Why Are Synthetic Drugs Legal?

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.

     Marijuana has become one of the most controversial drugs used today and in the past. Many claim fame to the medicinal purposes of marijuana as to why the drug should be legalized. Today the effects of marijuana use are more known. According to Carroll (2000), marijuana contains 50 percent more cancer causing hydrocarbons than cigarettes. Blood pressure is affected by the use along with sexual function. The abuse of marijuana is one from the past and continues to be a trend in today’s time. An epidemic of marijuana smoking began by 1935, which caused laws to be enacted against the use of marijuana not for medical use.

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.

In our world today, you would be hard-pressed to not have someone close to you with something as serious as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. With cancer comes a great number of awful symptoms, but to waste away from a lack of appetite is quite common. Surprisingly, this complete lack of appetite can easily be alleviated simply by the consumption of marijuana, be it through inhalation or ingestion. The main compound in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, has unique properties, and it is the reason why marijuana is such an effective treatment for loss of appetite and chronic pain. Though the FDA refuses to accept THC as appropriate treatment for these symptoms, they gladly endorse Marinol, the synthetic THC. The problems with Marinol are varied, but primarily, it is not nearly as effective as cannabis for treatment, and is quite psychoactive. While marijuana itself is a psychoactive drug, Marinol is 99% THC, and as such, consuming a pill of Marinol can easily induce a psychoactive state. Users have reported to be incapacitated for days and experiencing awful hallucinations all because of this man-made THC. The research is being done, the facts are presenting themselves, state legislature is moving forward, but it is not enough. Research has been done that actually shows evidence that THC lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s, one of the most

Medical use of Marijuana is probably the most discussed topic of the legalizing campaign over the recent years. Some opponents of Marijuana say that it does not have any medical uses at all, and argue that Marijuana is only harmful and should remain illegal. Others for legalization have an opposite view that is starting to gain more recognition as time goes on. Around the late 1990’s, some members of the nation’s medical establishment began to acknowledge marijuana’s potential health benefits. One respected health organization, the Institute of Medicine, released a report in 1999 which stated that “nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety can all be mitigated by marijuana (Medical). In an article Drug Legalization, Advocates of medical marijuana say that in many cases it is the only treatment that has been shown to work. “It is a very effective medication for people who have failed to get good results from standard medications,” says Ethan Russo, a neurologist who has studied medical marijuana, “and that is why so many people are devoted to risking their lives and career to get this drug”(Drug). There are many reports that Marijuana can help with conditions traditional medicines do not seem to help with. Marijuana has also been a huge help to patients with Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Glaucoma, and Insomnia. With a lot of prescription medicines being expensive, Marijuana would be a cheaper alternative to buy if people chose to do so.

    Many people suffer unbearable pain and discomfort from their illnesses and seek any method that might bring relief. Many suffer from chemotherapy treatment, HIV infection related wasting, glaucoma, or other serious ailments that carry an unbearable amount of pain. They first try the drugs that their doctors have prescribed. These prescribed legal drugs seem to have some benefits, but often carry with them many side effects that may be more harmful than helpful. Many patients give the legal drugs a try and find that they are not effective in relieving them of their symptoms. As a result, many turn to marijuana for its medicinal use. Because it is an effective treatment,

Patients and individuals who require the drug to function have experienced many benefits from using it. The problem lies in that medical marijuana is not legalized in many states, so patients often struggle to find a safe and reliable way to acquire the drug. Patients from an organization known as the Compassion Club, have said that "often members of the [club] tell us that their doctor has unofficially advised them to go home and smoke a joint, rather than prescribing other pharmaceutical medicines. But, most patients find it rather problematic getting the medicine from bars, streets and remote connections” (Black 1). Citizens needing the medication often resort to dangerous methods of acquiring it. Marijuana can help numerous individuals with many different types of diseases and the painful symptoms they may experience. Without the use of marijuana, patients like the son of Lester Grinspoon, whom is a Harvard medical professor, would likely face health problems that could have a terrible long term effect. Grinspoon’s son was diagnosed with leukemia and needed to undergo radiation treatment. Due to the radiation, his loss of appetite led to him eating little to nothing daily. Consequently, he was experiencing weight loss and the dangerously low caloric intake led to her son becoming more and more ill. Grinspoon said, “‘The scent or sight of food would send him into a bout of stomach convulsions.’ His mother and his son had a smoke in the parking lot before a treatment. ‘Afterwards, instead of coming home to bed, his son asked if he could go have a submarine sandwich. Dr. Grinspoon was amazed” (Black 3). Like Grinspoon’s son, pregnant women often struggle with malnutrition during pregnancy. Cannabis can also help mothers-to-be suffering from morning sickness. “Old doctors' tales to the contrary, this herb was far safer than any of the pharmaceuticals prescribed for me by

Addiction has turned into an open discussion in America. A huge number of Americans have been affected by compulsion somehow or another. Numerous individuals know somebody who has been affected by this horrible sickness whether it be a parent, accomplice, kin or companion or may have been influenced themselves. This scientist has seen direct what habit can do to a man. While these individuals remain on the sidelines viewing the individual they know and love transform into somebody totally unrecognizable. At the point when a dependence begins it might simply be utilizing on the ends of the week, all over, or as the specialist endorses. As time ticks on, it turns out to be twice the same number of as recommended and before they know it, it has

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 proven to an effective drug in the treatment of a number of encumbering medical conditions. A large number of legitimate medical organizations recognize the benefits of marijuana. It is far less harmful and poses fewer negative side effects than many prescription drugs, including painkillers - and patients often find it to be a more effective treatment for a variety of illnesses. However, it is perhaps the most commonly misunderstood substance in America. The usage of the drug has been widely researched and proven to be a “most viable and safe source of medicine to many Americans suffering from Aids, Glaucoma, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Chronic Pains” (Medical Marijuana). According to the Institute of Medicines, (1999) “marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known” (Legalization of Marijuana). More and more resources and case studies will be further discussed and practices to back up the claim, and determine marijuana’s medical value.

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"

Finally there are what legal alternatives to marijuana use. Some people view these alternative as not as harmful towards physical or mental health and assume that because they are legal they of course are better. Despite these beliefs many other feel these drugs are much more harmful than their illegal counterparts. In accordance with the AAPCC, American Association of Poison Control Centers, these substances that go by many different names including “Spice,” “K2,” “Sence,” “Skunk,” and many others are known to cause vomiting, hallucinations, and elevated blood pressure. In recent years though, these “legal alternatives” have gained similar ratings and punishments to that of their illegal

Marijuana is known not only for its affect on school life and relaxation side effects, but also its ability to cause a delayed response in motor skills and mindful thinking/awareness. In 2009, the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reports as much as “456,000 drug-related emergency department visits in the United States in which marijuana use was mentioned in the medical record” of one million emergency room visits (National Institute, 2015). Though, this does not specifically imply that marijuana was the core cause of the emergency visit. According to a Drug Court Practitioner Fact Sheet, “acute cannabis usage with a commercial

Yet as many patients have discovered, plain old pot may still have a valuable role. Keith Vines, a 46-year-old San Francisco prosecutor, considers himself a stalwart in the war on drugs. As an assistant district attorney, he has spent years putting street dealers in jail. As an AIDS patient, he has seen his body threaten to disintegrate. ``Three years ago my ribs were protruding,'' he says. ``I was terrified to get on the scale.'' He wanted to enroll in a study of human-growth hormone, but participants had to eat three meals a day, and he could hardly force down

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