Giovanni Morales
Topics in Literature and College Reading and Writing
5/23/12
Medical Marijuana Legalization
Legalize! Legalize! Legalize! Legalize! Thats what some states in the United
States are fighting for. To legalize cannabis hemp, also known as marijuana.
Legalizing marijuana could help the economy in many ways. Marijuana is not just
a drug that smokers abuse because people could buy it off of almost every street
corner in the city. It could benefit society in many ways. Marijuana can be used
for medicinal purposes in curing ADHD, relieving pain, glaucoma, arthritis, and
cancer.
If marijuana was legalized it could help cure ADHD. ADHD also known as
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a form of attention deficit
disorder in which hyperactivity is a prominent symptom.
"An example of this is a conversation in which a student with ADHD describes how
cannabis has helped him focus on his studies and has also helped him get along
better with his family and friends"(Zwolinski, 2010). "Marijuana has the
ability to treat epilepsy, the ability to treat MS and slow its progression, and
many other diseases"(Zwolinski, 2010). "Recent research shows that marijuana may relieve some of the symptoms
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The debate rages on, but many people, both kids and adults, are
reporting the alleviation of their symptoms with marijuana usage" (Zwolinski,
2010). It shows the positive things that marijuana could do for people who have
illnesses like ADHD, epilepsy and many other illnesses. Marijuana could serve
goods in the United States if used correctly. Especially with people who have
ADHD, the marijuana could help slow down trhe disorder by stimulating the
mind.
If marijuana were to be legalized it could help people to relieve there
pain. "Next time you have severe pain try vaporizing some medical grade cannabis
and see the difference for yourself. It is safe, non-toxic, and is not
physicially addicting unlike morphine and vicodin". Clinical Investigation
115(2005):3104-3116 "Some advocates for the legalization of marijuana argue that
it is safer than alchohol. They suggest that increased use of marijuana by young
people might have a positive effect if some adolescents switched from alcohol to
marijuana" (Joffe, 2004). "There are many traditional
options to manage pain, from prescription drugs to occupational therapy. Now,
one formerly alternative option for controlling chronic pain is becoming
mainstream. As of April 2011, medical marijuana — often referred to as cannabis,
the actual herb from which marijuana is made — is legal in Washington, DC, and a
growing list of states. And that list is likely to get even longer in light of
the federal government’s most recent announcement that it will not prosecute
users or producers of medical marijuana in states that allow it for medical
use.Many in the health care community are enthusiastic about marijuana's
potential for chronic pain patients. In California, the first state to allow
medical marijuana, 40 percent of people who take the drug for medicinal purposes
use it for chronic pain" (Calabro, 2011). People who suffer through pain could
use marijuana as a medicine to help relieve the pain in the body if they can not
afford to go to a hospital. Marijuana would save patients with chronic pain
thousands of dollars.
If marijuana were to be legalized it could help people that
have glaucoma issues. Glaucoma is an abnormally high fluid pressure in the eye, most commonly caused either
by blockage of the channel through which aqueous humor drains.
"Marijuana has been truted as ameliorating
chemotherapy-induced nausea, wasting and anorexia associated with AIDS,
intraocular pressure in glaucoma, and muscle spasticity arising from such
conditions as multiple sclerosis" (Joffe, 2004). "THC is a drug that is
effective at relieving nausia and vomiting in some patients being treated for
cancer or AIDS, and THC is also effective at inducing appetite in some of these
patients and so combating wasting syndrome" (Barnes, 2000). "In the early 1970s, scientists discovered that smoking marijuana
reduced pressure in the eyes. Exactly how the cannabinoids in marijuana produce
this effect isn't known. Scientists have discovered CB1 receptors in the eyes,
which may provide clues for future research on how marijuana affects glaucoma
(Palmberg, 2007). "In the late 20th century, medical research revealed various
therapeutic effects of marijuana and THC. They were found to be useful in
lowering internal eye pressure in persons suffering from glaucoma and in
alleviating nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat
cancer patients and those with AIDS. Marijuana also has been found to reduce the
muscle pain associated"... Glaucoma pacients if they do not want to pay
thousands of dollars to get surgery they could just go to there doctor. Thats
where the marijuana helps those people who have glaucoma. When the people smoke
the marijuana it helps then with the glaucoma because when someone smokes
marijuana it helps out the eye by relaxing it.
