Medical Benefits Of Marijuana

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

Increasingly, more and more evidence shows how cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis is making a positive impact in treating children with rare diseases, particularly seizure conditions. The story of Jayden David, first shown on the Sanjay Gupta’s documentary Weed Wars, is only one of many that deserves to be told, as it highlights just how CBD oil is making a difference in the lives of families that dared to try their luck with an alternative form of treatment. CBD hemp oil, derived from the cannabis plant industrial hemp has been shown to alleviate a myriad of health conditions. Research and personal stories are expanding the dialogue on just how medical cannabis could be beneficial in treating conditions such as Dravet syndrome that plagues Jayden. CBD oil had made an incredible impact in Jayden’s life by reducing the frequency of his seizures and improving his quality of life.

Marijuana, in a medical form, can reduce seizure activity in people with epilepsy, especially when all other forms of treatment have been exhausted. One such case was with a girl by the name of Charlotte Figi, who first started having seizures at 3 months old, and by the time she was 5 was having 300 seizures each week. When the hospital told the parents there was nothing more they could do for Charlotte, they turned to medical marijuana. After working with doctors to find the correct dosage of cannabis oil that was needed, Charlotte, at the age of 6, was only having two to three seizures per month (Young, Marijuana Stops Child’s Seizures, CNN.com). Additionally, while the personal stories of those who have seen a reduction in the number of seizures that occur from the use of medical marijuana are more prevalent than that of published studies by doctors, these studies do exist and show

Jacqueline Patterson was born with cerebral palsy. This condition makes her experience stuttering, crippling pain, and muscle imbalance. She has four children and was living in Kansas City, Missouri. Now she lives in California, where a judge determined that her cannabis use is medically necessary to ease her symptoms (Price, In Pot We Trust). Cannabis use for medical purposes and the relief of various symptoms has been around since before recorded history as the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that, “The earliest written reference is found in the 15th century BC Chinese Pharmacopeia, the Rh-Ya.” While cannabis can be used for recreational purposes, recent research and history provide evidence to its medical benefits (Procon.org, 2017). While the Chinese Pharmacopeia may not have understood the science behind medical benefits of cannabis on certain ailments, it provides a historical background into the use of medicinal cannabis. WebMD defines medical cannabis (or medical marijuana) as, “A drug that is made up of the leaves, flowers, and buds of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Medical marijuana is the use of this drug to help treat symptoms like pain, muscle stiffness (spasticity), nausea, and lack of appetite.” (WebMD, 2017) This definition provides us with a basis for what can be considered medical cannabis and what a doctor can prescribe legally. As with any other drugs like opioids, cannabis can be abused and it is important that we distinguish what can be used

Medical marijuana has been proven to an effective drug in the treatment of a number of encumbering medical conditions. A large number of legitimate medical organizations recognize the benefits of marijuana. It is far less harmful and poses fewer negative side effects than many prescription drugs, including painkillers - and patients often find it to be a more effective treatment for a variety of illnesses. However, it is perhaps the most commonly misunderstood substance in America. The usage of the drug has been widely researched and proven to be a “most viable and safe source of medicine to many Americans suffering from Aids, Glaucoma, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Chronic Pains” (Medical Marijuana). According to the Institute of Medicines, (1999) “marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known” (Legalization of Marijuana). More and more resources and case studies will be further discussed and practices to back up the claim, and determine marijuana’s medical value.

An example of the success of this treatment is a five year old girl who suffered from Dravet’s Syndrome. She would have three hundred episodes weekly, people would normally think that prescribing cannabis to child is complete unacceptable, but in this instance it could not have been a better blessing. The medical marijuana brought down her seizures from three hundred a week to only once. Now forty other children in her state are using the same strand of marijuana to treat their syndromes and it has been a positive outcome.

The article “Marijuana Stops Child’s Severe Seizures” by Saundra Young reveals an unusual solution to a child’s illness. Starting from a young age, Charlotte Figi started getting frequent seizures. The seizures lasted from two to four hours and often required Charlotte to be hospitalized. After doing several tests, the doctors were not able to find the exact cause for Charlotte’s seizures. They eventually diagnosed Charlotte with Dravet Syndrome. Following the diagnosis, the doctors decided to start treatment which proved to be unsuccessful. The next step they took was to implement a ketogenic diet which worked for two years with some side effects. Finally, Charlotte’s parents decided to try using medical marijuana that has low THC levels. The medical marijuana used proved to be successful in reducing Charlotte’s seizures drastically.

