Medical Marijuana the Alternative Medicine - Term Paper Example

In line with this, researchers have found that marijuana produces a significant analgesic effect and is effective against weight loss, nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy (Kneisl, 2009, 338). However, the use of medical marijuana remains to be the center of debate with regards to legalization. But why should the state legalize the use of marijuana? To give light to the question, there are two categories of marijuana based on its usage, to wit: medical marijuana and recreational marijuana.

Medical marijuana refers to marijuana that is used to alleviate undesirable effects of certain medications, treatments, and diseases. Recreational marijuana, on the other hand, refers to marijuana that is used to satisfy personal gratification or to achieve sense of euphoria. Thus, if legalization would be made for the sake of medical right, patients don’t have to endure extreme pain. Aside from usage, there are also two types of marijuana based on leaf appearance and effects. One of them is cannabis sativa.

Cannabis sativa leaves are long, thin fingered, and light green. Its buds smell sweet, fruity, and perfumed. Its effect is energetic and uplifting, mostly cerebral. It gives a feeling of optimism and well-being, pain relief, and is hallucinogenic. Unlike sativa, cannabis indica leaves are short, wide fingered and deep green. Its bud is pungent. It gives relaxation, stress relief, and overall body pain relief. It is also used to treat insomnia. Marijuana for the terminally ill is still a debate between right and legality.

It is a human right to live free from pain and suffering as well as to make self-determined decisions regarding managing health care in collaboration with the physician (Younts, 2005, 6). The plant exists and widely available, so why not used it to the benefit of those patients? With state regulatory organization, the fear of using marijuana in recreational use might be avoided. If an individual is suffering from a debilitating condition and relief for symptoms is present, we should not deny the right of this individual to choose the right treatment that would ease the discomfort.

“The FDA has approved a drug known as Marinol, which contains THC, the active psychotropic ingredient of Cannabis sativa and a controlled substance, for oral use in treating both loss of appetite due to the AIDS-wasting syndrome and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting” (Cohen, 2006, 20). Likewise, the marijuana also contains the same compound THC. The only difference is that Marinol is a synthetic compound while marijuana is a hemp plant. If they both have the same active compound, maybe, we could use the marijuana legally for medical purposes.

With all these debates regarding marijuana, a story in the 1994 issue of AIDS Weekly Magazine emerged. Christin Kehoe, a city councilwoman in California, said that she support the medicinal use of marijuana (Henderson, 1994, 6). Marijuana can be a drug of necessity to clients with glaucoma, AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and depression. The Public Services and Safety Committee heard testimony from cancer and glaucoma patients who said that marijuana lessens side effects of chemotherapy and nausea (Henderson, 1994, 6).

According to the doctors, marijuana drastically reduces the eye pressure for patients with glaucoma (Henderson, 1994, 6). The same goes with individuals suffering from AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis who reported