure that causes damage to the optic nerve. Out of all the drugs produced for patients with glaucoma none has been proven to be ... marijuana to stimulate th...

• Word Count: 1270
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... use of marijuana say there are traditional medications to help patients and marijuana is not needed. Supporters of marijuana legalization answer that for many patients, traditional medications do work and they do not require or desire medical marijuana. However, for a significant number of serious ill patients, including patients suffering from AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain ... among others, traditional medications do not provide symptomatic relief as effectively as medicinal cannabis.7 Dronabinol (trade name Marinol) is a legal, synthetic THC alternative to cannabis...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... States to use marijuana medicinally. The program those seven patients participate in is now closed to any and all new applicants. All other patients using marijuana medicinally are considered criminals. Americans are firm in their desires. 72% believe that marijuana users should not be jailed and 80% endorse marijuana's uses in treating seriously ill adults (Marijuana Prohibition Facts). Marijuana's medicinal uses span a ... large range of diseases and symptoms. In cancer patients, marijuana can help with the negative effects of chemotherapy such as loss of appetite, pain, nausea, and v...

• Word Count: 1417
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of its medicinal benefits ("Briefing Paper"). Clearly, a variety of experts agrees that marijuana has numerous medicinal benefits, and can help a wide variety of patients. Second, are other drugs available that are as effective? While there may be other drugs available that can aid in some of the medicinal uses ... drugs capable of treating the debilitating affects of illnesses such as cancer, but many of these drugs have harsh symptoms of their own, and many patients find they get more relief from marijuana, and can tolerate its affects much more easily. Third, should the FDA approval pr...

• Word Count: 1084
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . During chemotherapy, highly toxic substances are put in the body to kill the cancer cells. Unfortunately, this also causes many unwanted side effects, one being extreme nausea. Some patients spend hours vomiting and coughing, resulting in weight loss and sometimes broken or fractured bones caused by the constant coughing. Some doctors believe that as many as one in three ... chemotherapy treatment, the extreme nausea can be eliminated, allowing them to continue their chemotherapy use, and possibly beat their cancer. Although marijuana is capable of relieving nausea in many patients, the...

• Word Count: 1532
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... not supported by the American Glaucoma Association and doctors agree that there are more effective medicines available. Ophthalmologist Amrum Lakritz, MD, states "My patients haven't had to turn to marijuana. There are so many new drugs for glaucoma coming out all the time" (Lacayo). Fact's discrediting ... available in pharmacies for decades. In the synthesized form of marijuana, better know as Marinol, the active ingredient (THC) is isolated and controlled. Patients who require the use of marijuana are better off to take it as a pill instead of smoking it. In pill form, the dosage rema...

• Word Count: 1415
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... not supported by the American Glaucoma Association and doctors agree that there are more effective medicines available. Ophthalmologist Amrum Lakritz, MD, states "My patients haven't had to turn to marijuana. There are so many new drugs for glaucoma coming out all the time" (Lacayo). Fact's discrediting ... available in pharmacies for decades. In the synthesized form of marijuana, better know as Marinol, the active ingredient (THC) is isolated and controlled. Patients who require the use of marijuana are better off to take it as a pill instead of smoking it. In pill form, the dosage rema...

• Word Count: 1401
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... with this drug. Doctors have expressed opposite opinions, making this theme very controversial. I have researched for its positive effects when used properly, so that marijuana can be considered in treating patients. Much of the opposite opinions about this issue have to do with the hands of the government, which says that marijuana is not a safe medicine, versus the doctors who research ... . The Institute of Medicine has also this controversy when it said smoking marijuana is risky, but also recommended that critically ill patients should be allowed to use it under closely monitored se...

• Word Count: 808
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Glaucoma, a common disease defined by slow and progressive loss of vision, is the second-leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States behind diabetes mellitus. With the majority of patients largely asymptomatic in early stages, perhaps experiencing only headaches or eye discomfort, it is no surprise that medical attention is not solicited until the advanced stages of the disease manifest ... from thirty-five millimeters of mercury to fifteen in the other. Such results have been marked in numerous other cases, leading scientists to firmly believe that marijuana does help ...

