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Medical Marijuana Research Paper

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Marijuana has long been a schedule one drug in the United States of America. Starting in the 1930’s marijuana was demonized1 and quickly placed on the list of illegal substances in America in 1937. Many say that this demonization was a result of racism (most marijuana users at the time were Mexican and African-American) and a propaganda campaign propagated by William Randolph Hearst, who aimed to eliminate a growing threat, to the paper industry he controlled, from the hemp industry. Medicinal marijuana is currently one of the most widely debated topics in America and average Americans are learning about the beneficial uses of marijuana and the hemp crop. Twenty-three states and Washington D.C. have already approved medical marijuana and states …show more content…

Seventy-five patients were asked to submit their experiences with oral cannabis extracts, which are legal in Colorado. Of the seventy-five, 57% reported improvement in seizure control. 33% reported a less than 50% improvement in epileptic attacks. One problem with this study is that not all participants in oral cannabis extract therapy responded. Of the families that moved to Colorado to treat their children with oral cannabis extract only 47% responded. Of the oral cannabis extract patients that already lived in Colorado only 22% of families responded. The overall consensus of this study was that controlled experiments and double blind studies have to be undertaken to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral cannabis extracts to treat pediatric …show more content…

The other 86 cannabinoids have not been studied thoroughly. This raises crucial questions about the proper dosing and type of cannabis that should be used to treat epilepsy. Also we can ask, what kinds of epilepsy can be treated with marijuana? And, can marijuana have adverse effects on epilepsy patients? Anecdotal reports are not enough to tell physicians the answers to these questions and many others. This is why it is of the utmost importance to begin extensive experimentation of the cannabis plant. One reason why our society has had a slow response to this call-to-action is because marijuana cannot be patented, therefore many pharmaceutical companies are not interested in exploring the medical benefits of

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