Back in the early twentieth century, marijuana was mainly used for medical purposes in the US. Now, both it 's recreational and medical use is increasingly being consumed by the population and the tendency is to continue increasing. Much has been said about the use of marijuana as a solution to different health problems, and although not everything that is said is true, it cannot be ignored that marijuana can help in the treatment of some cases of adult patients. CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was opposed to the medicinal use of cannabis. Based on his knowledge as a neurologist, he was convinced that the drug was dangerous and had dismissed its supposed therapeutic benefits. Today, however, he has completely changed his mind and even apologizes for having contributed …show more content…
Gupta wrote this to inform an audience of older adults who stay current on research. Possibly also for those who are opposed to medical cannabis. Days after “Why I Changed My Mind on Weed” got published, in 2013, he put aside the prejudices of medical cannabis and aired the documentary 'Weed ' in which he highlighted the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. As part of this documentary, Gupta interviewed several patients with different medical conditions and observed how in all of them the use of medical cannabis had been a positive improvement. Among the patients he interviewed, on the article, he mentions a girl, Charlotte Figi, who since she was born had experienced more than 300 attacks of seizures a week, despite being treated with seven conventional medications. Since he started using marijuana, says the doctor, the attacks have been reduced to two or three a month. After a season of research on cannabis, Gupta discovered that in addition to relieving the symptoms of some diseases, medical cannabis is in some cases the only one that works medically. By sharing this story, the author appeals to his readers
Fortunately, the American Nurse Association House of Delegates has actively supported the nurse to be advocates for access to healthcare for all patient including those are in need of marijuana/cannabis for therapeutic use. (ANA, 2008) Therefore, as a health care provider, my dream is to be involved in further research about marijuana’s effectiveness, determine the therapeutic dosage and route of delivery in order to give patients the safest care with the best outcome. My DNP project on chronic pain management will be the stepping stone to making this dream come true.
A gateway drug means marijuana use could open the door for potential abuse of more powerful drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. People get addicted to these harder drug easily. If we as Ohioans so choose to pursue the legalization of marijuana, and furthermore extend the law to recreational use, which would be the next step any benefits of medicinal marijuana will be overshadowed by wide spread hard drug use. In this study, patients with various medical problems were treated with THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, and it was found to treat a wide range of various ailments such as: Tourette-Syndrome, appetite loss, weight loss, nausea, depression, HIV-infection, migraines, asthma, back pain, hepatitis C, sleeping disorders, epilepsy, spasticity, headaches, alcoholism, glaucoma, disk prolapse, spinal cord injury (Grotenhermen, 2002). But this chemical doesn’t fix theses medical issues, it merely masks the user in a temporary state of uforia If medical marijuana is legalized, this will open the floodgates of recreational marijuana use.
Medical Marijuana." JSTOR [JSTOR]. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2015. Dresser, Rebecca. "
Everyday patients are visiting their doctors in a desperate search for help with their problems, some physical and some psychological. Far too often in today’s troubled society a doctor is quick to hand their patient a prescription for a powerful and potentially harmful substance. The prescriptions could include drugs such as benzodiazepines for psychological problems and epilepsy, or opioids for pain. Both of those substances can have substantially dangerous and adverse effects and could lead to addiction and even death. Marijuana is a much safer and more naturally occurring substance that can be used for all of the previously listed purposes.
It can no longer be ignored that medical marijuana could very well be the best way to treat chronic pain in suffering individuals. Cannabis is lower-risk as opposed to opioid painkillers, as it is much less addictive (or not at all addictive) and would potentially never lead to overdose deaths. Statistics from the CDC show that those who take Rx opioid painkillers are forty times more likely to be addicted to heroin, as opposed to just three times more likely with marijuana use. Many drug abuse prevention and intervention methods are already in place, such as prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). The problem cannot always be prevented by a parent, a friend, or a family member.
MEMORANDUM TO: MINISTER OF HEALTH, THE HONOURABLE JANE PHILPOTT FROM: PARLIAMENT SECRETARY, SANDRA CERVANTES SUBJECT: MEDICAL MARIJUANA REGULATION IN CANADA DATE: NOVEMBER 27, 2015 Statement of the Problem: Although the current Federal legislation in Canada permits the usage of medical cannabis to aid in the treatment of various illnesses and diseases, smoking it continues to be illegal . Furthermore, various medical studies have proven that the ingestion of medical marijuana is far more beneficial than any other form of consumption . Additionally, many medical cannabis patients happen to be children suffering from extreme epilepsy, seniors who are constantly struggling due to severe Alzheimer’s or those with severe arthritis and smoking
Sorting Through the Science on Marijuana, written by Itai Danovitch, touches on what marijuana is, the innocuous and detrimental effects it can have on a body, and how the legalization of this drug would affect the rates of marijuana use. Throughout the piece, Danovitch speaks from an unbiased point of view; he is neither for the legalization and use of this drug nor against it. Itai Danovitch not only establishes a dependable and impartial article, he also connects to the reader, both, emotionally and logically through statements validated by facts. Itai Danovitch, M.D. receives his credibility from his profession as a doctor. Not only does Danovitch state facts, he also, provides an adequate amount of information along with the citations
For more than 3500 years, Marijuana has been widely used to treat the ill. The diversity
Seppa uses data and educated doctors for almost every fact he throws at the reader. He present relevant facts to the topic and reasons on why medicinal marijuana could be useful. Seppa concurs that, “Medicinal marijuana may some day go above and beyond just treating nausea or relieving pain in cancer patients.” After he says this, he references successful trials of medicinal marijuana use in cancer patients. He also tells how medicinal marijuana affects the body and changes it when the body has cancer.
In a review conducted by the University of Arkansas, “cannabinoids significantly reduced vomiting and nausea in breast cancer patients following breast surgery. In addition, medicinal marijuana can serve as an appetite stimulant to improve cancer treatment related anorexia.” During an interview that was held by Kayt Sukel, she asked David Casarett a practicing doctor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia a few questions. One of the questions that she asked was, “What therapeutic uses is marijuana likely to be put to next?” Doctor Casarett answered, “As for the future, the idea that some of the molecules in marijuana may help with cancer is not crazy.
“Long Term Effects of Marijuana on the Brain.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 18 Sept. 2014,
The article describes the two main compounds of marijuana, THC and CBD, and the few synthetic varieties available in the United States and Canada. Cavalet proves the different conditions that have evidence for marijuana treatment and the conditions that do not. The purpose of this article is to present the real risks and benefits associated with marijuana. The intended audience for this article is medical personnel or those with knowledge on the
Marijuana has been a very controversial topic in recreation and medicinal use and opposing sides question it’s use’s in society and whether it should be legal or not. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States for medical and recreational uses because it would benefit society medically and economically. Marijuana is no more harmful than other products sold on the market such as alcohol or tobacco and should be marketed as such. “The generals public’s (as cited in Cox and et al, 2009 p.528) view is that marijuana use is harmless, and in one’s own home I think it is the case,” says Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, co-director of the Drug Policy Center at the RAND Corp., a California think tank”.
Marijuana, also known as Cannabis, is derived from the Cannabis plant and is used commonly for either recreational or medical purposes. Marijuana is composed of chemicals such as tetrahydrocannabinol (HTC, and over eighty cannabinoids. Marijuana is acknowledged for providing smokers with a “high” feeling. Since the twentieth century, this illicit drug has been banned across the world. However, over the past few years studies have been conducted on marijuana and the results show that it can actually be helpful in many different areas of society.
Marijuana is an illegal drug in the United States of America, but why is marijuana illegal? Is it not safe? Is it addictive? Will it have a negative effect on society? The medical community is split on this issue; several studies that have been conducted on the effects of marijuana in the adult brain have been inconclusive.