If marijuana were to be legalized it could help the people out
who have arthritis. Arthritis is an acute or chronic inflammation of a joint, often accompanied by pain
and structural changes and having diverse causes, as infection, crystal
deposition, or injury. "Patients have long told us that cannabis has been
helpful to them in the treatment of their arthritic conditions. Science has now
demonstrated that the THC component of cannabis is a very effective analgesic
(pain killer), and that the CBD (cannabidiol) component has unique
immunomodulatory benefits as an antagonist of tumor necrosis factor-alpha,
supporting benefits in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis" (Russo, 2005).
"Clinical interviews of over 6500 members at cannabis buyers clubs and patients
in my office practice lead to this generalization: Many illnesses or conditions
present with both inflammation and muscle spasm. Cannabis is both an
antispasmodic and anti inflammatory....Chronic inflammatory conditions like
arthritis and lumbosacral disease responds well to cannabis compared with other
analgesics" (Mikuriya, 2002). "The spinal cord is loaded with cannabinoid
receptors. These cannabinoid compounds [from marijuana] apparently reduce
swelling from inflammation [a major symptom of arthritis]. But more than that,
they kill the pain from inflammation specifically. They work on the peripheral
nerves that carry pain from your joint into the spinal cord" (Walker, 2000).
Arthritis patients could have a difficult time with this illness, but marijuana
could cut the problem for arthritis little by little. Even though marijuana does
not cure the problem fully, it helps out in many ways with arthritis
patients.
If marijuana were to be legalized it can help cure cancer cells in the body.
Cancer cell is a cell that is part of a malignant tumor. "The term medical
marijuana took on dramatic new meaning in February 2000 when researchers in
Madrid announced they had destroyed incurable brain cancer tumors in rats by
injecting them with THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. The Madrid study
marks only the second time that THC has been administered to tumor-bearing
animals; the first was a Virginia investigation 26 years ago. In both studies,
the THC shrank or destroyed tumors in a majority of the test subjects" (Cushing,
2000). "A clinical review in the October 2003 issue of the prestigious journal
Nature Reviews Cancer that concluded that cannabinoids’ "favorable drug safety
profile" and proven ability to inhibit tumor growth make them desirable agents
in the treatment of cancer. According to the review’s author, tumors inhibited
by cannabinoids include: lung carcinoma, glioma, thyroid epithelioma,
lymphoma/leukemia, skin carcinoma, uterus carcinoma, breast carcinoma, prostate
carcinoma, and neuroblastoma (a malignant tumor originating in the autonomic
nervous system or the adrenal medulla and occurring chiefly in infants and young
children)" (Armentano, 2004). "Today, Guzman believes that enough favorable
clinical evidence exists supporting pot’s anti-cancer properties to warrant
clinical trials in humans. "The scientific community has gained substantial
knowledge of the palliative and anti-tumor actions of cannabinoids during the
past few years," Guzman wrote in the October 2003 issue of Nature Reviews
Cancer. "Anti-tumor compounds should selectively affect tumor cells [and] it
seems that cannabinoids can do this, as they kill [malignant] tumor cells but do
not affect their non-transformed counterparts and might even protect them from
cell death. … As cannabinoids are relatively safe compounds, it would be
desirable that clinical trials using cannabinoids … could accompany [ongoing]
laboratory studies to allow us to use these compounds in the treatment of
cancer." Guzman concludes the article by noting that the Spanish Ministry of
Health recently approved a human clinical trial – the first ever – aimed at
investigating the effects of intracranially administered THC on the life
expectancy of volunteers suffering from malignant brain tumors" (Armentano,
2004). Marijuana might not treat all threats of cancer in the body but it does
help a little with the problem. There is no true cure for cancer yet in the
United States but with the little proof that there is about marijuana and
cancer, marijuana could help cancer patients with the disease.
The marijuana industry in the United States if legalized could help out the
economy in so many ways possible. Shirts, jackets, pants, backpacks, and even
paper could be created by using marijuana. Creating paper out of marijuana could
benefit the enviroment a lot because that means that the United States would not
have to be cutting trees anymore and harming the enviroment. Marijuana could be
beneficial to the United States physicially and mentally. By physicially it
could put clothes on peoples backs, create paper which also includes paper for
money, and it even creates food for people to eat. Mentally marijuana could help
a person out if there feeling stressed out about something and they just need to
relax and clear there mind and also if people are feeling pain in the body
marijuana could help to. Marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes in
curing ADHD, relieving pain, glaucoma, arthritis, and
cancer.
