Marijuana, Medical Miracle, or Massive Mistake - Coursework Example

Marijuana, Medical miracle, or Massive mistake Introduction Marijuana is prepared from a cannabis plant that is used as medicine and a psychoactive drug. Nagle stated that Marijuana is sourced from the following plants, Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa, and Cannabis ruderalis (20). The parts of the plant consumed are the flowers and contain active ingredients of cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, and tetrahydrocannabivarin (Nagle, 20-21). Marijuana originated geographically from South and Central Asia and the drug is mainly produced in Canada, Jamaica, Colombia, Laos, Lebanon, Mexico, and United States among other countries. People in different countries use various names such cannabis and bhang to refer to marijuana. Marijuana is consumed of because of its physiological and psychoactive effects, which include increased appetite, a relaxed state of mind and heightened moods. Marijuana is a popular recreational drug in America and has been rated third after alcohol and tobacco; it is still used by many individuals in America. Marijuana is illegal in some countries while some States like Colorado and Washington have legalized it such that they have adopted a legal controlled market for Cannabis where consumers purchase it for their personal use from safe authorized sources. The drug is administered in the body by smoking, taking capsules and eating extracts. Marijuana is restricted in majority of the countries because of its adverse side effects such as loss of memory and impaired motor skills when taken in excess. People in the countries that have discouraged Marijuana still use the drug secretively despite the strict legislations towards it. This essay is going to discuss reasons why Marijuana should be legalized, focusing on the medical benefits as opposed to a massive drug epidemic. Effects of marijuana Marijuana should be legalized because of its many benefits in the field of medicine. Connolly stated that Cannabis was famous thousands of years back for its medicinal values hence more reasons why it should be used today (34). Despite Cannabis benefits in medicine, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) does not approve it because it is not purified and has many chemicals with adverse health effects that are unknown; the drug is administered in the body by smoking hence contributing to potential serious effects and destruction of the cognitive system. Marijuana should be legalized, as it will enable people to use it in the right ways and getting it from the right people. Medicinal benefits of marijuana Caulkins et al stated that marijuana is important as it helps in the reduction of vomiting and nausea in people during chemotherapy (54). Cannabis can be used to reduce pain during chemotherapy for patients with cancer but it is rarely used because of its side effects, which include dysphoria, hallucinations, and dizziness. Marijuana assists in the treatment of symptoms of HIV/AIDS, which is a good reason why the drug should be legalized in various countries. Gerdes stated that marijuana is efficient in treating chronic pains especially caused by neuropathy, but the drug is not approved by some organizations because nobody knows about the risks involved after frequent use (56-57). Marijuana is known to treat stomach cramps and muscle spasms hence individuals who smoke it are saved the risk of suffering from such pains. Marijuana should be legalized because it contains Cannabinoids that have anti-cancer properties, anticarcinogenis, and antitumor effects which have a potential in the treatment of lung and breast cancer cells. Individuals are afraid to use the drug legally in the hospitals because of the strict laws about the drug hence there is no clear evidence whether the drug can cure cancer or not since they have never tried (Gerdes, 57). Cancer is a dangerous disease that frustrates individuals suffering from it by forming wounds that wear their body systems. Legalizing the drug will make it easier for the medical practitioners to use the drug to reduce pain for the patients and discovering many other ways to eliminate the cancer cells in the body system. Rosenthal et al stated that dementia is another condition that is dangerous for people in the society and marijuana can help reduce its effect because it contains the cannabinoids that lessen the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (60-63). Alzheimer’s disease cause problems with the thinking, behavior and memory of individuals where they lose their memory with time as the condition gets dangerous. Marijuana should be legalized to eliminate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease to enable individuals to live a healthy life. Bello stated that marijuana is beneficial in the medical sector and it should be legalized because it helps in the treatment of diabetes (45). The cannabidiol chemical found in marijuana reduces cell damage brought about by diabetes mellitus type 1. Diabetes is a medical condition brought about by an increase with blood sugar in the body system. In the research studies done by Boire et al, it is stated that individuals who use marijuana have smaller waists and improved blood sugar hence preventing themselves from the chances of getting diabetes and controlling their weight in the process (57-58). Marijuana lowers the levels of insulin resistance, which is an important antecedent to diabetes and many States like Columbia, Canada, Austria and Netherlands have legalized the drug to enable their citizens to prevent diabetes and to control their body weight to prevent obesity. Marijuana has is important in the treatment of glaucoma which is a condition that destroys the optic nerves of the eye and worsens with time. The condition is caused by an increase in intraocular pressure hence destroying optic nerves that are responsible for transmitting images to the system of the brain. Gerber stated that cannabinoids, which are physiological and psychoactive chemical compounds in marijuana, lower the intraocular pressure in the patients ailing from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) (68). This fact has not been approved by some organizations such as the