• Word Count: 1692
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) are battling over the issue. The main point that cannot be ignored is that marijuana proves to be a useful medication for many patients, especially those with terminal diseases such as AIDS and cancer. A bill should be created legalizing the use of medical marijuana in all 50 states. Marijuana first was made an illegal ... Clinton Administration came two months after a government-sponsored study concluded that "the active ingredients in marijuana, called cannabinoids, appeared useful for treating pain, nausea, and severe weight loss ...

• Word Count: 1007
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... 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 ... 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. A specialist at the National Cancer Institute authorized his patients to use the drug, but not over dose on it. With all the speculatio...

• Word Count: 793
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... 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 ... 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 ....

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... legitimate beneficial purposes. Pro-Legalization groups such as the Physician's Association for AIDS Care and the National Lymphoma Foundation argue that Marijuana should be legalized in order to treat terminally ill patients. Among them are AIDS victims who find that marijuana stimulates their appetites so they can resume their normal eating patterns and prevent weight-loss, a serious concern. Those suffering from ... horrible disease. Cannabis makes lifesaving treatment possible where it wasn't before. Until 1937, there were twenty-seven medicines containing marijuana were legally ava...

• Word Count: 689
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... have legalized "Medical marijuana", the drug is being prescribed for glaucoma, Crohn's disease, seizure disorders, nausea from chemotherapy, and cancer patients (Feature). It has been found that marijuana works significantly better than opioids among patients dealing with chronic pain. Opioids come with a large set of side effects that bring just as many problems for the user as they ... minor ones. Some of marijuana's side effects actually benefit the user. For example, marijuana helps nausea and gives the user an increased appetite, which would be useful for extremely ill patients and ...

• Word Count: 1053
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... be less toxic than a multitude of other drugs used as therapy. Many patients who are fatally ill benefit more from smoking marijuana compared to taking other drugs, and studies show that its toxicity level is lower too. With this said, it would be important for the law to give patients the option to smoke marijuana for its medical purposes. Along with the effective ... pharmaceutical drugs. In an article published in the Boston Global, Lester Grinspoon, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School had written, "Doctors and nurses have seen that for many patients, cannabis i...

• Word Count: 531
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of Medical Marijuana Research). Consequently, after so many testimonies and evidence from both sides, the unity of scientists, doctors, and medical cannabis patients nationwide urged the DEA to comply with the court's finding and halt the federal obstruction of medical cannabis research. The Obama administration also concurs ... research. Another problem of rescheduling cannabis to a less restrictive schedule would not prevent people from being arrested and punished for using cannabis recreationally. Patients must have a safe immediate access to their medical cannabis by dispensaries, ho...

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... a unique side effect profile. It has synergistic interactions with other analgesics. It exhibits "side effects" that are considered useful in some clinical situations. Its efficacy is enhanced in patients who have developed tolerance to opioids."(Joy, 140) In English, this basically says that marijuana is actually better than many current analgesics (pain killers) in that it produces fewer ... or no dependency. Pro marijuana legalization groups such as the Physician's Association for AIDS Care, National Lymphoma Foundation argue that marijuana should be legalized in order to treat termin...

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... Marijuana was classified as Schedule One, not having any medicinal value and addictive (Whitebread 15). In 1996, Californians for Medical Rights introduced Proposition 215, which would permit seriously and terminally ill patients, with a prescription from their doctor, to use marijuana in their medical treatment and protect them from criminal punishment. The proposition passed and other states, such as Arizona, Vermont, ... marijuana to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the state laws were unconstitutional since they violated the federal drug law (Supreme Court 1). Despite the Sup...

• Word Count: 1460
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and those who are anti marijuana. Pro marijuana legalization groups such as the Physician's Association for AIDS Care, National Lymphoma Foundation argue marijuana legalization in order to treat terminally ill patients. Among them are AIDS victims who find that marijuana stimulates their appetites so they can fight off dangerous emaciation; glaucoma sufferers who have used marijuana said it has prevented ... them from going blind. Cancer patients, for whom it alleviates the severe nausea that is often accompanies chemotherapy and sometimes makes lifesaving treatment impossible. Lobbying ...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate