Weed Wars In Hawaii

Marijuana laws in Hawaii are somewhat different than other states. For example, the possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana is a petty misdemeanor and can be punishable by up to 30 days in prison; or a fine of $1,000. The laws, as well as the punishments vary depending on your situation. However, if marijuana was legalized some benefits would include the help for medical illnesses, bringing up the state’s economy and relative safeness compared to alcohol.

In addition, anecdotal evidence exists that marijuana is effective in the treatment of arthritis, migraine headaches, pruritis, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other mood disorders. Marijuana could benefit as many as five million patients in the United States. However, except for the eight individuals given special permission by the federal government, marijuana remains illegal-even as medicine! Individuals currently suffering from any of the aforementioned ailments, for whom the standard legal medical alternatives have not been safe or effective, are left with two choices: Continue to suffer from the effects of the disease; or Obtain marijuana illegally and risk the potential consequences, which may include: an insufficient supply because of the prohibition-inflated price or unavailability; impure, contaminated, or chemically adulterated marijuana; arrests, fines, court costs, property forfeiture, incarceration, probation, and criminal records.

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.

Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General, once spoke about the legalization of marijuana for medical use in a press conference. "It's criminal to keep this medicine from patients," she said (Silverman, 1995, pg. 2). She received criticism not only from many citizens of the United States, but also strong criticism from the President who appointed her. The legalization of marijuana for medical use has always been a sharply debated subject, and many of the debaters are uneducated about the effects of using this illegal drug for therapeutic use. Many studies have been done and the results are clear. As a medical drug, marijuana should be available to patients who do not adequately respond to currently available

This has caused a rift in the continuity of thirty-nine different states, in addition to the capital of the United States of America and the protectorate of Guam. In these forty-one jurisdictions, legislators have eliminated the penalties for medical marijuana possession. As a result, individuals with epilepsy, cancer patients, and others who were similarly suffering are now able to turn to medical marijuana for relief. This legal transformation has occurred despite the federal government maintaining marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I controlled substance. This classification puts marijuana in the same category as cocaine and heroin, drugs with no currently accepted medical value.

Legalization of medical marijuana is a disputed issue in the United States. In 1996, California was the first state to pass the Compassionate Use Act allowing for the legal use of medicinal marijuana (Freisthler, Kepple, Sims, & Martin, 2013). Subsequently, this lead to the enactment of similar laws from 25 states allowing those with medical illnesses and chronic pain to use medicinal marijuana. The efficacy of the Compassionate Use Act can be determined via data analysis of pain management and other nontraditional benefits before and after 1996. Each state can be categorized as either fully functional, meaning medical marijuana laws are enacted, non-functional, not yet operational or in process, and cannabidiol specific.

The practice of medicinal cannabis dates all the way back to proposition 215 in 1996 when it was passed and became legal in the state of California. Unfortunately, many counties have begun closing down medical dispensaries in their cities for various reasons. In Orange County, city officials and people from the community believe that dispensaries have brought a rise in crime to their streets. In the last coming years Anaheim, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and even Newport Beach have cracked down on countless dispensaries in their area. The citizens of these cities are not informed what this plant does to these sick impaired people. Veterans usually need to buy and smoke this herb herb for them to be

Medical marijuana has been a debatable subject of whether it is safe or harmful to people with serious conditions, such as cancer. To add on to the debate, medical marijuana clinics, or “dispensaries” have been placed in several communities around the United States, causing uproar between the supporters and the non supporters of medical marijuana. Some argue that dispensaries help their community and the economy, while others believe that they will cause trouble in their towns. Although some people strongly believe that putting medical marijuana dispensaries in their cities will be beneficial to the community, medical marijuana clinics are unsafe and not helpful to the communities where they

Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While

No matter what it’s called: reefer, hemp, cannabis, or weed, the medicinal properties of the leafy green herb have been recognized for centuries and the medicament was readily available in pharmacies as early as 1840 and continued to be for nearly another one hundred more. Then came “Reefer Madness”, a propaganda movie critical of the effects of marijuana and the plant, despite its known benefits, became prohibited. Fast forward to 1996 and the Compassionate Care Act of California gave the first hope to patients in need of new treatment alternatives. Though some states have legalized the use of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use, it remains illegal federally. Legalization of medical marijuana will offer a safer, more cost-effective approach to disease management for people suffering from debilitating conditions, as well as generate state and federal

The legalization of marijuana in other states has increased access to and acceptability of this drug for both medicinal and recreational purposes. In the absence of well-designed research and FDA approval, this creates unique challenges for both practitioners and regulators alike. Doctors are being pressured to recommend medical marijuana based off of the requests of the users. The regulations that have been put on marijuana are extremely loose fitting and hard to control

The main objective of Dying to Get High, a book written by Richard J. Webbs and Wendy Chapkins, is to spread awareness of the benefits of medical marijuana. A major topic of this book is WAMM, Wo/Men’s alliance for Medical Marijuana, which is a group that encourages the use of medical marijuana for ill patients who are eligible. They primarily argue that these patients could benefit from the therapeutic effects of medical marijuana, yet it is considered illegal according to the law. Throughout this book, several stories are told by patients themselves, court cases are depicted, and battles are fought for the legalization of medical marijuana.

It is Hawaii Medicinal Option’s intention to integrate a high level of patient/staff interface into its dispensary operations. An actively licensed pharmacist by the State of Hawaii will always hold the position of Hawaii Medicinal Options Patient Care Manager, and will be the direct supervisor of all Patient Services department employees. Only members of the Patient Services Department will be authorized to discuss approved medical marijuana products with patients, and only under the direct supervision of and in consultation with the Patient Care Manager. The Patient Care Manager will ensure all department employees are properly trained and

Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America behind only alcohol and tobacco, and is estimated that nearly 80 million Americans use it at least one occasion.   According to government surveys, some 20 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 11 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Being used for medicinal purposes or simply for recreational, there are not only laws to consider when the topic of legalization comes up but also ethical concerns as well. For this paper I will outline some of the uses for this drug and some of the benefits of its use. I will apply the

One major way the legalization and regulation of marijuana can benefit society is for medical use or prescription by a doctor. Critics of this may be quick to assert this is an excuse to entertain personal interest and satisfaction one would achieve from the drug. However, there are