The Use of Medical Marijuana - Essay Example

Medical Marijuana Paul Curry says his seven years at Miller Coors came to an abrupt end with one simple conversation. "They just told me to pack my bags. They brought in security, I emptied out my locker and they told me to go home," he said. While Miller Coors cannot comment on the decision to let Curry go, Curry says he was told he was being fired because he had just tested positive for marijuana (Man says he was fired for smoking medical marijuana) The arguments in favor and against marijuana use in America are growing because of the controversies surrounding this topic. Even though, FDA has not shown any green signal to marijuana, many people in America believe that marijuana can be used as an effective medicine in the treatment of some of the diseases like nausea, vomiting, glaucoma etc. Moreover, marijuana can stimulate hunger among some patients, and it can also be used a pain reliever. However, marijuana has not achieved the status of a medicine yet and still marijuana use is labeled in the category of substance abuse in most of the countries. Roth (2008) has pointed out that “To date, marijuana is still classified as an illegal Schedule 1 drug by the Controlled Substances Act. It is defined as having "no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States" (Roth). On the other hand, critics of marijuana argue that marijuana should not be used as a medicine because of its side effects. For them, marijuana has the ability to make huge physical and emotional changes in a person which may affect the person in the long run. No American courts so far took any favorable stand in administering marijuana as a drug because of the lack of scientific evidences to prove the credentials of marijuana as a drug. This paper briefly analyses the pros and cons argues against using marijuana as a medicine. Some of the early studies in the 1970’s and 80’s shown that light or moderate consumers of marijuana may not develop any physical or psychological problems. In other words, the controlled use of marijuana may not cause many problems to the user. However, it should be note that many of the current generation do not have the ability to control their behaviors. For example, a person who started smoking or drinking just for a joke may become an addict. Same way, marijuana users can also become addicts as time goes on. Moreover, marijuana available in the past and present has lot of differences. Its potency, as measured by the THC content, has greatly increased from as low as one or two per cent to as high as 15% today. Some medical studies have shown that this change greatly increases the risk, especially for heavy users, to lungs, reproductive and immune systems. It also increases the heart rate and can impair motor skills and the ability to concentrate. These health dangers provide are more support for deterring its availability. The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), which keeps track of marijuana-related emergency room visits, reports that this statistic has risen steadily in the past three decades (Parker). “THC is a fat-soluble substance and will accumulate in fatty tissues in the liver, lungs, testes, and other organs. Two days after smoking marijuana, one-quarter of the THC content may still be retained” (Basic facts About Drug Marijuana). Marijuana available at present are enriched with more THC content in order to make the consumers satisfied. Most of the drug addicts and alcohol addicts are using these things to change their moods. However, they may require more doses as time goes on to attain a particular mood. Marijuana sellers enrich the THC content to alarming levels in order satisfy the users. Substance abusers or marijuana users may not bother much about the THC content because of addiction. Thus, their physical and mental health would be severely damaged as a result of marijuana use over a time particular time period. “While cannabis itself is not physically addictive it can be dangerous for those with mental health issues and is often supplied by dealers who also have access to harder, highly addictive drugs” (Casundara). Both physical and mental health of the current generation is facing stiff challenges because of various reasons. It is difficult to say that the current generation has the same level of mental health as that of the earlier generation because of the increased commitments and subsequent rising of stress levels of the current generation. Increased stress level, force people to rely on some substances to get reduces their tensions. Some people opt for smoking, drinking etc while others may rely on drugs like marijuana. In other words, current generation is using marijuana to stabilize their mental health, but they are unknowingly destroying their mental health further and further. The mood changes happened as a result of marijuana use may not last long. In the long run, marijuana use can destroy the physical and mental health. There are many substitute products available for marijuana in America at present. For example, Spice, a herbal smoking mixture, is widely sold in America labeled as legal and nicotine-free smoke. Many of the Americans are of the view that Spice is a harmless substitute for marijuana. “Herbs or blends of herbs that one can smoke as alternatives to marijuana or tobacco- The term marijuana alternatives mean just that. It does not mean we are offering legal marijuana or a marijuana substitute” (Legal Alternatives to Marijuana and Tobacco). Many of the Americans have the false belief that Spice selling is legally allowed in America. This is because of the fact that Spice like substitute products are yet to be prohibited in America. The failure of government to prohibit substitute products of marijuana doesn’t mean that these products are less harmful to marijuana. In fact Spice like alternate