Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In recent years, the publics opinion on marijuana has begun to shift from a viewpoint of
marijuana being a gateway drug and harmful to ones body, to a realization that when used
medicinally, marijuana or cannabis, can actually provide more good rather than harm. Through
endless studies, research, and experiments, doctors have discovered that medicinal marijuana can
In an article written by Itay Lotan called Cannabis (Medical Marijuana) Treatment for
Lotan goes into great detail on the variety of benefits that comes from marijuana for people
suffering from Parkinsons. Notoriously, marijuana has always been seen as something
commonly used by delinquents and criminals. People who suffer from Parkinsons must deal
with a wide range of brutal symptoms on a daily basis, thus making everyday activities
incredibly difficult for them. At a clinic called the Rabin Medical Center, twenty-eight people
who had Parkinsons attended a study in which they would smoke cannabis in attempts to see the
effect it would have on their severe tremors and pain. After the patients inhaled about 0.5 grams
of marijuana they were watched to see what would happen. The results showed that after the
cannabis consumption, there was great improvements in the patients tremors, rigidity, and
bradykinesia. Patients also reported they were able to sleep much better with the help of
cannabis. Not only was there findings of improvements with motor symptoms, but patients said
their level of pain that they were experiencing reduced significantly. These findings should make
people reconsider their stances on the legalization of medicinal marijuana seeing as how
beneficial it can be for people who suffer from Parkinsons Disease and are constantly struggling
A predominant way to consume marijuana is by smoking it. This may raise some health
concerns for people as it is well known the effect that cigarettes can have on the lungs. Some
people may become weary on whether or not it should become legalized because of the unknown
health effects that may arise short-term and long-term. This a valid point from the people who
oppose the legalization because there is still so much we dont know about cannabis. Research
has only just begun on marijuana therefore leaving the long term effects of cannabis to be
Some forms of consumption prove to be healthier than other. Such as in an article written
by Jason Biehl, he breaks down the different consumption methods and the pros and cons of
each. He says, A bong, although expensive, is one of the healthier options as the water can trap
some of the more harmful products of combustion (597). Biehl then goes on to say With a
hookah many people can smoke at the same time and there are many different flavors, but a
hookah when mixed with tobacco, becomes increasingly dangerous and damaging to the lungs
making the hookah the worst form of consumption (598). At the end of his article Biehl
mentions that there has been no ties to an increase in poor lung health with cannabis smoking.
However; there are some short-term effects that may come about from smoking marijuana
regularly such as, a phlegmy cough, and a wheezy cough. Based off this research that shows the
close to nothing effect that marijuana has on a persons lungs, it is just another reason why
A major concern amongst the older part of the population is that if marijuana does in fact
become legalized, then they fear the younger generations will become addicted and even worse
that by using cannabis it will turn into gateway drug leading kids to go down a dangerous path of
much harder drugs. Due to this creating a stir in the community, an article was written by Esther
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Choo called RIH Physician Finds Legalizing Medical Marijuana Does Not Increase Use Among
Adolescents, in which he researched whether or not these assumptions hold any value and if we
should be worried about the younger generations in the future should the legalization of
marijuana go through. This study was done by using data from the Youth Risk Behavioral
Surveillance Survey between the years of 1991 and 2011. The sample size was estimated to be
around the eleven million mark, nearly at twelve million. About 20.9% of students said they had
in fact used marijuana within the past month. There was found to be no statistical difference in
marijuana usage before and after the law was passed to legalize the drug. This study also
conducted a probability test to inquire about whether or not it was likely for numbers to rise after
the legalization and there was no increase found then either. Overall, it seems as if based off the
study that there was no certain correlation to marijuana being legal and a spike in the number of
Driving sober requires the drivers full attention in order help alert and avoid any possible
dangers that may arise on the road. Driving while intoxicated is not only illegal but incredibly
dangerous and just out right stupid. When someone is drunk and trying to drive, it becomes quite
obvious as they speed, swerve all over the road and have delayed reactions to sudden situations
on the road. This bring us to the question of; What are the risks of driving while high from
marijuana? As cannabis become legal in more and more states the dangers of driving high could
become more and more prevalent. An article written by Raymond Bingham and Jean Shope
called Substance-Involved Driving: Predicting Driving After Using Alcohol, Marijuana, and
Other Drugs, it discusses a study done showing just what could happen when a person tries to
drive while under the influence of cannabis. They completed this study by using telephone
survey data and a state driver history record. The findings showed that although ones driving
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does become impaired from marijuana, the drug has more of a minimal effect on driving when