National Eye Institute and the Institute of Medicine because they claim that they have no scientific evidence. The individuals who use marijuana frequently state that the drug is effective when smoked or administered orally but should not be applied to eye directly. Individuals, who take marijuana as a drug for glaucoma, experience positive side effects such as euphoria, which is an intense feeling of excitement, joy, and happiness. The risk involved in using marijuana to treat glaucoma is that as individuals smoke the drug, they have increased heart rates and a decrease in the blood pressure as it lowers the intraocular pressure (Gerber, 72-73). The drug causes adverse effects such as impaired memory, concentration problems, impairment of motor coordination, conjunctival hyperemia, impairment of the immune system, and addiction problems. Treatment of glaucoma using marijuana is dangerous because individuals have to smoke the drug for a long time so that they control the intraocular pressure in more than 24 hours (Gerber, 74). Marijuana should be legalized because it helps in the treatment of epilepsy. According to the writings by Shohov, epilepsy is a medical disorder caused by chronic seizures that have affected many people in America and other countries (46-48). The condition is characterized by frequent sudden attacks of convulsions, motor activity, and altered consciousness. Shohov stated that the seizures are synchronized by the excitation of various large groups of cells in the brain (48). Marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which helps in the treatments of epilepsy. The drug has not been approved by many organizations though because of lack of evidence and its adverse side effects on the treatment of epilepsy have not been studied since the research was done on animals. The medical practitioners are slow to advice the individuals to use marijuana because it can affect the memory negatively hence the users may miss doses and in the long run lead to increased risks of seizures. Shohov stated that the use of marijuana on epilepsy patients should be minimized because inhalation of the smoke from the drug leads to lung complications (50). Marijuana should be legalized because of its positive effects on the Tourette’s syndrome, which is a condition that facilitates an individual to make frequent movements and quick sounds that they cannot control. Gottfried stated that marijuana contains the compound THC that reduces the symptoms of the Tourette’s syndrome hence healing the patients (59). Reports from the research studies done by Gottfried show that individuals who smoke marijuana rarely get the condition and patients who were treated with THC improved their motor and vocal tics, which are symptoms of behavioral disorders (63-64). The effects of marijuana to this condition are positive and occur in a span of 30 minutes, which makes it an effective drug. Other benefits of marijuana Recreation Many individuals in America use marijuana despite the strict laws against it for recreation. The users of marijuana claim that the drug enables them to reduce stress, increase concentration in their activities and to relax their minds. Legalizing the drug will enable the people to obtain the drug from the right people with the right prescriptions. When marijuana is made legal, individuals will be taught about the consequences involved when the drug is taken in excess hence preventing adverse effects. Marijuana should be legalized to enable the citizens who grow the Cannabis plant to start businesses and to employ others. This will reduce the rate of unemployment in some States where the young people are idle and hence reducing the rate of criminal activities in the country. Legalizing marijuana will promote the economy whereby the States will be able to earn revenue through the sale of the drugs and promote international relationships with countries like Jamaica where marijuana is part of their culture (Rosenthal et al, 90-92). Conclusion Marijuana also called Cannabis is prepared from the Cannabis plant and is used as medicine and as a psychoactive drug. Marijuana is illegal in some places because of its adverse effects such as impairment of motor skills, anxiety feelings, loss of memory and changing the eye color to red. Marijuana is legalized in the States like Canada, Netherlands, and Colombia among others that realized the medical benefits of the drugs. The drug is normally administered in the body by smoking, taking capsules and eating extracts. This essay has described the various medical benefits of marijuana that advocate for the drug to be legalized. Marijuana contains a chemical compound called cannabinoids that helps in reducing pain during chemotherapy and prevent the patients from vomiting and nausea. Marijuana should be legalized because it helps in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, dementia, epilepsy, glaucoma that are fatal diseases. Many people use marijuana for recreation to relax their minds and reduce stress. Legalizing marijuana will provide individuals with employment and in the process improve the economy of the country through the revenue acquired from the sale of marijuana. Works cited Bello, Joan. The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Susquehanna, Pa: Lifeservices Press, 2008. Print. Boire, Richard G, and Kevin Feeney. Medical Marijuana Law. Berkeley, CA: Ronin, 2007. Print. Caulkins, Jonathan P, Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer, and Mark Kleiman. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. , 2012. Print. Connolly, Sean. Marijuana. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2007. Print. Gerber, Rudolph J. Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2004. Print. Gerdes, Louise I. Marijuana. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Print. Gottfried, Ted. The Facts About Marijuana. New York: Benchmark Books, 2005. Print. Nagle, Jeanne M. Marijuana. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2008. Print. Rosenthal, Ed, Steve Kubby, and S Newhart. Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2003. Print. Shohov, Tatiana. Medical Use of Marijuana: Policy, Regulatory, and Legal Issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2003. Print. Read More