Furthermore, the use of marijuana stops seizures for it is a muscle relaxant. A real life example of this would be Charlotte Figi, a 6 year old girl who suffered from an untreatable form of epilepsy; she endured some 50 seizures a night. Epilepsy, in short, is a disease in which a person suffers from recurrent seizures. Her parents had tried everything to save her- some nearly ended in her demise. However, as one final go, her parents gave her a high dose of CBD oil, or cannibis oil. According to her parents, her seizures stopped

While there have recently been a couple of states that are shifting their laws to allow marijuana, there are still over 20 states in the U.S that have laws governing against the usage of medical marijuana. Marijuana has a number of effects on a person depending on how it is ingested. These risk factors include altered senses, impaired body movement and impaired memory. In the long run, marijuana is said to affect the brain's development. “When marijuana users begin using as teenagers, the drug may reduce thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions” (“Drug Facts-Marijuana”). With that being said, it is easy to understand why marijuana is not completely legalized. On the other side of that argument, people are slowly starting to realize that marijuana can very much so help a patient cope with their diseases. Within the past 4 years, the usage of medical marijuana for children with severe forms of epilepsy has gained a great deal of attention. The most severe form of epilepsy is referred to as Dravet Syndrome, it is described as “a rare form of intractable epilepsy. Intractable means the seizures are not controlled by medication. The first seizures with Dravet Syndrome usually start before the age of 1. In the second year, other seizures take hold: myoclonus, or involuntary, muscle spasms and status epileptics, seizures that last more than 30 minutes or come in clusters, one after the other” ("Marijuana Stops Child's Severe Seizures"). America was first exposed to the idea of curing Dravet Syndrome through the usage of medical marijuana when the documentary “Weed” was broadcasted on CNN in August of 2013. The documentary featured the case of Charlotte Figi, a five-year-old suffering from Dravet Syndrome. Before Charlotte began

One of the most controversial topics in modern times has been the medical efficacy of Cannabis. Cannabis is a plant that is used medically and recreationally and is classified as an herb, noticeable by its five spiked leaf structure (Merriam-Webster 2014). Cannabis contains multiple active ingredients that display a variety of psychological and neurological effects on humans and animals. Cannabis is the medical terminology for marijuana, which contains greater than 500 compounds and more are still being found as the years progress. Many of the compounds are referred to as cannabinoids and may show some antiepileptic factors when administered to individuals with epilepsy (Gloss and Vickery 2012). The public today believes that the cannabis prescribed to patients and individuals with drug resistant epilepsy are experiencing psychotropic effects (the feeling of what we know today as getting “high”). In reality the cannabis used to treat individuals with epilepsy is low in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] a psychotropic ingredient and high in cannabidiol [CBD] a non-psychotropic ingredient. Since CBD results in no psychotropic effects it has immense potential to be seriously considered as the worlds next biggest anticonvulsant solution.

Many claims have been made about the benefits of cannabis. It stops seizures, relieves glaucoma, decreases anxiety, stops cancer, eases pain from multiple sclerosis, slows Alzheimer’s, reduces inflammation, to name just a few. But can we definitively say that all these benefits are true? And should medical marijuana dispensaries be declaring these positive affects as they fulfill orders?

“A total of 120 children and teenagers with Dravet syndrome—a rare disorder marked by drug-resistant seizures that can be nearly continuous in some cases, we tested with cannabis and over 14 weeks the amount of seizures decreased tremendously.’’Sam Riggio, director of operations for Realm of Caring, a cannabis research, education and advocacy group is trying hard to make cannabis beneficial to people in our society. Cannabis is is illegal in today's society for reasons, such as overuse can lead to insanity, it causes brain cancer, or neck cancer. But it has also been known to cure cancer and help with mental illness. Cannabis is a very conflicted topic in today's society.

Marijuana is believe it or not, one of the safest ‘illegal’ drugs on Earth. It is safer than legal alternatives: alcohol or tobacco. According to CNN “1 in 8 Americans smoke marijuana on a regular basis.” the drug can provide medical benefits, lower social costs, and better the economy. Therefore Marijuana should be deemed legal for recreational and medicinal usage across America, because it provides medical benefits, lowers social cost, and betters the economy across the board.

The home to the University of Colorado, Boulder is sited some 25 miles northwest from Denver and sits at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Boulder has developed into a city full of life and well-known for its natural beauty and healthy daily life.

"Marijuana is the most widely used illegal controlled substance in the world. Although the drug has been illegal in the United States since the 1930s, an estimated 40.6 percent of the U.S. population over twelve years of age has tried it at least once."("Marijuana What Kind of Drug is it" par. One) Cavillations have been farming Marijuana for centuries best explained by this quote "In 1997, a hemp rope dating back to 26,900 BC was found in Czechoslovakia, making it the oldest known object to be associated with cannabis. Since that time, hemp has played an important role in humanity’s development. For thousands of years marijuana was not only legal, but an important crop among cultures throughout history, and held commercial, medicinal, and spiritual value."(Hill, par 1). So why is it not allowed now, well people have observed some side effects. For starters, it can be the user can experience a loss of motor control and can have difficulty concentrating and it slows down the brain this can be most dangerous when operating a vehicle. However, marijuana is safer than most of the substances that are legal today and it actually, helps with diseases. Marijuana has many helpful benefits such as being able to help with illnesses such as cancer among other things, increasing creativity for all creative needs such as painting or writing, and decreasing the amount of painkiller and opioid addiction.