Miranna Bass
Simons
Intro to Writing
13 May 2016
The Blunt Truth about Marijuana
Imagine having a son or daughter who has six or more seizures a day. If you could could decrease the number of seizures they had a day by half, wouldn’t you consider medical marijuana? It is well known that medical cannabis has been used to cure many medical conditions for a long period of time already. Among the diseases marijuana can help treat, nausea, glaucoma, anorexia, epilepsy and more. Medical marijuana also helps with the side effects of many treatments, such as cancer chemotherapy. There are many health benefits of marijuana; it may have some negative effects, but the pain and symptom relief of many diseases and disorders makes it well worth it.
Glaucoma is an eye condition in which the optic nerve becomes damaged over time, reducing side vision. One cause of optic nerve damage in glaucoma is higher than normal pressure within the eye (intraocular pressure).Using medical marijuana can help decrease intraocular pressure. The idea of marijuana helping treat glaucoma dates clear back to the 1970s. Studies conducted then showed that smoking marijuana lowered the intraocular pressure of people with glaucoma. However, the pressure is only lowered for a short period of time, approximately three or four hours. This brief period of time could be a major disadvantage for using marijuana as a glaucoma treatment. Glaucoma is a disease that should be treated 24 hours a day to be comfortable.
I have witnessed the usage of medical cannabis and its excellent results when in comes to those who suffer from epilepsy. Charlotte, a little girl who suffered from this illness had her seizer frequency reduced form 50 episodes a day to 2—3 episode in a month. Now having the strain of cannabis named after her and now called Charlottes web. I believe that marijuana has many benefits for those with what was thought of scarcely treatable diseases. Physically it acts as a muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory and psychologically it acts as a stimulant. For instance, as an ex athlete I feel like the utilization of a muscle relaxant would have been helpful from the everyday strenuous exercises. In return I feel that with my body being able to recover quicker on a daily bases, my career and skill level would have been extended and improved. An ice bath was recommended for muscle recovery and relaxation, but in my case and many others it was painful to go through and marijuana would have made a great alternative in my opinion. Not only would it benefit the body, however for the mind as well. Also when it comes to treatments with patience with a nervous system disorder, such as Parkinson’s disease and Tourette’s have also been put under a certain control. Cocaine and crack I have no experience with but I know it’s highly addictive.
In the article, Yvette states that Glaucoma has been treated with medical marijuana since the 1970’s. Marijuana decreases the intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma. In addition to research done by the National Eye Institute, they found that the IOP is lowered after the use of medical marijuana. Even though it is short lived, it only last for about two
United States. “The onset of glaucoma is associated with a build up of pressure inside the eye, a phenomenon called in traocular pressure (IOP). This pressure can take a heavy toll on the eye’s optic nerve and cause total and permanent loss of vision within a few years.” (Moccia pg.30) Some studies and personal testimonials from patients suffering from glaucoma indicate that medical marijuana might be useful in reducing this pressure.
It is popular belief that if a person has glaucoma they can smoke a lot of medical marijuana. It maybe true that smoking marijuana can lower eye pressure but only for a short period of time. The effectiveness of marijuana is only about three to four hours. With the lack of evidence it is not a recommended form of glaucoma treatment. (Terri Pickering)
Another health benefit of marijuana is its ability to fight disease. Medical marijuana is often used to treat glaucoma by lowering eye pressure (“Marijuana’s Moment” 42). Glaucoma is defined as a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball that causes the gradual loss of sight. It normally occurs in people 60 years of age and older. Taken by pill or injection, THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, can help keep eye pressure at a low level. Glaucoma cannot be cured, but blindness can be prevented through the use of eye drops and THC pills. Marijuana can also help people with anxiety, as it normally has a calming, relaxing effect (“Marijuana’s Moment” 42). However,
Many health related conditions have been found to be partly curable by the use of marijuana. Glaucoma which damage the eye's optic nerve and results in vision loss and blindness, occurs as a result of an increase in fluid pressure in the eyes. Pfeifer believe that smoking marijuana has helped to lower the fluid pressure, which provides temporary relief. However the DEA writes that The American Glaucoma Society (AGS) has stated that use of marijuana as a treatment has some side effects and lowers pressure for short duration. It lacks a strong evidence that its use alters the course of glaucoma, “preclude recommending this drug in any form for the treatment of glaucoma at the present
The use of medical marijuana has been studied for various medical issues. Many of these studies have shown that there are in fact some benefits for many patients when they are using marijuana as a remedy. Medical marijuana is typically sought after by patients experiencing medical issues including the following: epilepsy, cancer, chronic pain, eating disorders, as
Cannabis or marijuana has been used for medical purposes for more than five centuries. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.), marijuana is considered a Schedule I substance. Schedule I drugs have been shown to have a high potential for abuse and are not currently accepted for medical use. However, some states have permitted the use of medical cannabis for chronic medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, spinal cord injury/disease, glaucoma, sleep disorders, and HIV. Even though there are not many medical trials supporting the effects of medical marijuana, it appears to have some benefits in conditions mentioned above. Many health care providers believe children and adolescents may also benefit
Marijuana can both have physical and psychological benefits. It can be a great help in treating glaucoma. Glaucoma is one of the common eye problems where the pressure of the fluids in the eye gets higher than the usual. These condition can destroy the optic nerve if not treated. It can lead to the loss of vision or blindness in more common term. Glaucoma can be treated through medication and surgery, most probably laser surgery. Pills and some eyedrops can also help in preventing or controlling but it does not mean that it can cure glaucoma.