Topics in Literature and College Reading and Writing
5/23/12
Medical Marijuana Legalization
Legalize! Legalize! Legalize! Legalize! Thats what some states in the United
States are fighting for. To legalize cannabis hemp, also known as marijuana.
Legalizing marijuana could help the economy in many ways. Marijuana is not just
a drug that smokers abuse because people could buy it off of almost every street
corner in the city. It could benefit society in many ways. Marijuana can be used
for medicinal purposes in curing ADHD, relieving pain, glaucoma, arthritis, and
cancer.
If marijuana was legalized it could help cure ADHD. ADHD also known as
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a form of attention deficit
disorder in which hyperactivity is a prominent symptom.
"An example of this is a conversation in which a student with ADHD describes how
cannabis has helped him focus on his studies and has also helped him get along
better with his family and friends"(Zwolinski, 2010). "Marijuana has the
ability to treat epilepsy, the ability to treat MS and slow its progression, and
many other diseases"(Zwolinski, 2010). "Recent research shows that marijuana may relieve some of the symptoms
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The debate rages on, but many people, both kids and adults, are
reporting the alleviation of their symptoms with marijuana usage" (Zwolinski,
2010). It shows the positive things that marijuana could do for people who have
illnesses like ADHD, epilepsy and many other illnesses. Marijuana could serve
goods in the United States if used correctly. Especially with people who have
ADHD, the marijuana could help slow down trhe disorder by stimulating the
mind.
If marijuana were to be legalized it could help people to relieve there
pain. "Next time you have severe pain try vaporizing some medical grade cannabis
and see the difference for yourself. It is safe, non-toxic, and is not
physicially addicting unlike morphine and vicodin". Clinical Investigation
115(2005):3104-3116 "Some advocates for the legalization of marijuana argue that
it is safer than alchohol. They suggest that increased use of marijuana by young
people might have a positive effect if some adolescents switched from alcohol to
marijuana" (Joffe, 2004). "There are many traditional
options to manage pain, from prescription drugs to occupational therapy. Now,
one formerly alternative option for controlling chronic pain is becoming
mainstream. As of April 2011, medical marijuana — often referred to as cannabis,
the actual herb from which marijuana is made — is legal in Washington, DC, and a
growing list of states. And that list is likely to get even longer in light of
the federal government’s most recent announcement that it will not prosecute
users or producers of medical marijuana in states that allow it for medical
use.Many in the health care community are enthusiastic about marijuana's
potential for chronic pain patients. In California, the first state to allow
medical marijuana, 40 percent of people who take the drug for medicinal purposes
use it for chronic pain" (Calabro, 2011). People who suffer through pain could
use marijuana as a medicine to help relieve the pain in the body if they can not
afford to go to a hospital. Marijuana would save patients with chronic pain
thousands of dollars.
If marijuana were to be legalized it could help people that
have glaucoma issues. Glaucoma is an abnormally high fluid pressure in the eye, most commonly caused either
by blockage of the channel through which aqueous humor drains.
"Marijuana has been truted as ameliorating
chemotherapy-induced nausea, wasting and anorexia associated with AIDS,
intraocular pressure in glaucoma, and muscle spasticity arising from such
conditions as multiple sclerosis" (Joffe, 2004). "THC is a drug that is
effective at relieving nausia and vomiting in some patients being treated for
cancer or AIDS, and THC is also effective at inducing appetite in some of these
patients and so combating wasting syndrome" (Barnes, 2000). "In the early 1970s, scientists discovered that smoking marijuana
reduced pressure in the eyes. Exactly how the cannabinoids in marijuana produce
this effect isn't known. Scientists have discovered CB1 receptors in the eyes,
which may provide clues for future research on how marijuana affects glaucoma
(Palmberg, 2007). "In the late 20th century, medical research revealed various
therapeutic effects of marijuana and THC. They were found to be useful in
lowering internal eye pressure in persons suffering from glaucoma and in
alleviating nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat
cancer patients and those with AIDS. Marijuana also has been found to reduce the
muscle pain associated"... Glaucoma pacients if they do not want to pay
thousands of dollars to get surgery they could just go to there doctor. Thats
where the marijuana helps those people who have glaucoma. When the people smoke
the marijuana it helps then with the glaucoma because when someone smokes
marijuana it helps out the eye by relaxing it.
