Medicalization of Marijuana The Stigma of a Miracle Drug

March 25, 2014
Synopsis
The following media review is based on a two part documentary which focuses on the healing qualities of medical marijuana in the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome along with a number of other illnesses. I researched the benefits of medical marijuana, specifically the medicalization of the plant and its derivatives. This includes the extraction and ingestion of cannabis oil in its pure form for the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome, a form of chronic epilepsy often found in children. This paper focuses on the history of the use of cannabis for its healing properties and provides a brief overview of the documentary which is the basis of the paper, detailing the importance of the medicalization of the cannabis plant for use in treating a number of ailments, including but not limited to the treatment of Dravet’s Syndrome and Autism in children.
It was not until I watched the documentary which was recently aired on CNN entitled “Weed, Cannabis Madness” and its sequel “Weed 2” that I became interested in the healing qualities that this plant possesses and more specifically, its ability to treat children who are suffering from a condition called Dravet’s Syndrome. Dravet’s Syndrome is a form of chronic epilepsy which causes children to seize violently for upwards of 50 seizures per day. There is no cure for this disease, and for many children the drugs prescribed by their physicians such as anti-seizure medications are not effective and even harmful. The child in the first documentary, Charlotte Figi suffers from an extreme case of the disease. Her prognosis was not good. Her pediatrician and other specialists recommended to her parents that she be placed in a medically induced coma to allow for her body and brain to heal from the constant seizures which she experienced on an hourly basis. It was around this time that Charlotte’s father had been doing some research of his own. He came across a story about another child whose seizures had improved drastically through the use of cannabis oil in its pure form. He knew that this was the last hope for his small, frail daughter, who was just barely clinging on to life, her little body too weak to withstand much more torture from the constant seizures. Together, he and his wife decided to try the medical marijuana as a treatment for their daughter’s seizures. What happened next, in my opinion, is nothing short of a miracle. Charlotte’s seizures became less and less frequent. The drug was working, and it was the only drug that has ever worked. Under the watchful eye of her pediatrician and specialists, Charlotte went from near death, to a happy charismatic little girl with the help of this miracle treatment. It raises the question, if this had been the product of modern medicine, it would likely be dubbed a medical miracle however, because there is such stigma attached to marijuana, there are many doubts which have been raised especially when using it to treat small children. This documentary was aired on CNN, and the research and interviews were performed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. “Gupta calls marijuana a plant ‘that can work wonders’ and presents the plight of families who are using the drug to help ailing children to make his larger case: that legal restrictions on the drug are keeping needy patients from potentially lifesaving medicine.”(Cannabis Madness’ Revives Debate Over Medical Marijuana and Epilepsy) Dr. Gupta admits that he once shunned the concept of cannabis as a medicinal treatment, but after his careful research and witnessing the miraculous transformations his opinion has changed drastically regarding the plant and its healing qualities.
Medicalization and Science
This is where the benefits of the medicalization of marijuana, in particular cannabis oil, are evident and so very crucial in the process of administering this drug to treat disorders such as Dravet’s syndrome which predominately affects children. There are two types of ‘agents’ which can be found within the Cannabis plant. The first is THC, which stands for tetrahydracannabinol and the second is CBD which stands for cannabidiol, and is the crucial ingredient in the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome. The dilemma was finding a strain of cannabis which was low in THC, as to not get the kids high, but high enough in CBD so that the treatment was effective. This is where the Stanley brothers came into play. They have been cultivating cannabis for the pharmaceutical companies and actually had a strain of cannabis available that would prove to be a miracle drug for Charlotte, and many other children to follow.
We focused a lot on medicalization throughout this course, and the documentary which is the basis of this paper also considers the medicalization of the cannabis plant. Medically speaking, it is of utmost importance when treating individuals to ensure that they are receiving the appropriate medications, this holds especially true when the patient is a child. While the harmful effects of marijuana are few and far between, they do exist, especially in children and youth, and it is crucial that the patient receives the best treatment possible for their particular ailment. In the case of Charlotte, her mother points out during the interview “We needed to find a strain of the plant that was high enough in CBD’s to stop the seizures and low enough in THC as to not get her stoned.” This was made possible by creating a strain of marijuana which is high in CBD and low in THC. This particular strain is now labeled “Charlotte’s Web” after the little girl whose life it saved.
