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Marijuana

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Recently marijuana has been legalized in Colorado and Washington State for recreational use. Before that sixteen states and the national capital legalized marijuana for medical use. This is perplexing, knowing marijuana has been considered a schedule I controlled substance since 1972, according to the Controlled Substance Act. As defined by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a schedule I controlled substance is; "Drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse". The conflict of interest leads to the question, what are the benefits, if any, of legalizing medical marijuana?
While researching the benefits of marijuana in a medical standpoint, one must also look into the negative effects of the drug. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), there are several long and short-term health effects associated with marijuana. The most common short-term effect, euphoria, is persistent with marijuana as well as almost every other controlled substance. Euphoria is defined as “a state of intense happiness and self-confidence. The state of euphoria is caused by the mind-altering chemical, found in marijuana, called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is introduced into the bloodstream orally or through the lungs, once the THC reaches the brain, it releases the neurotransmitter called dopamine, causing the euphoric effect. The release of dopamine is also a contributing factor of addiction in marijuana users. The NIDA states that about 9% of marijuana users become addicted. Although this number is minute compared to common legal drugs, including nicotine (85%) and alcohol (20%). Short and long-term memory impairment is another risk factor associated with marijuana use. The amount of damage and impairment of memory functions has yet to be determined due to lack of scientific data. Another notable effect is increased heart rate, users heart rate can increase 20-50 beats per minute, and in some cases double. Again research and data are limited, but said to increase risk of heart attack, especially in older users.
The lack of scientific research and data makes it hard to come up with definitive positive effects. Between the pro and anti groups, the consensus remains that smoking marijuana is not a healthy alternative to traditional medicine. Smoking cannabis is not shown to cause cancer or emphysema, unlike tobacco, however, it is shown to agitate the lungs causing a potential for respiratory problems and illness. THC is already used in medication to treat cancer patients, undergoing chemotherapy, to combat nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite associated with treatment. Along with cancer, THC and marijuana is also an effective tool to combat extreme weight loss and appetite suppression in HIV and AIDS carriers.
With the lack of information and scientific data pertaining to the benefits of medical marijuana, different sources were needed. In a personal interview with Robert Brandley of La Grande, Or, a medical marijuana recipient, several first-hand benefits were brought to life. Mr. Brandley is not a cancer patient or a carrier of AIDS, his medical marijuana is administered for pain management. Mr. Brandley has Degenerative Disk Disease (DDD) and Hepatitis-C (HEP-C). DDD is a very painful back disorder resulting from aging discs and injury. Hepatitis-C is a virus that attacks your liver resulting degeneration and inflammation. Due to the combination of medical disorders he cannot take tradition medication for pain so he was prescribed medical marijuana. Mr. Brandley passionately expressed several benefits that he believes outweigh the negative effects. The most important benefit being that medical marijuana is not synthetic like traditional pain medicine, this is extremely beneficial to Mr. Brandley because most synthetic medications have a negative effect on the liver. He also stated “Because marijuana is a natural herb that I can grow myself, it saves me a lot of money which helps tremendously because I am on a fixed government income”. Mr. Brandley also expressed he makes a topical ointment from marijuana to help with his arthritis and chronic back pain (R.Brandley, personal communication, May 10, 2013).
What are the benefits, if any, of legalizing medical marijuana? With the lack of scientific evidence to support or negate the growing movement to legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use, it’s hard to say. One thing is for sure; there are passionate members on both sides of the spectrum. With more studies performed by qualified researchers, more definitive answers can be obtained.

References:
Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug Scheduling [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/dea/druginfo/ds.shtml
Retrieved on May 07, 2013-May 12, 2013

National Institute on Drug Abuse. DrugFacts: Is Marijuana Medicine? [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine
Retrieved on May 07, 2013-May 12, 2013

Office of National Drug Control Policy. Marijuana [Fact Sheet] Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/marijuana
Retrieved on May 03, 2013-May 12, 2013

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Tobacco Addiction [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-addiction/nicotine-addictive
Retrieved on May 12, 2013

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