If marijuana were to be legalized it could help the people out
who have arthritis. Arthritis is an acute or chronic inflammation of a joint, often accompanied by pain
and structural changes and having diverse causes, as infection, crystal
deposition, or injury. "Patients have long told us that cannabis has been
helpful to them in the treatment of their arthritic conditions. Science has now
demonstrated that the THC component of cannabis is a very effective analgesic
(pain killer), and that the CBD (cannabidiol) component has unique
immunomodulatory benefits as an antagonist of tumor necrosis factor-alpha,
supporting benefits in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis" (Russo, 2005).
"Clinical interviews of over 6500 members at cannabis buyers clubs and patients
in my office practice lead to this generalization: Many illnesses or conditions
present with both inflammation and muscle spasm. Cannabis is both an
antispasmodic and anti inflammatory....Chronic inflammatory conditions like
arthritis and lumbosacral disease responds well to cannabis compared with other
analgesics" (Mikuriya, 2002). "The spinal cord is loaded with cannabinoid
receptors. These cannabinoid compounds [from marijuana] apparently reduce
swelling from inflammation [a major symptom of arthritis]. But more than that,
they kill the pain from inflammation specifically. They work on the peripheral
nerves that carry pain from your joint into the spinal cord" (Walker, 2000).
Arthritis patients could have a difficult time with this illness, but marijuana
could cut the problem for arthritis little by little. Even though marijuana does
not cure the problem fully, it helps out in many ways with arthritis
patients.
If marijuana were to be legalized it can help cure cancer cells in the body.
Cancer cell is a cell that is part of a malignant tumor. "The term medical
marijuana took on dramatic new meaning in February 2000 when researchers in
Madrid announced they had destroyed incurable brain cancer tumors in rats by
injecting them with THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. The Madrid study
marks only the second time that THC has been administered to tumor-bearing
animals; the first was a Virginia investigation 26 years ago. In both studies,
the THC shrank or destroyed tumors in a majority of the test subjects" (Cushing,
2000). "A clinical review in the October 2003 issue of the prestigious journal
Nature Reviews Cancer that concluded that cannabinoids’ "favorable drug safety
profile" and proven ability to inhibit tumor growth make them desirable agents
in the treatment of cancer. According to the review’s author, tumors inhibited
by cannabinoids include: lung carcinoma, glioma, thyroid epithelioma,
lymphoma/leukemia, skin carcinoma, uterus carcinoma, breast carcinoma, prostate
carcinoma, and neuroblastoma (a malignant tumor originating in the autonomic
nervous system or the adrenal medulla and occurring chiefly in infants and young
children)" (Armentano, 2004). "Today, Guzman believes that enough favorable
clinical evidence exists supporting pot’s anti-cancer properties to warrant
clinical trials in humans. "The scientific community has gained substantial
knowledge of the palliative and anti-tumor actions of cannabinoids during the
past few years," Guzman wrote in the October 2003 issue of Nature Reviews
Cancer. "Anti-tumor compounds should selectively affect tumor cells [and] it
seems that cannabinoids can do this, as they kill [malignant] tumor cells but do
not affect their non-transformed counterparts and might even protect them from
cell death. … As cannabinoids are relatively safe compounds, it would be
desirable that clinical trials using cannabinoids … could accompany [ongoing]
laboratory studies to allow us to use these compounds in the treatment of
cancer." Guzman concludes the article by noting that the Spanish Ministry of
Health recently approved a human clinical trial – the first ever – aimed at
investigating the effects of intracranially administered THC on the life
expectancy of volunteers suffering from malignant brain tumors" (Armentano,
2004). Marijuana might not treat all threats of cancer in the body but it does
help a little with the problem. There is no true cure for cancer yet in the
United States but with the little proof that there is about marijuana and
cancer, marijuana could help cancer patients with the disease.
The marijuana industry in the United States if legalized could help out the
economy in so many ways possible. Shirts, jackets, pants, backpacks, and even
paper could be created by using marijuana. Creating paper out of marijuana could
benefit the enviroment a lot because that means that the United States would not
have to be cutting trees anymore and harming the enviroment. Marijuana could be
beneficial to the United States physicially and mentally. By physicially it
could put clothes on peoples backs, create paper which also includes paper for
money, and it even creates food for people to eat. Mentally marijuana could help
a person out if there feeling stressed out about something and they just need to
relax and clear there mind and also if people are feeling pain in the body
marijuana could help to. Marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes in
curing ADHD, relieving pain, glaucoma, arthritis, and
cancer.