Medicinal Effects of Marijuana
Public opinion on the medical value of marijuana has been sharply divided. Some dismiss medical marijuana as a hoax that exploits our natural compassion for the sick; others claim it is a uniquely soothing medicine that has been kept away from patients through regulations based on false claims. Scientific data on controversial subjects are commonly misinterpreted, overinterpreted, and misrepresented, and the medical marijuana debate is no exception. This report summarizes and analyzes what is known about the medical use of marijuana; it emphasizes evidence-based, as opposed to belief-based medicine. One of the goals of this report is to help people to understand the scientific data, including the logic behind the scientific conclusions. Ideally, this report will enable the thoughtful reader to interpret new information about marijuana that will continue to emerge in future.Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana. Sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah; it's a Spanish word), hashish ("hash" for
Another study was conducted to compare the safety and efficacy between marijuana and Marinol, an antiemetic drug. This study was not a controlled scientific study but the comparison was based on the clinical experience of the oncologists. As the graph below indicates, almost half (45%) of the oncologists feel marijuana is more effective antiemetic that Marinol. Forty-two percent think they are equivalent. Thirteen percent feel Marinol is more effective. On the other hand, the oncologists' opinion about safety is more evenly distributed, with the same numbers favoring marijuana and Marinol. The reason for this equal distribution is because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved Marinol's safety. This study proves that marijuana is a safe and effective antiemetic drug. Also, a significant number of oncologists report marijuana is more effective that Marinol. Although marijuana has been proposed to relieve a lot of symptoms related to a number of diseases but it also has many disadvantages and side effects. The most commonly reported effects of marijuana are a sense of well being or euphoria and increased talkativeness and laughter. A characteristic feature of marijuana "high" is deficits in short-term memory and learning. It also slows down reaction or reflex time. Marijuana smoke is like tobacco smoke in that it is associated with increased risk of cancer, lung damage, and poor pregnancy outcome. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain a substance called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuana's effects on the user depend on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. The most encouraging clinical data on the effects of marijuana on chronic pain are from three studies of cancer pain. Cancer pain can be due to inflammation, mechanical invasion of bone or other pain-sensitive structure, or nerve injury. It is severe, persistent, and often resistant to treatment with opioids. In one study, oral doses of THC in the range of 5-20 mg produced analgesia in patients with cancer pain
Some common words found in the essay are:
II NORML, Institute Medicine, Mary Jane, Marinol Marijuana, , Marinol Forty-two, Administration FDA, Substances Act, Legislation NORML, spinal cord, Dangerous Drugs, spinal cord injury, cord injury, medical marijuana, marijuana proposed, muscle spasms, effects marijuana, marijuana therapeutic, scientific data, cancer pain, serious ailments toxic, reduces muscle, marijuana reduces muscle, reduces muscle spasms, spinal cord injuries,
Approximate Word count = 1481
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
