Medical
marijuana is the parts of the herb cannabis that is used as
a doctor suggested form of medicine. It is used for the herbal therapy or
herbal treatment of the different diseases. It has an extensive history of
usage as a medicine. Cannabis is one of the 50 essential
herbs of typical Chinese medicine.
Medical
marijuana refers to a part of an herb. It is used in many medicines to treat different
diseases. Its history dates back to 2900 BC. It has been observed that since
last 35-30 years the marijuana is evolved significantly. In 1972, the US
Congress positioned marijuana in Schedule 1 i.e. of the Controlled Substances
Act (CSA) as they were considered to have no acknowledged medical use.
Supporters of
medical marijuana argue that it can be a safer and efficient treatment for the
diseases such as of cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, pain, epilepsy AIDS,
and other such conditions. They give proofs of the fact that since many ages
marijuana has been used as a source of medicine to give relief to patients.
They prove it with the help of different reports, studies and well known
medical organizations. On the other side the opponents are of the view that it
is very dangerous to use, it is also deficient of FDA approval, and that many
other legal drugs make the use of marijuana needless They say that it is
addictive, interferes with fertility, leads to harder drug use, injures the
lungs, impairs driving ability, and damage the immune system and brain. They
say that medical marijuana is a face for drug legalization and leisure use. (ProCon.org)
Its debate
is over decades but here its evolution since 1980-2013 will be discussed. In
1980 the NCI, National Cancer Institute declared that marijuana use is safer
than that of THC’s. In 1988 it was recommended by Drug enforcement
administration (DEA) to move marijuana to Schedule 2 i.e. it can be used for
treatment of certain diseases only when prescribed by the physicians. This was
in a year taken back and marijuana was then again moved back to Schedule 1. In
1990 Cannabinoids receptors were discovered in the brain. In 1996 California
becomes the first state to legalize the use of marijuana for treatment purpose.
In 1997 still the debate was continued and NIH declared that there is more to
study about the medicinal use of marijuana. In 1998 the Congress stops the
execution of medical marijuana law passed in Washington DC. In the same year
president asks the voters to reject the medical marijuana. 3 more states also
legalized the use of marijuana. The UK house of Lords Science and Technology Committee
recommends authorizing of its use.
In the 21st
century, in the year 2000, a total of 8 states had approved the use of medical
marijuana. By 2004 DEA initiates the US Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) to study and review the usage of marijuana for possible rescheduling. In
2006 marijuana candies were busted. FDA also confirmed the opposition to smoked
marijuana for medical reasons. By 2008 it was approved that non smoked
marijuana is good to use for medical purposes. In 2011 it was observed that the
states where marijuana use is approved those states have reduced the number of
fatal car accidents. In 2012 the government bans the marijuana dispensaries
while till the end of the year 2012 a total of 18 states have legalized the use
medical marijuana. As the 2013 year starts US petitions court denies medical
marijuana reclassification. (ProCon.org)
The struggle
for reform and medical marijuana still continues; currently marijuana advocates
are working for its reform and fighting for marijuana laws. The U.S. National
Institute of Health spends more than $1 million on medical research to examine
the therapeutic effects of artificial chemicals that imitate the effects of smoked
marijuana. (brainz)
Dangers of medical marijuana
There are
many dangers of medical marijuana. Some have been identified and recognized and
many are still unknown. But it is for sure that it has many dangers. Although
the science has made many advancements in the medical field but still many
dangers are unknown or the science can’t give us proper definitions or details
of the dangers. Some of the dangers are as discussed below:
Effect on immune system
The most
commonly used argument against marijuana is that if it is used in the normal
routine to treat the medical disorders then it can accelerate the disorder.
Smoking marijuana can affect a human by damaging the cells in the bronchial
passages. It protects the body from the inhaled microorganisms. It also
decreases the ability of the cells of the immune system to fight with fungi,
bacteria and tumor cells. So it is concluded that the marijuana that is used to
combat the diseases ultimately results in increasing that disease.
Respiratory illness
The respiratory consequences of
smoking marijuana regularly are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer. It
also has many other respiratory diseases too. It includes impairment in the
function of the small air passage inflammation of the lungs, chronic bronchitis
etc. It is as dangerous as a cigarette. It contains the same toxins and it also
has the one which is the main factor in causing the lung cancer. It is observed
in the US that 125000 deaths occur due to this smoke. It is also observed that
in many deaths it is found that the patient was having lung, cavity and oral
cancer due to marijuana.
Effects on mental health, brain function and memory
Many people
are used to having marijuana in routine but it is recognized that marijuana is
at the root of many mental disorders. The mental disorder caused includes panic
attacks, toxic psychosis, flashbacks, delusions, paranoia, depression,
hallucinations, depersonalization and uncontrollable aggressiveness. Those who
are connected with these illnesses should take care when taking medicines.
In the short term, marijuana causes
memory, thinking, judgment and other things. All these short term diseases last
for 6 weeks. (Cyberlaw)
In 1999, IOM report was released
that states that the biological effects of marijuana. According to it,
marijuana damages many cognitive functions of the brain. It affects the immune
system and reproductive system too.
There are 60 chemicals in marijuana that are known as cannabinoids. One
of them which are known as THC is the most psychoactive compound. It affects
the brain and the body by binding specific receptors on the cell surface of the
neurons. In 1992 it was found that the natural compound was also bound by these
receptors.
The most consistent damage produced
by this THC is short term memory loss. Marijuana fails to transmit information
from short term memory to reside in the long term area. It also causes serious
imbalance and improper coordination control of brain. With the intake of
marijuana, cannabinoids weaken the immune system to fight against various
infections. It has been observed that the cells which produce antibodies are
not activated due to THC. This THC get in the way of normal activities of the
brain which causes serious affects to persons. (Lowry, 1999)
Works Cited
- Should marijuana be a medical option?. Procon.org. <http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/>
- Historical Timeline: History of Marijuana as Medicine -
2900 BC to Present. proCon.org. <http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000143#1970>
- 42.0
Milestones in the History of Marijuana.brainz.org.< http://brainz.org/420-milestones-history-marijuana/>
- Health_Concerns: WHAT ARE THE MEDICAL DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE?. Cyberlaw. <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html
>
- Lowry,
Colin (1999). Medical' Marijuana Is
A Dangerous Fraud. <http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/marijuana/Dangerous_fraud.pdf>
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