products offer an option to the drug abusers to escape from punishments for using illegal drugs. The following statistics clearly show that neither marijuana, nor the substitute products are safer to consume. According to police reports cited in news accounts, one person in Texas suffered seizures after smoking two types of spice together. In Iowa, an 18-year-old suffered a panic attack and committed suicide after smoking spice with friends last month, police said. "We're getting extreme anxiety in many patients, agitation, heightened heart rate and blood pressure," said Anthony Scalzo, medical director of the Missouri Poison Center. "I've done emergency medicine for 28 years and toxicology for 22, and I don't see that kind of effect generally from a patient who comes in having taken marijuana" (Savage). “Although it has yet to be proven conclusively that heavy marijuana use can cause irreversible loss of intellectual capacity, animal studies have shown marijuana-induced structural damage to portions of the brain essential to memory and learning” (Basic facts About Drug Marijuana). Teenagers get addicted to marijuana more easily than the adults. Many researches have shown that marijuana can adversely affect the memory and learning capacities of the children. Effective functioning of the brain systems like neurons, neurotransmitters etc are necessary to send and receive instructions and information. Marijuana has the ability to make structural changes in brain systems which will damage the memory capacity of the children. The difficulties in memorizing topics and the inability to focus more on a particular topic may destroy the learning abilities and academic achievements of a marijuana user. According to John Walters (Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy) “smoked marijuana damages the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. It impairs learning and interferes with memory, perception, and judgment. Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds and has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents"(Top 10 Pros and Cons). “In June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against medical use of marijuana, but emphasized the decision was not over whether marijuana is effective for pain relief” (Medical Marijuana - Medicinal Marijuana - Medical Uses Of Marijuana). Neither the court, nor the American administration has a clear stand about the advocacy of marijuana use. The reluctance or silence of these law enforcement agencies in removing the controversies surrounding marijuana use, force people to think that marijuana is less harmful than one would expect. When many of the drug abuse cases related to marijuana brought to the courts, the courts upheld the traditional belief by the continuing support extended towards the marijuana prohibition. However, many of the rulings of the courts opened new debates and suspicions about the legalization of marijuana use rather than giving a clear answer about the legalization of marijuana use. It is an accepted fact that marijuana has the ability to relieve pain. Some of the chronic diseases like cancers may put the patient under immense discomfort because of severe pain. Marijuana can help such patients in relieving their pain when no other pain relievers work. Many people are of the view that marijuana should be allowed to treat such patients, in a hope condition, suffering from chronic pains. It should be note that legalization of physician assisted suicide or mercy killing is gaining grounds at present. Supporters of legalization of marijuana use are of the view that denying the chronic patients the luxury of relieving their pain is a human right violation. They argue that the side effects of marijuana are nothing when we consider the advantage of pain reliving in the case of chronic patients. In my opinion, administering of marijuana for pain reliving should be allowed only when no other medicines work for a patient. It should be noted that marijuana is the most dangerous pain relieving drug available at present and it should be prescribed only at unavoidable circumstances. To conclude, marijuana is the most dangerous pain reliever available at present. It can cause immense damages to physical and mental health of a person. It can affect the memory and learning capacities and can make structural changes in brain. Moderate consumption of marijuana may not cause many damages to the health. However, even moderate consumption may lead towards addiction as time goes on. Both, the government and the courts, failed to reach a consensus on the issue of medical marijuana. The failure of these agencies in warning the public properly about the cons of marijuana use, forced the public to believe that marijuana use is comparatively safer. There are several substitute products available in America which created a false sense among the public that these products are legal to use and comparatively safer than marijuana. In short, marijuana use should be prohibited and it should be administered to patients only in extreme cases. Works Cited 1. “Basic facts About Drug Marijuana”. Web. 18 May 2011. 2. Casundara. “Why Line The Pockets of Dealers When There’s a Legal Alternative to Cannabis”. 2009. Web. 18 May 2011. 3. “Legal Alternatives To Marijuana And Tobacco” Web. 18 May 2011. 4. “Man Says He Was Fired for Smoking Medical Marijuana”. Web. 18 May 2011. 5. “Medical Marijuana - Medicinal Marijuana - Medical Uses Of Marijuana”. 2010. Web. 18 May 2011. 6. Parker, Ross. “Column: Ex-Fed Prosecutor Weighs Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana”. 2011. Web. 18 May 2011. 7. Roth, Rebecca. “Medical Marijuana”. 2008. Web. 18 May 2011. 8. Savage, Michael W. “The Growing Buzz on 'Spice' -- The Marijuana Alternative. 2010. Washington Post. 09 July 2010. Web. 18 May 2011. 9. “Top 10 Pros and Cons”. Web. 18 May 2011. Read More