compared to alcohol. The research showed that results do vary from person to person based on if
they are male or female, how often they use marijuana, and also how that persons body reacts to
cannabis being in their system. It showed that if a person were to consume a larger amount of
marijuana then to get behind the wheel and drive, they had a much greater chance of high-risk
driving. Driving under the influence of anything is definitely not recommended and should not
be done, however; marijuana is safer to drive on compared to alcohol. (Bingham and Shope 515-
526)
Curiosity is something that drives people to try new things and have new experiences in
life. Many people growing up hear a wide range of stories from people about the experiences
they had when they first tried marijuana and what its like to be high. Marcel Bonn-Miller
created a self-reported article using information from people who are regular medical cannabis
users and turned his findings into quite the informative and descriptive piece on what people feel
when under the influence of cannabis. According to Bonn-Miller, most of the participants in the
study reported using cannabis for anxiety, chronic pain, stress, insomnia and depression. Another
one-quarter of the participants reported using cannabis for appetite, headaches, nausea, muscle
spasms and PTSD. It was reported that cannabis was moderately to mostly helpful for the
patients. Also, it was shown that depressive symptoms, and appetite gain were positively
associated with cannabis use. Another interesting find was that as greater cannabis use problems
are indicative of more frequent and dependent use; cannabis use may attenuate insomnia and
suicidal ideation/behaviors. (Bonn-Miller 27) People with issues eating said that they found a
significant increase in their appetite. These findings from the article show those variety of
As of now medical cannabis is legal in twenty-nine out of fifty states in the United States.
Its legal recreationally in eight out of the twenty-nine thats its legal medically. When the
discussion of legalizing marijuana comes up, people are generally very one sided. Either all for it
and ignoring the possible health effects, or highly against it and ignoring the horrible health
effects that come from both tobacco and alcohol, both which are legal substances in the United
States. With any good in the United States there is a tax on that item therefore generating revenue
for the government. In an article written by J.C. Van Ours, he discusses the serious taxation that
could be place on cannabis creating a great source of income for the government. He also says,
This would make life more comfortable for cannabis users, remove criminal organizations from
the scene, allow for the possibility of quality control, provide governments with tax revenues and
make it possible for researchers to collect empirical evidence (872). Later in the article Van
Ours says There has been a major shift in support of legalizing marijuana and the majority of
liberals, 18-29-year-olds, voters in western states, Democrats, Independents, moderates and men
now support legalizing cannabis (873). Millions of Americans use cannabis not just for fun but
because they find it extremely useful. With this trend of growing support for the legalization of
marijuana, it is only a matter of time before it becomes legal both medicinally and recreationally
Yet another thing medicinal marijuana can help people overcome, is the harsh symptoms
that HIV positive people suffer from. HIV is a horrible disease with no cure so anything that we
can give the public to help them cope should be greatly considered. In a 2004 Canadian study,
Furler et al found that 43% of people infected with HIV used marijuana and that 67% if these
patients used it for medicinal purposes. The medicinal purposes were appetite stimulation,
sleep/relaxation, nausea and vomiting, pain, anxiety/depression, and for a source energy.
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Physicians are already juggling the risks and benefits of giving a wide variety of medications to
their patients. Medical marijuana is a way to alleviate the genuine pain and suffering that some of
our HIV-positive patients experience. (Cinti 344) Although prescribed pills can provide the
same help that marijuana can, these pills become highly addictive and people begin to depend on
these pills that are much more harmful to the body than medicinal cannabis can be.
While there is some concern that marijuana may be a gateway drug that leads to use of
harder drugs like cocaine and heroin, the 1999 IOM report stated that there was no
evidence that giving the drug to sick people would increase illicit drug use in the general
population. Nor is marijuana a gateway drug that prompts patients to use harder drugs
This article from the Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care just
helps in solidifying the underlying fact that legalizing medical marijuana nationwide will provide
For some people, the process of going through cancer treatments is more taxing on the
body than the cancer itself. The chemotherapy can cause people to become extremely nauseous,
lose their desire to eat, suffer from depression, and the incredible pain that comes from the
chemotherapy treatments. While there are a variety of different prescribed medications out there
that doctors can offer their patients, the list of pills the patient will have to take could seem
endless. An easy way to eliminate all these medications is through medicinal marijuana.
discusses all the benefits that medical marijuana will have on cancer patients. Anorexia, early
satiety, weight loss, and cachexia are some of the most daunting symptom management
challenges faced by the practicing oncologist. (Abrams 20) Abrams conducted a small trial with
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two groups in which to see what would happen when cancer patients were given cannabis.