Dr. Gupta and other doctors do recognise that cannabis does offer an adequate treatment for this disease and other diseases for which other medications are not effective. However, the stigma of the drug does hold true within the medical community and not all physicians recognise this as an effective treatment option, especially for children. As discussed in Health, Illness, and Medicine in Canada, “physicians can be seen partly as a physical scientist and partly as a moral decision maker or moral entrepreneur.(Health, Illness and Medicine in Canada) Not only must the doctor arrive at a diagnosis consistent with an understanding of both scientific and medical knowledge and consistent with the reasonable expectations of the patient , but the doctor must also do this within the context of his/her own religious, cultural, and other personal as well as medical values.” (Health and Illness and Medicine in Canada) It is likely that because marijuana has been dubbed “dangerous” and made illegal by way of government policies and the law, that many physicians will not consider it a viable treatment option. It goes against their morals and values which have likely been shaped throughout the course of the previous decades in which these policies and laws were formed.
History of Medical Marijuana
The history of Cannabis is one which dates back thousands of years. Natural remedies are still used commonly throughout the world, however, the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes through the channel of western medicine has only recently returned to the forefront of the medical profession. With more and more evidence of the benefits of cannabis in treating a number of conditions, it appears that the benefits certainly outweigh the risks in all of the circumstances in which it has been administered. With the healing qualities that this plant holds it is becoming increasingly difficult for medical professionals and the general public to continue to deny that these benefits exist. It also raises questions such as how a drug with such healing properties can move from the stigma which society has placed upon it, to a medical treatment to be controlled by the pharmaceutical companies, and how can the stigma which it has carried for so long become a thing of the past? “Between the years of 1840-1900 cannabis was also used in medicinal practice throughout North America. Soon after its introduction to North America, physicians began to prescribe cannabis for a variety of physical conditions such as rabies, rheumatism, epilepsy, tetanus and as a muscle relaxant. Cannabis became so common in medicinal use that eventually, cannabis preparations were sold over the counter in drug stores.” (Historical uses and the Canadian Marijuana Clash) It was not until the introduction of the chemical drugs aspirin and barbiturates that the use of marijuana for treatment of medical ailments began to decline. While both aspirin and barbiturates had risks associated with them, they were easier to administer using hypodermic syringes and therefore became the drug of choice for many physicians. Not long after its decline in medicinal use, the prevalence of marijuana as a recreational drug became a growing concern for many, leading to a number of sanctions placed on the substance including labeling it as a narcotic, which decreased its validity as a medical treatment. “Medical experts also supported the American Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, as well as the Canadian Opium and Narcotics Act in 1938, both of which not only controlled the cannabis economic industry with prohibitive taxes, but also prevented further experimentation on the medicinal effects of cannabis.”(Historical uses and the Canadian Marijuana Clash) Coupled with the ‘fad’ of the recreational use of the drug alongside the legal implications which accompanied its use, the medical properties were quickly disregarded by many who practice medicine and it soon became uncommon, and almost obsolete to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes.
Conflict Theory and the Marijuana Stigma
