Influence of Medical Marijuana on Employment in California Essay

There has been a lot of debate on whether or not marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes in all fifty states. Many people believe that marijuana is an unsuitable substitute for many of the medications we have today. On the other hand, many researchers have conducted extensive studies that have shown how beneficial medicinal marijuana can be. Many states have already picked up on this, and have laws set in place to allow the use of medicinal marijuana. Medicinal marijuana has a wide variety of uses, and should be allowed for medicinal purposes in all fifty states.

In addition, anecdotal evidence exists that marijuana is effective in the treatment of arthritis, migraine headaches, pruritis, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other mood disorders. Marijuana could benefit as many as five million patients in the United States. However, except for the eight individuals given special permission by the federal government, marijuana remains illegal-even as medicine! Individuals currently suffering from any of the aforementioned ailments, for whom the standard legal medical alternatives have not been safe or effective, are left with two choices: Continue to suffer from the effects of the disease; or Obtain marijuana illegally and risk the potential consequences, which may include: an insufficient supply because of the prohibition-inflated price or unavailability; impure, contaminated, or chemically adulterated marijuana; arrests, fines, court costs, property forfeiture, incarceration, probation, and criminal records.

A person, in California, who uses marijuana medically agrees to follow the Health and Safety codes as defined by the Attorney General, Edmund G. Brown Jr., and the Department of Justice (state of

Marijuana can be used by the public for many purposes. Medicine is an important part of our lives and marijuana has been tested to cure cancerous cells as well as help people with their epilepsy. Using marijuana for medical purposes is one major aspect that people should take into consideration for legalizing it. Marijuana’s market has also been brought to many people’s attention because it has been poised to grow faster than smart phones. Together, these reasons have been more than enough for people to consider legalizing marijuana.

The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is a long-standing controversy. For centuries marijuana was prescribed to alleviate symptoms associated with a variety of illnesses. Anti-medical marijuana sentiments began with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act banned the use of marijuana completely, categorizing it as a drug with no medicinal value, high abuse rates, and detrimental health effects (http://www.farmacy.org/prop215/apha.html). Since 1996, numerous states including California, Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have passed medical marijuana initiatives supporting the right to prescribe marijuana for seriously or terminally ill patients (http://www.marihemp.com/marimed.html). The American Public Health Association and the Institute of Medicine represent two organizations that have recently researched and endorsed advancements in the study of medical marijuana. Both groups support the use of marijuana for specific treatments, such as reducing nausea in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, stimulating the appetites of AIDS victims, and limiting spasticity in MS patients.

Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General, once spoke about the legalization of marijuana for medical use in a press conference. "It's criminal to keep this medicine from patients," she said (Silverman, 1995, pg. 2). She received criticism not only from many citizens of the United States, but also strong criticism from the President who appointed her. The legalization of marijuana for medical use has always been a sharply debated subject, and many of the debaters are uneducated about the effects of using this illegal drug for therapeutic use. Many studies have been done and the results are clear. As a medical drug, marijuana should be available to patients who do not adequately respond to currently available

To implement the use of medical cannabis we must first create a secure online registry that will be maintained and contain cardholder information. For example, the registry must contain the name of the patient who is issued a registry identification card. This should be the person who will be receiving medical cannabis from the dispensing organizations. Of course, the date of birth of the patient will also be necessary for identification purposes. Another item that should be included in the registry is the name of the medical practitioner who is recommending the medical use. Finally, the amount of cannabis that is being dispensed to the patient should also be recorded. This will allow for us to ensure that the patient is receiving the correct amount of cannabis and that the cannabis is also being dispensed to the correct person.

In today 's society the legalization of medicinal use of marijuana is becoming more common amongst the states. There are 24 states that recognize and accept patient registry or ID cards for medicinal use. Out of these 24 states, California is the only state to not have a specification on the condition you have to have to get prescribed a patient ID. Epilepsy is the main condition that the other 23 states recognize as a condition worthy of prescribing the use of medicinal cards. Of the 24 states only Colorado and Washington allow citizens to use the drug recreationally.

Disadvantages of medical marijuana can range from side effects with medications, increased psychosis, and public health issues. In addition, those in California have to be residents to obtain a medical marijuana identification card. In order to qualify for a medical marijuana identification card, one has to have a debilitating medical condition. According to Cohen (2010), a debilitating condition means: cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or treatment for such conditions. The identification card also calls for physicians to comply with these regulations. The physician must have a good standing license to practice in California, take responsibility of the patient's care, disclose a medical examination on the patient beforehand, document the serious medical condition and how medical marijuana is necessary, and have the patient sign consent and copies of his or hers medical records (California Medical Association, 2011). Physicians also have to look at the health risk that their patient might face if prescribed medicinal marijuana. According to the California Medical Association, 9% of adults become addicted to cannabis. This can lead to cognitive deficits that can range from impaired memory to the inability to learn. This article also indicated that long-term use can increase risk of developing schizophrenia due to

Since government funding is not permitted, private dispensaries are generally set up to administer marijuana prescriptions with varying levels of restrictions ranging from strict to almost nonexistent (Kleber & Dupont, 2012). Physicians may issue a “marijuana card” to patients who apply for drug treatment programs within their authorized state of residence and processed for approval or denial (Harding, 2013). Conventional pharmacies cannot administer marijuana prescriptions; therefore insurance companies do not cover it. Patients have the option of having a personal supply (if approved in their state) or the use a dispensary facility.

The practice of medicinal cannabis dates all the way back to proposition 215 in 1996 when it was passed and became legal in the state of California. Unfortunately, many counties have begun closing down medical dispensaries in their cities for various reasons. In Orange County, city officials and people from the community believe that dispensaries have brought a rise in crime to their streets. In the last coming years Anaheim, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and even Newport Beach have cracked down on countless dispensaries in their area. The citizens of these cities are not informed what this plant does to these sick impaired people. Veterans usually need to buy and smoke this herb herb for them to be

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They have to qualify for the use of it and have to get medical consent. Anyone can get a license or the changing social designations attached to marijuana, as it is both criminal and medical topics in a late modern era of crime control (O'Brien, 2013). This information helps because it statement is talking about my view of the control of the drug. The law of Marijuana and medicine legalization on who can scribe its practice and who can get the marijuana. It is a crime to have or carry if it is not the person prescription like any other medical drug. This drug can be used for a lot of thing reduces pain, for example: Chronic pain, hiv/aids, glaucoma and

While the recreational use of Marijuana is considered controversial, the medical purposes have been a widely discussed topic among health care professionals, as well as for the patients that may benefit from it 's medicinal properties. Doctors and scientists have dedicated their lives to discovering new remedies and treatments for the illnesses that ail us, and they have collected very promising results from their research on Marijuana. Numerous experiments have been conducted to prove the medical purposes of this illegal drug, giving many sick patients hope. The research has shown two active chemicals that have medicinal properties, Cannabidiol (CBC) and Tetrahydrocannabiniol (THC). CBC impacts the brain without giving the individual a “high”, and THC has pain relieving properties. Even though the results of these studies are positive, many states are still leery of legalizing the drug because it has been illegal for so long. It is clear that Marijuana doesn 't exactly have a good reputation. Many people smoke it and end up making horrible decisions which, in turn, causes skepticism in our judicial system. However, since it will be in the right hands, and will be heavily regulated, I believe that doctors should have access to any medicine that will be, or could be beneficial to their patients.

As the debate about marijuana’s use as a medicine continues, experts have given us information pertaining to