Abrams said that In the megestrol monotherapy group, appetite increased in 75% and weight in
11% compared to 49% and 3%respectively, in the oral THC group. (21) These finding only add
on to the fact that cannabis has the potential to provide much more good rather than harm for
people in need.
In another article by Laura Borgelt called The Pharmacologic and Clinic Effects of
Medical Cannabis she also mentions how marijuana will help people with eating disorders just
like Abrams talked about. Laura also discusses the effects cannabis has on people with muscle
spasms and pain. In a study conducted by Borgelt, she found that There was a significant
(Borgelt 49). Another study was conducted in which a large group was gathered and a double
blind, randomized placebo-controlled study included 160 patients with multiple sclerosis who
experience spasms and tremors consistently. The results showed that The symptom score
improved in both groups with no statistically significant difference, spasticity scores were
significantly reduced when compared to the placebo group (Borgelt 59). Again, these facts and
statistics, help in solidifying a stance that the legalization of medicinal marijuana is for the better
good.
Up? he mentions that More research is clearly needed on the adverse effects of cannabis, and
smoked cannabis in particular (Juurlink 4). Although he makes that statements he also goes on
to say that However, from a pharmacologic perspective, the direct toxic effects of cannabinoids
are simply dwarfed by those opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Many patients
are injured or die every year from the medications we prescribe for pain (Juurlink 7). Juurlink is
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a physician who looks out for his patients and takes each patients situations case-by-case and
He says that Instead, we should do what we do every day: make treatment decisions in a
patient-specific context, after balancing the risks and benefits of the available options. If
(Juurlink 11).
This is a great point he makes because he realizes every case is different but in some situations,
prescribing cannabis may be the best option even if it is one of the least desired by the patients
The discussion of whether or not cannabis should become legal medicinally has been
going on for years now and will continue to be discussed. Based off the research conducted,
medical marijuana will be able to provide a sufficient amount of good for people who need it as
it helps them live a more manageable life while getting rid of the harmful, toxic prescribed
Works Cited
Biehl, Jason. Cannabis Smoking in 2015: A Concern for Lung Health? Chest, vol. 148, no. 3, 1
Bingham, Raymond and Shope, Jean. Substance-Involved Driving: Predicting Driving after
Using Alcohol, Marijauna, and Other Drugs. Traffic Injury Prevention, vol. 9, no. 6, 10
Among Medical Cannabis Users. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse,
vol. 40, no.1, 1 Jan. 2014, pp. 23-30. FSU Online Library.
Borgelt, Laura. The Pharmacologic and Clinic Effects of Medical Cannabis. Pharmacotherapy
vol. 33, no. 2, 1 Feb 2013, pp. 195-209. FSU online Library, doi: 10.1002/phar.1187.
Choo, Esther. RIH physician finds legalizing medical marijuana does not increase use among
adolescents. Rhode Island medical journal. vol. 97, no. 5, 01 May. 2014, pp. 68. FSU
Cinti, Sandro MD. Medical Marijuana in HIV-Positive Patients: What Do We Know? Journal
of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, vol. 8, no. 6, 1 Dec. 2009,
DI, Abrams. Integrating Cannabis into Clinical Cancer Care. Current Oncology (Toronto), vol.
Juurlink, David. Medical Cannabis: Time to Lighten Up? CMAJ: Canadian Medical
Association Journal, vol. 186, no. 12, 2 Sep, 2014, pp. 897-898. FSU Online Library, doi:
10.1503/cmaj.140309.
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Lotan, Itay. Cannabis (Medical Marijuana) Treatment for Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms of
vol. 37, no. 2, 1 Mar. 2014, pp. 41-44. FSU Online Library, doi:
10.1097/WNF.0000000000000016.
Van Ours, J.C. The Long and Winding Road to Cannabis Legalization. Addiction (Abingdon,
England), vol. 107, no. 5, 2012. pp. 872-873. FSU Online Library.