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In the report, “Marijuana and Medicine,“ released by the Institute of Medicine, it is stated “the most encouraging clinical data on the effects of cannabinoids on

Just as important of a medical issue as glaucoma, More than 300,000 Americans have multiple sclerosis, in which the body attacks myelin, the sheath that insulates nerve fibers. That can produce tremors, stiffness, paralysis, loss vision, numbness and pain. “Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability amount young and middle aged adults in the United States” (MPP, 2004 author page # title). Through years of study, the cause of multiple sclerosis is still unknown and still no cure has been produced for the disease. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the usefulness of marijuana is stated throughout, and is said to be used for symptom management in multiple sclerosis (MS). Marijuana is substituted for the use of pain control, which also eases tremors and spasticity. (Marijuana, NMSS)

Chronic pain is a tremendous public health problem, and a costly one. As health care advances and the need for palliative care rises, patients and health care providers are constantly investigating alternative methods of pain treatment and management. Questioning and challenging traditional health policies and practices has created a curiosity in the use of cannabis as an alternative option to standard opioids, for the management of chronic pain. Cannabis, is a leafy green plant consisting of buds and leaves of the cannabis sativa forma indica plants. Marijuana has been used in holistic solutions for hundreds of years; it has also been especially prevalent among terminally ill patients, who have been reported using it to alleviate symptoms like chronic pain, nausea and depression.

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.

In the United States, marijuana for medical purposes has gained more prevalence in current political discourse than in previous years. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a flowering plant that originally came from South and Central Asia. For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used for many natural products such as seed oils, seed, fiber that is used to make hemp products and contains over four hundred chemicals, some of which have an antibiotic like effect (Nordqvist, 2013). Studies have shown that two of the chemicals, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), have a positive effect on humans for mild to moderate painkilling effects and sedative effects (Nordqvist, 2013). The purpose of this paper is

"Various forms of medicinal cannabis have provided mostly positive responses for patients with different types of pain: Neuropathic, chronic, postoperative, and that related to fibromyalgia, rhematoid arthritis, mutiple sclerosis and cancer" (Borgelt, Franson, & Nussbaum, 2013). In a study outlined in the article The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis, which evaluated smoked cannabis compared to placebo, significant improvements in pain were observed. The study included 56 patients and used cigarettes wtih varying THC contents. In general, a higher THC content (up to 9.4%) appears to be more effective for pain relief (Borgelt, Franson, & Nussbaum, 2013).

Chronic pain is a tremendous public health problem, and a costly one. As health care advances and the need for palliative care rises, patients and health care providers are constantly investigating alternative methods of pain treatment and management. Questioning and challenging traditional health policies and practices has created an interest in the use of cannabis as an alternative option to standard opioids, for the management of chronic pain. Cannabis, or marijuana, is a leafy green plant consisting of buds and leaves of the cannabis sativa forma indica plants. Marijuana has been used in holistic solutions for hundreds of years; it has also been especially prevalent among terminally ill cancer patients, who have been reported using it to alleviate symptoms like chronic pain, nausea and depression.

Marijuana is a drug that divides people. Some people claim it as the wonder drug of the '90s, capable of relieving the symptoms of many serious illnesses. Others curse the day the cannabis plant was ever discovered. From pain relief to stimulating the appetites of patients on chemotherapy, marijuana seems to have plenty going for it as a medicine. The legalization of marijuana is a large controversy in many parts of the world today, but the obvious negative effects that the drug induces has kept it from being legalized. Many researchers have a strong positive attitude towards marijuana. It has been said that the drug is “worth investigating and even providing as a medicine for pain relief, severe

Medical marijuana has been known for its instrumental role in the treatment of several ailments both physical and psychological. It has been found to play a role in the treatment of chronic pain, muscle spasm, multiple sclerosis, nausea, vomiting, appetite stimulation, stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia. The effects of marijuana are produced by the active ingredient found in it - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Because of these findings according to Hoffmann & Weber (2010) experts in the medical field have had to be revisiting the evidence as it relates to the medicinal benefits of marijuana and the American Medical Association (AMA) has been the driving force behind the petition for marijuana as a ‘Scheduled I controlled substance’ so that further research and development can be done on the plant. Further value is added to the advantages of medical marijuana when regardless of its criminalization, the FDA and American Cancer Society agree that the active ingredients in marijuana, orcannabinoids, have been approved by officials to “highlight increased nausea and vomiting and appetite in people with cancer and AIDS”. The American Cancer Society says that "marijuana has anti-bacterial properties, inhibits tumour growth, and enlarges the airways, which they believe can ease the severity of asthma attacks"