Oscar Wilde once said, “Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace.” This is indeed what is required when it comes to the lately controversial issue of legalizing cannabis. Of course, several states have publicly legalized marijuana to the extent of medical use (with the exception of Colorado as it legalized both medical and recreational use). If something with a notoriously high capacity for abuse is forbidden but more and more exceptions are being made until everyone starts experimenting with it, we’ve got a problem on our hands. Although there are any number of reasons you can come with as to why marijuana should not be legalized, the bottom line includes: its scientifically proven negative effects on health, the threat it
“Marijuana has been effective in pain relief, it can cause one to sleep better, it can help with depression, and it is a much safer substitute for alcohol, and other drugs” (Lau, et al., 2015). Marijuana has been tested and proven to be a safer option as opposed to alcohol, cigarettes, and other more frequently used drugs. Unlike other man-made drugs that have been tampered with, cannabis is an all-natural plant grown straight from the ground and ready to use. Marijuana can be used as a stimulant or a depressant and can really calm someone who has suffered from PTSD, epilepsy, or depression, and it can even help one tolerate pain. According to WebMD as of June 13, 2016, “marijuana has been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, appetite loss, cancer, and Crohn’s disease; it has been used to help patients with a number of eating disorders, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, nausea, and wasting syndrome (cachexia)” (“Medical Marijuana FAQ,” 2016). As I said before, when this drug is used properly it can provide one with a plethora of
Cannabis has broke out of the cuffs, that this society chained on it, showing its significance to some, but the others has not yet come to the conclusion of the truth. Cannabis can be evil if it’s misused; But what about the people that can benefit from the use of cannabis? Many are quick to judge the calm setting vibe that you can get with cannabis, yet not realizing that the same vibe can make a person’s life easier. No, not the “I have mommy and daddy issues” , but people with life threatening illnesses. Society wants to put the label “Bad” or “Evil” on a plant that could do more then get you high.
Children, young adults, adults, and elderly people suffer every day with medical problems. None of the medicine seems to help them. Seizures are an big issue with any age. Doctors have found one thing that will help them stop or slow down, Marijuana should be used for medicinal purposes.
In certain cases, drainage devices or ciliodestructive procedures maybe done instead of an initial trabeculectomy; because ofthe high likelihood of a trabeculectomy failing.40There has been much public attention on marijuanaas a possible treatment of glaucoma. Inhalation ofmarijuana does lower eye pressures.41As it isthought that sustained lowering of eye pressure is likelyto confer greater benefit, the amount of marijuanasmoke needed to produce clinical benefits may beassociated with substantial side-effects, and thus,marijuana is not recommended as a treatment
Marijuana is very important for medical use. I read from WebMd.com that Three puffs a day of marijuana, helps people with chronic nerve pain due to injury or surgery. If people like this take this drug they would feel less pain and sleep better. Mark Ware is an assistant professor of anesthesia and family medicine at McGill University in Montreal. He said, "About 10% to 15% of patients attending a chronic pain clinic use cannabis as part of their pain control strategy.” From businessinsider.com it can decreases the symptoms of a severe seizure disorder known as Dravet's Syndrome. Dravet syndrome is