We now know that marijuana has been commonly used and accepted by many cultures for hundreds of decades prior to the change in opinion which came from the U.S. government around the 1940’s. Much of this stigma was drawn from the connection between the use of marijuana and those who smoked it, mainly Mexican migrant workers. During this time, race and class inequality was prominent and white middle and upper class society made it their mission to ensure ‘their’ youth did not partake in the activity which was so closely tied to groups of people whom they looked down upon. “Some western states seem to have restricted it out of hostility to Mexican immigrants; a Chicago Tribune article from 1919 called cannabis "a weed of the Mexican desert."(America's Love-Hate History with Pot) Conflict theorists suggest that those in power get to do the formal labeling of what's deviant, which is what happened in the United States leading to the illegalisation of marijuana and further to that the stigma which remains attached to it even in today’s society. Those in a position of power, in this case, the U.S. government continue to stigmatize marijuana to this day. Creating a power imbalance between those policy makers and those members of society who choose to not accept the stigma attached to marijuana is an example of conflict theory. Those in power have the ability to control the situation with their sanctions, fines, and legal implications. Scientists maintain that while it is possible marijuana may hold the cure to a number of serious illnesses, the availability of research opportunities is limited. One doctor notes, “There is a desperate need for this research, but it’s impossible to study this drug properly in an atmosphere of prohibition.”( Marijuana research hampered by access from government and politics) The government has the reigns when it comes to the research dollars and appears to be holding them tight. Only recently, with the new findings and word spreading fast about the healing qualities of cannabis, have people began to challenge the status-quo and take initiative in an attempt to reclaim the ability to study and research the plant further.
New Findings
There has been a growing field of research into the medical marijuana industry in the last couple of decades, much of which has focused on finding ways to treat illnesses that are not improving with other pharmaceuticals. One recent article entitled Marijuana Madness by Nick Buglione focuses on the benefits of administering cannabis oil to children living with autism. The results reported from the parents of the children and nothing short of astounding in terms of the improvement in their children’s quality of life. One mother recounts her son’s conditions before and after her decision to administer cannabis oil for the treatment of his severe autism. She recalls her son’s condition at the time she began the treatment, “You could see the bones in his chest and in his arms and legs, he had stopped walking and he would bruise very easily. All of the medicines—including Ritalin, Focalin and Risperdal—had serious physical side effects on Joey. There were facial tics, seizures and liver damage, but worst of all, a lack of appetite that left Joey emaciated and weak.” (Marijuana Madness) The mother reports marked improvement in her sons overall health and demeanor, and after going public with her findings on Good Morning America, she received hundreds upon hundreds of requests for more information from other parents in similar situations who feel that this drug could help their children too. This is evidence again suggesting that the benefits of this drug reach far beyond our knowledge, and that the medical community would benefit greatly from further research into the use of cannabis for medicine.
Conclusion
It is important to note that prior to my research on this topic I was not a pro-marijuana advocate or even much of a believer in its ability to treat illnesses. Following my research I can now say that my opinion has changed drastically. It would be very difficult to deny the health benefits this drug possesses after watching this film, and reading the numbers of articles which I read to compile this information. It is clear that the medicalization of the drug is crucial to its reintegration into modern medicine and that this process will enable those who otherwise would not be able to utilise it easier access and safer, more controlled dosages. These advances also allow for medical professionals to administer the medication in a controlled setting in order to record and track the improvements in their patients, or any possible side effects. It is my hope that the medical community continue on this path and further research the benefits of marijuana in treating illnesses such as Dravet’s syndrome and Autism in children, as well and numerous other ailments for which it has the ability to treat. It is also crucial that the many obstacles in accessing the drug are removed so that more families can benefit from its amazing healing properties.

Works Cited
'Cannabis madness' revives debate over medical marijuana and epilepsy | TIME. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://time.com/20775/sanjay-gupta-medical-marijuana-epilepsy

Buglione, Nick News : In the press. Marijuana madness. retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-treatment-marijuana-madness-8763721

Clarke, J. N. (2012). Health, illness, and medicine in Canada (6th ed.). Toronto, Ont.: McClelland & Stewart.

Cooper, C., & McCullagh, D. (2009, July 13). America's Love-Hate History with Pot. CBSNews. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/americas-love-hate-history-with-pot

Spicer, L. (2002, April 12). The Senate Special Committee On Illegal Drugs. Historical and Cultural Uses of Cannabis and The Canadian "MarijuanaClash". Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/371/ille/library/Spicer-e.htm