Problems Associated with Medical Cannabis - Essay Example

Health Policy Paper Health policy paper Medical cannabis Introduction Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that include a single species, cannabis sativa, which is divided into cannabis indica and cannabis ruderalis. Medical cannabis refers to the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids as medical therapy to treat diseases or alleviate symptoms. Due to its long history of medical use, it has been used to decrease vomiting and nausea in chemotherapy and people with AIDs, treat pain and muscle spasticity among others. Problems associated with cannabis One of the problems identified is respiratory damage. Cannabis smoke contains higher concentration of some of the constituents of tar than tobacco smoking. It is warmer when it interacts with the lungs and it’s typically inhaled more deeply and held in the lungs longer than tobacco smoke. (Room, R.2010) The background of the problem is classified into social issues, economic issues, ethical issues and finally political issues. On the social issues, the problem is caused by the peer groups who influence each other to use the drugs. This habit has enabled some of the youths to engage in the use of the drugs. On the economical issue, the plantation of the cannabis has resulted to the consumption of the marijuana among people. This has created a significant option for the consumption of the drugs to the fullest hence resulted to the respiratory problem and later developed to cancer. On the political or legal issue the problem has also resulted from the government enactment of law, which allows the use of the drugs among the citizens. This lawlessness has greater allowance for the consumption of the drugs. (Room, R.2010) The problem is caused by long term marijuana smoking which is associated with changes such as injury to the major bronchi that leaves the lungs open to injuries and infection. Common, profound use has been connected with bronchitis which results to lung cancer. Problem identification of cannabis on the lungs enables doctors and surgeons to know the main causes of the problem, hence enables them to come up with the appropriate solution to tackle the identified cause and come up with quick medication to curb the wide spread of the same problem to other people. Some of the effects of respiratory damage caused by cannabis is misuse of funds. Treating respiratory damage specifically the lungs needs a lot of health care, which is quite expensive to the family affected, hence more funds will be invested on treating the disease than involved in other basic requirement of the family. As a result, it leads to poverty and misery. Apart from waste of funds, it results to death of the victim since the drugs attacks the bronchitis causing the injury of the lungs. (Mary R. 1997) Due to the widespread of many problems that have resulted from the consumption of cannabis, many stakeholders have initiated the policy debate on how to minimize the large consumption of cannabis among the youths and people in general. The New York City Police Department has been on the forefront in the enforcement of cannabis law in that, less consumption of drugs should be maintained and also avoidance of drug exposure to the young people. A part from the New York Police Department, there are also other stakeholders that include the United States Marijuana party, Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party, among others has dramatically helped in the debate on policy on cannabis. In spite of the effort to reduce the consumption of the cannabis; many organizations have been affected at a great level. These are companies that are major producers of cannabis. The question raised is, will the misuse of cannabis be fully stopped to minimize the dramatic effect on human being especially health wise? (Mary R. 1997). Due to the dramatic effects of cannabis, many policy goals have been established to enable the widespread or minimization of cannabis consumption. According to the act related to medical cannabis, which was enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the following policies were drafted; State law should make a distinction between the medical and nonmedical uses of cannabis. Therefore, the reason of part 1 to 25 of the status strategy Act is to defend patients through incapacitating checkup situation, their practitioners and giver, from seize and trial, illegal and other penalty, possessions forfeit, if such patients involve in the therapeutic use of marijuana. This policy will minimize the consumption of cannabis by nonmedical patients, hence reduce the problem of respiratory damage (Dale H. 2008). The second policy is that the growth of cannabis should be minimized in that, only people who have a permit from the authorized office of the government are allowed to grow. The penalty of those who violate the rules and regulation clearly statured by national government will face a Sevier punishment of imprisonment. This is will enable minimization of cannabis consumption among people (Dale H. 2008). The third policy is the effort of the State Department for public health to regulate administering of the cannabis to the patient since higher concentration of the drugs leads to adhesive health condition not only respiratory problems, but also health related diseases such as memory loss, impaired judgment, among others. Finally, the interaction of state and government on the law enforcing to ensure cannabis are regulated to the minimal level as possible as it should. For the listed policy to be achieved, evaluation of criteria must be fully reflect on the policy or mechanism derived to ensure marijuana are fought out. The criteria includes penalty for those going contrary to the acts, and strict arresting of the victims involving in the violence of the cannabis. This will enable higher quality, access, fairness, cost and administrative and more so political feasibility (Boire, 2007). Other alternatives to ensure that all policies are achieved for better stability of cannabis in the country are educating people the effects of cannabis on the health of an individual. This will enable them to identify and evade being affected by the diseases. Recommended solutions According to the policy listed above, it is recommend that the government should enforce law to ensure that the misuse of the cannabis is reduced at a higher degree. This will be done by imprisonment of the people involved in cannabis trading as their source of income or their daily habits of misuse of this drug (Winterborne, 2008) The government should also put mechanisms of restricting people from growing of cannabis in that, the government should come up with licenses to give permission of growing cannabis. This will control the widespread of cannabis consumption among individuals since if one is found to have a cannabis plant in his farm, he has to give logical reasons as to why and how he obtained the license. Apart from that, the health department should also minimize the uses of the drugs to the patient. Some of the doctors use this cannabis in the wrong way, hence it raises an alarm of increasing medical discomfort among the patients. On this measure, it will be manageable to control the widespread of the problems. On following the listed recommendations, the problem of respiratory damage, which is the major cause of medical cannabis will be minimized at greater levels (Room, 2010). Conclusion Cannabis as plant has many uses medically. This drug has enable to fight some diseases such as pain relive, nausea and vomiting, patient with HIV/AIDS and multiple sclerosis only if they are administered at right dosage and following the precaution and prescriptions of the doctor. But if not they result to a more dangerous problems and disorder among being respiratory damage, cancer, heart failure and death this then need to be fought for to enable the safety of human health. Hence the policy governing medical cannabis must be strictly followed to enable minimal damage of human health. References Dale H. Gieringer, E. R. (2008). Practical Guide to Therapeutic Uses of Marijuana. Ed Rosenthal. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/search?q=Practical+Guide+to+Therapeutic+Uses+of+Marijuana&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q=Practical+Guide+to+Therapeutic+Uses+of+Marijuana&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=bks Mary Lynn Mathre, R. (1997). Cannabis in Medical Practice. McFarland. Retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/Cannabis-Medical-Practice-Pharmacological-Therapeutic/dp/0786403616 Richard Boire, K. F. (2007). Medical Marijuana Law. Ronin Publishing. Retrived from: http://www.amazon.com/Cannabis-Medical-Practice-Pharmacological-Therapeutic/dp/0786403616 Room, R. (2010). Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate. Oxford University Press. https://www.google.com/search?q=Practical+Guide+to+Therapeutic+Uses+of+Marijuana&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q=Practical+Guide+to+Therapeutic+Uses+of+Marijuana&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=bks Winterborne, J. (2008). Medical Marijuana Cannabis Cultivation. Pukka Press. Retrived from: http://www.amazon.com/Cannabis-Medical-Practice-Pharmacological-Therapeutic/dp/0786403616 Read More