Chronic pain is intense suffering/agony that can persist between weeks to years. Currently, there are an estimated more than 3 million cases of chronic pain in the United States each year. That is where the Marijuana comes into play. An article on the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association states the following for Marijuana being used for chronic pain as well as other medical problems,”Aside from nausea and appetite stimulation, indications for which there are 2 FDA-approved cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone), chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis are the indications for medical marijuana supported by high-quality evidence”(Hill). As usual, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t state the drawbacks to using Marijuana to treat chronic pain. The same article states,”Medical marijuana and cannabinoids have significant potential health risks, such as addiction and worsening of psychiatric illnesses such as some anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders”(Hill). Currently, there are no ways to combatant these side

Marijuana is the most essential and therapeutically active substance that has been discovered by man. Therefore, medical cannabis refers to the use of the cannabis drug as recommended herbal therapy by physicians. This is mostly known as antiemetic. The experimental demonstration of marijuana’s significant properties thousands of years ago proves that it is one of the most essential substances that can be used in manufacturing drugs (Minamide). As provided from the ancient Indians, its psychoactive properties were realized which triggered its use by doctors to treat a variety of ailments and illnesses. This argument has been supported by the modern scientific experiment in the United States. Researchers have found that marijuana was greatly important in treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, pain reliever mostly in childbirth. In addition, they also found out that smoking marijuana reduces pain, especially with patients suffering from cancer, glaucoma, and chemotherapy (Minamide). In the recent past, marijuana has been found to be an important substance on AIDs patients where it reduces nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss. Moreover, it was recognized as a significant substance in relieving glaucoma eye pressure. It was also shown that it plays a vital role in Multiple Sclerosis. It reduces muscle pain, spasticity, and reduces diseases that cause body tremors. Epilepsy,

Cannabis (or marijuana) is a common drug that is derived from a plant that has been around for centuries. Many argue that cannabis can be used for medicinal purposes. Thus, many researchers believe it is important to begin studying the effects that cannabis has on people. While this drug has been deemed to having both beneficial and detrimental side effects, many individuals are still weary as to what this drug may bring forth in terms of future medical discoveries, as well as other issues that may come along with it. Therefore, findings and new developments of medications for various types of diseases are being studied very closely in hopes of finding something that may create a huge impact in the world of medicine once again. So, studies over marijuana for medicinal use has become prevalent. With each new study there arises new questions as to whether marijuana would have a positive or negative impact for certain medical issues in patients. Likewise, the question as to whether this may negatively impact communities also comes in to play in regards to recreational use and abuse.

Furthermore, Pew Research Center tracked the increasing support for marijuana and reached a conclusion where “today, 57% of U.S. adults say the use of marijuana should be made legal, while 37% say it should be illegal. A decade ago, opinion on legalizing marijuana was nearly the reverse….” (Geiger). People have realized the benefits of this drug in medication and today there are 28 legal medical marijuana states including Washington, DC. The plant can cure numerous diseases including AIDS/ HIV, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, and can help fight basic body pain too. Among the various species of marijuana, the two most commonly used for medicine are Cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. The former causes increased alertness and an energetic sense, and the latter is reported to cause a sense of relaxation or lethargy. (Ammerman et al.) Christine Vestal covers health care for Stateline and wrote an article in The Washington Post to treat chronic pain and states that “Nationwide, an estimated 1.4 million patients in 28 states and the District of Columbia use legal medical marijuana for a varying list of conditions. A much smaller number of patients in 16 states use limited extracts of the plant, primarily to treat seizure disorders.” Therefore, marijuana could be

In the article, Ware et al. (2010), analyzed if smoking cannabis would reduce chronic neuropathic pain. The standard treatments of neuropathic pain are anticonvulsants, antidepressants, opioids and local anesthetics, but there are varied responses and intense side effects that make compliance limited (Ware et al. 2010). The participants of this study were both men and women over the age of 18, who for at least three months had chronic neuropathic pain that was caused by a traumatic injury or surgery. These participants had to have a weekly pain intensity score that was greater than four on a 10-cm analogue scale. There was a specific set of criteria for inclusion in the study, which followed as the participants could not smoke cannabis the year before the study, they had to have a healthy liver function, normal rental function and women had to have a negative result on a β human chorionic gonadotropin pregnancy test (Ware et al. 2010).

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because