Weed Wars: A Brief Summary And Analysis

In the years of human development a variety of medical conditions have caused illnesses and impairment to those struggling to live a normal life. The idea of medicinal marijuana found its way to the islands. In Hawaii, there are ways to access marijuana but they do not correlate with the state law. With such an infamous reputation marijuana is often questioned by the difference of right or wrong. As progress continued, the push for medicinal marijuana dispensaries grew. Other things such as card holding privileges and possession rights began to advance as well “it is a treatment for those who are drastically ill in the state” (Housepara2).

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

Jayden David is a six years old who is suffering from Dravet's syndrome, “Rare and catastrophic form of childhood epilepsy.” According to Jayden’s father, Jason David, he tried everything to save his son from suffering from pain, but nothing worked. According to CNN news, “Jayden’s doctors prescribed 22 anti-seizure pills a day, which controlled the seizures but left him immobilized due to the side effects.” Jason David could not see his son suffering anymore therefore, his last hope was medical marijuana. According to CNN, "He's in pain and suffering and crying," said Jayden's father, Jason David. "You can't help him no matter what. What are you supposed to do? You have to do whatever it takes to save their life.” When Jayden got his first

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)

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.

As I sat listening silently outside the hospital room, there lay an elderly man, clad in his hospital gown, crying in pain as he battles his severe kidney cancer. His daughter nervously paces around the room, as she is faced with a decision of whether to go with the doctor’s choice of giving her father the prescription of medical marijuana for treatment. The doctor enters the room, asking for the decision, so he can start treatment. The daughter struggling with the decision between using a substance abusing drug to help lessen her father’s pain, or request some other potent drugs with harmful side effects. Similarly, if you or your loved one was faced with this same scenario, what would you do?

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.

Marijuana is a drug misunderstood by many nation wide however, most people do not consider it 's legitimate medicinal application. Medical marijuana defined by Drugfacts refers to the use of the whole unprocessed plant to treat a disease or illness. The Drug Enforcement Administration has listed it under the schedule I classification which is the same classification that heroin, LSD, ecstasy and many other drugs are under. The classification identifies the drug as a dangerous substance that has no recognized medicinal use as reported by the DEA. It 's classification as a highly regulated Schedule I drug makes it challenging to study its medical benefits. Due to this classification, marijuana is commonly regarded by the general public as possessing "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" (DEA.gov). The DEA has yet to acknowledge many conducted scientific studies that point to the very tangible medical benefits of cannabinoids (Voth and Schwartz 1997). The blockade on marijuana research has caused a severe halt in reaping the benefits of THC. The drug is a better alternative than many drugs given to patients as seen in some cases of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and chronic terminal conditions like cancer, because of its "analgesic, sedative, and anticonvulsant" properties (Abood, Sorensen, and Stella 2012). Marijuana can serve as both a viable treatment option and improves the quality of life through its pain relieving capacities. While

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

According to Trend Statistics, as of late, 24 states, including the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws, each of varying enforcement. An additional ten other states have laws in place which allow only certain individuals (mostly those in controlled research) to use CBD oil, short for Cannabidiol, a natural cannabinoid found in cannabis. Among the countries that have legalized cannabis for medical use is Colorado. In fact, more than 100 families have relocated or traveled to Colorado to gain access to a strain of cannabis, known as “Charlotte’s Web,” that has been shown to possibly reduce seizures in children diagnosed with epilepsy. Even more, there has been a reported total of 2,604,079 medical marijuana patients in America in just the year 2016 alone. The increasing availability of medical cannabis is leading to dramatic increases in the amounts of patients utilizing it for its medicinal and pain-relieving properties. In fact, it is estimated that five in 1,000 North Dakotans are expected to use medical marijuana as soon as it becomes available to the general public. 92 percent of medical marijuana patients have claimed that the drug helps alleviate painful symptoms including migraine, chronic pain, and

In one study completed by 137 patients suffering from varying forms of severe epileptic seizures, they were administered a liquid form of CBD on a daily basis for a period of 12 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of cannabis therapy; there was a 54% decrease in the number of seizures, with a 53% decline in patients with convulsive seizures, and a 55% decline in “atonic” seizures (results in sudden loss of muscle tone). Source:

Cannabis decreases the symptoms of a severe seizure disorder known as Dravet's Syndrome. This syndrome causes seizures and severe developmental delays. The Figi family

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