Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Although many slanderous claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to resurface. Marijuana has been proving to help a numerous of disorders such as: multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and seizures. It has also been proven to mellow out people with ADHD. In most instances, medical marijuana would be taking the place of numerous narcotics that can be very addictive an extremely harmful to the body. Using marijuana for medicinal purposes is not a recent discovery. The article states that, “People have used marijuana, also called cannabis, for a variety of health conditions for at least 3,000 years.” Western medicine embraced marijuana’s medical properties in the mid-1800s, and by the beginning of the 20th century, physicians had published more than 100 papers in the Western medical literature recommending its use for a variety of disorders. These disorders include pain relief, nausea, glaucoma, and movement disorders. It is also used as a powerful appetite stimulant which helps patients that had HIV/AIDS or cancer patients going through chemotherapy. If we look at the bigger picture and set aside all of the benefits marijuana has to offer from a medical standpoint, legalizing marijuana strictly for medicinal purpose would send the economy into an all-time high, it would soon become a cash crop for Tennessee.
Marijuana being legalized could be a start to a healthier long-lasting Tennessean life. Breaking down what is in marijuana, THC and CBD are the two key components that play the largest role in treating patients for illness. THC can increase appetite and reduce nausea. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. Unlike THC, CBD is a cannabinoid that doesn't make people "high." These drugs aren't popular for recreational use because they aren't intoxicating. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions.
Legalizing medical marijuana will strictly be for medicinal purposes, and the diagnostic would have to legit and thoroughly tested. Narrowing down the most common disease that marijuana would impact, Cancer. Cancer statistics show that, “In 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in The United States and 609,640 people will die from this disease” (Cancer Statistics). Think about the loved ones that could have been saved with a natural herb that everyone has despised for many years. Without medical marijuana people are often killed by the opioids given to put the cancer patient’s pain at ease. While chemotherapy is still a major component in fighting cancer, there are side effects most patients dread, and it will often times discourage them to not fight back. The journal entry reiterates stating that, “Recent clinical trials with smoked and vaporized marijuana, as well as other botanical extracts indicate the likelihood that the cannabinoids can be useful in the management of neuropathic pain, spasticity due to multiple sclerosis, and possibly other indications.”Medical marijuana can help treat nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite which all stem from the disadvantages of chemotherapy. When radiation is started cancer patients are often times experience pain and fatigue, in which they are giving narcotics such as oxycodone and many other harmful drugs, when marijuana can serve the same purpose without as many harmful side effects.
Another common disease that is very common among deaths is Parkinson’s. Many people hardly ever hear someone of dying from Parkinson’s, but what about dementia? If doctors were able to treat Parkinson’s with medical marijuana, it would likely slow down the process, and possibly avoid the early stages of dementia. An article explains, “According to a recent study published in Clinical Neuropharmacology, participants using smoked medical cannabis had significant improvements in motor disability and impairment. These results were found in addition to reported decreases in tremor (repetitive shaking), rigidity (stiffness or inflexibility), and dyskinesia (difficulty in performing voluntary movements), and improvements in pain and sleep disturbance” (Parkinson’s Disease). Medical Marijuana can slow down the dwindling process that Parkinson’s tends to do to the people diagnosed with it.
Medical marijuana can often times take the place of narcotics such as pain pills, and other prescribed narcotics that can lead to overdoses or extreme addictions. In 2016, 64,000 people died from drug overdoses (with prescription and illicit opioids responsible for the majority of drug overdoses). For Americans under 50, drug overdose is the leading cause of death. In the book “Before You Take That Pill” it explains, “In my opinion much of the money is wasted because many of the medications cost ten times more than other, older, or natural medication that work just as well or better” (93). In this book he is referring to how much cheaper natural (referring to medical marijuana) medication is compared to pharmaceutical solutions. The book “A Nation in Pain” also explains, “It means that if a person with chronic pain has never been a substance abuser before, he or she is still likely to become addicted when taking opioids for pain” (145). With the use of medical marijuana, it is much less likely for a user to become addicted to marijuana as one would with narcotics. With that being said, one may become addicted to the relief they are given with medical marijuana, but the side effects are much less lethal than the use of narcotics. Pain pills and other prescribed drugs can often be traumatizing to the organs causing them to shut down and lose function.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) refers to a specific group of diseases or conditions resulting from severe suppression of the immune system. Scientists have identified the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, to be the infectious agent causing AIDS. HIV destroys the immune system by attacking T-cells in the blood. Like chemotherapy for cancer patients, the standard treatments for HIV infection are highly toxic. Conventional drugs used to treat HIV infection such as zidovudine, lamivudine and various protease inhibitors cause significant nausea, so patients have difficulty withstanding treatment. The nausea also heightens the loss of appetite and weight associated with AIDS. Medical Marijuana is widely recognized as an effective treatment for symptoms of HIV/AIDS as well as the side effects related to the antiretroviral therapies that constitute the first line of treatment for HIV/AIDS. The book “Cured” explains a story about a person with HIVs. It states, “As he sat with Christian, he wondered if he could benefit from an experimental new drug, a drug he was giving sparingly to a small group of patients early in their infections” (17). He was experimenting with medical marijuana and considered adding Jessen to the group because of the positive outcomes it had on the small group it had been tested on.
Studies have even been done that show marijuana helps tremendously with people who are diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects around 6–9 percent of children and young adults, and about 5 percent of adults, globally. A person with ADHD might find it hard to focus on tasks, frequently fidget, show signs of restless behavior, and they may be unable to stay still or quiet at appropriate times. ADHD can lead to people having relationship problems or difficulties with academic work at school and college despite having normal or superior intellectual abilities. Treatment for ADHD usually involves doctors prescribing stimulant medications, such as Ritalin or Adderall. Which are also known as a narcotics. Medical marijuana has also been known to mellow kids out, so they are able to focus and form normal relationships in their everyday life.
The use of marijuana among kids is what raises the most question. If you study into marijuana usage among teens, you will see that its very common for recreational purposes, even though it is illegal? Right, it has been studied and the legalization is not necessarily going to impact the marijuana usage rates. For the simple fact that many teens are already using regardless of it being legalized or not. So why put everyone else’s health at risk because of being scared more kids will be involved in recreational “high”. In today’s time if kids are going to partake in those activities, there is no way to stop them. So, why put unhealthy or incredibly ill people at a higher risk of dying because we don’t want teens to partake in activities they are already partaking in?
Setting the medical aspect aside and looking at medical marijuana as an economical aspect is a reason for legalization within itself. In today’s economic situation, hemp would be a huge revenue creator. Currently, the United States has to import all of its hemp from countries like Canada and China, who have no laws banning the cash crop. Not only would domestic hemp production stop the pumping of American dollars into foreign farmers’ pockets, but it would create a mass amount of jobs for otherwise unemployed Americans. In these times of uncertainty, we need jobs and we need more domestic industry, and hemp can accomplish both of those. Recent times have also shown us the damage that we are doing to our environment and the realization that we can’t depend on fossil fuels anymore. With hemp being a major contributor to the alternative fuels movement, it makes one wonder why it’s still illegal to grow it.