Should Marijuana Be Legal?

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.

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.

On May 25, 2015, Attorney General Greg Abbott approved the legalization of cannabidiol (CBD) oil, a component of marijuana, that may help epilepsy patients avoid debilitating seizures. Texas is now the 15th state to legalize non-intoxicating cannabidiol oil. The Texas Department of Public Safety is overseeing the program, and at least three operational CBD oil dispensaries should open by September 2017. The law could potentially help 150,000 Texans currently suffering from epilepsy. However, the law has strict standards to obtain a prescription and may leave many CBD Oil seekers without a prescription. Patients who may not be able to afford prescription CBD, who do not meet the strict standards of the Texas law, or who prefer the benefits of CBD combined with THC (which some say is more effective) may attempt to procure CBD oil from untrustworthy sources. While quality non-intoxicating CBD Oil does not cause failed tests, CBD oil from these untrustworthy

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

A two year old, named Jaqie Angel Warrior had been suffering from several types of seizures ever since she was five months old. Doctors had tried many medications to control her seizures, such as klonopin , and depakote; but all failed to stop these thousands of seizures, resulting in terrible side effects. Jaqie’s mother, Brittany had been researching other potential cures, when she came across cannabis oil. Soon after, they moved to a motel in Colorado, and began using high-CBD oil, which also contains high levels of THC. Levels higher than any other states CBD-only bill allows. Since they began using the cannabis oil, Jaqie’s seizures have reduced by 90%, and Brittany ceased use of any dangerous pharmaceuticals. (Patient Success)

A new marijuana-derived drug may treat epileptic children, without the high. Within clinical studies, now researchers are taking statistical data to test 150 children that haven't been helped by standard seizure medications. If Epidiolex proves itself, it will supply additional evidence that marijuana may serve as a potential cornucopia of medical leads to be used for future drug development.

Charlotte’s seizures started when she was three months old. She was not diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome until she was 2 ½ years old. Charlie was put on a ketogenic diet which helped decrease the seizures, but it had terrible side effects on her. Two years after starting the diet, the seizures came back and Charlotte’s parents turned to cannabis oil. Charlotte could not walk, talk, and eat until she was started on cannabis oil. She was also suffering from 300 grand mal seizures a week says Brian Resnick, in the article “The Case For Legalizing Medical Cannabis for Kids.” Immediately the cannabis oil took effect and decreased her seizures to just two or three seizures a month. Charlotte began to talk and eat again after taking cannabis oil. Not only did cannabis oil help decrease Charlottes seizures, but it helped take Mykayla off of

In one case, a little girl named Charlotte, had her first seizure when she was 3 months old. Charlotte lives in Colorado, which was the first U.S state to legalize medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. When she was taken to the doctors to get her blood tested, the doctors tested everything they thought the seizures could have be caused by, but none of the tests came back positive. As time went on, her seizures continued to worsen and worsen. Her seizures would often last for hours. The medications that she was put on, proved to be harmful and ineffective. She was taking seven different medications, including barbiturates and benzodiazepines.

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

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive extract from the sativa plant that needs to be used in the medical field. The sativa plant produces both, cannabidiol and marijuana. However, cannabidiol is very different from the psychoactive drug, marijuana. The difference, marijuana contains a larger amount of the famous active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Which produces the psychoactive high in marijuana, but cannabidiol does not. Although, cannabidiol is the complete opposite of marijuana, for the very reason of THC it is a controversial product. Hemp Cannabidiol could be used for a very beneficial purpose: medicine in seizures. The level of THC in hemp cannabidiol is minor, though many people are still against the use of this extract for medicine because of the controversies and little research. According to the peer review, “What makes a Good Home Based Nocturnal Seizure Detector? A Value Sensitive Design”, by Judith van Andel, Frans Leijten, Hans van Delden, and Ghislaine van Thiel, all from the University of Medical Centre Utrecht, demonstrates that “Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders…” (1). Hemp CBD from the Sativa plant needs to be used more within the medical field because it has the potent for curing seizure illnesses, a new hope, and boosting the economy.

Charlotte Figi, an eight-year-old girl from Colorado with Dravet syndrome, a rare and debilitating form of epilepsy, came into the public eye in 2013 when news broke that medical marijuana was able to do what other drugs could not: dramatically reduce her seizures. Now, new scientific research provides evidence that cannabis may be an effective treatment for a third of epilepsy patients who, like Charlotte, have a treatment-resistant form of the disease.

There is no cure for the disorder and in some cases, it is deemed fatal. One in three epilepsy patients do not respond to traditional medicines and treatments. Introducing marijuana to epilepsy patients has shown to be a positive solution. They don’t actually have to smoke the plant. They are given CBD, which is one of the main compounds in marijuana. They are not exposed to THC, which causes the feeling of euphoria. Therefore, they do not get “high”. It has also been shown to be anticonvulsant and have antipsychotic effects. Establishing CBD as a safe and effective drug treatment has become the goal of many doctors that have epileptic patients. There are not many studies that have been conducted on it, but it doesn’t show any severe or life-threatening side effects.

A 2014 survey at Stanford University resulted in good reports of parents who used cannabidiol to treat their children’s seizures. According to the study 84 per cent of the parents reported that their children’s seizures were reduced with the CBD. 11 per cent reported total freedom from seizures, 42 per cent reported an 80 per cent reduction in frequency of seizures, and 32 per cent reported 25 to 60 per cent seizure reduction. Other reported benefits included better mood, enhanced sleep, and a boost in alertness. The commonly reported side effects were fatigue and

Marijuana has been proven to help in the fight and cure of neurological diseases and disorders. Toxicologist Paul Consroe believes that THC in marijuana may help tone down the spasms that people suffer with Huntington’s disease, spinal cord injuries and other disorders. His studies show that specialized proteins that serve as docks for THC, are in regions of the brain known to play a role in movement disorders. These receptors also bind to anandamide, a marijuana-like substance manufactured by the body. In a 1986 study, Consroe showed that cannabidiol, a component of marijuana, calmed the abnormal movements of five people suffering from dystonia, a condition that makes muscle spasms that contort the body(“Marijuana as Medicine“).

Opponents also support that marijuana may affect brain development and irritate the heart and the lungs. It may be true, but it is not a reason for criminalizing the use of marijuana since we know that smoking cigarette causes lung cancer and many heart diseases. Moreover, mental diseases such as the Parkinson’s disease and the Multiple Sclerosis can be treated with marijuana thanks to two substances it contains called cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, which permit to reduce inflammation, control spasms, and even prevent neurological damage. For instance, an Australian mother Cheri O'Connell revealed in a report of Herald Sun News about the benefits of liquid marijuana, which she says saved her epileptic daughter Tara who was only given months to live. In fact, Tara could barely walk or talk, and she slept as much as a newborn. She endured more than 20,000 seizures every year; her condition left her parents and siblings, exhausted and scared for the future. Running out of options, they met another family, who had lost a similar battle. This family advices the O’Connell’s to try Marijuana. Then, they did so, and Tara is now seizure-free, walking, running and even dancing after one year of treatment. Cheri says, "We didn't see her having a future at all. But I can now see us being able to