Medical Marijuana
Biology 103
2001 Third Web Report
On Serendip
Medical Marijuana
Rebecca Roth
Marijuana has been hailed as a prescription for many ills and physicians once used it to stimulate appetite, relieve chronic pain, and treat asthma and migraines. But is marijuana really a medical miracle? If so, do its clinical benefits outweigh its drawbacks? Should we legalize marijuana? Is medical marijuana really worth the risks? These are the issues one needs to think about before making the decision to legalize marijuana.Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been used as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of medicine, "Herbal," in the 2nd century B.C., and was used in China as an anesthetic 5,000 years ago. The ancient Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and East Indians used the drug to control muscle spasms, reduce pain, and to treat indigestion. It was commonly used in folk medicines in Africa and Asia. As early as 1611, marijuana was cultivated for its fiber in Jamestown, Virginia. In 19th century America, marijuana was used by the medical profession for treating spastic conditions, headaches, labor pains, insomnia, and menstrual cramps. It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and in Asia (9).
The controversy dealing with marijuana stems from the legalization of the drug for medical use. The written record on medicinal marijuana stretches back over 2,000 years. Yet after hundreds of studies, experiments and reports, there is still no consensus about its effects. Wildly emotional arguments rage about whether or not marijuana should be considered a legitimate medicine (2). Can marijuana relieve health problems? Is it safe for medical use? Scientific data on controversial subjects are commonly misinterpreted, overinterpreted, and misrepresented (1). Marijuana plants have been used for both herbal medication and intoxication. The current debate over the medical use of marijuana is essentially a debate over the value of its medicinal properties relative to the risk posed by its use (1). Is there a possibility that the dying may be able to use marijuana as a form of pain relief? The controversy still reigns on within congress and the medical community.
"There is not a shred of scientific evidence that smoked marijuana is useful or needed." -- U.S. Drug Czar, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Aug. 16, 1996
"Marijuana is the safest therapeutically active substance known to man... safer than many foods we commonly consume." -- DEA Judge Francis L. Young, Sept. 6, 1988
To date, marijuana is still classified as an illegal Schedule 1 drug by the Controlled Substances Act. It is defined as having "no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." However, many states have recognized that medical marijuana does have medicinal uses. According to the Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics, thirty- four states have recognized the value of marijuana for medical conditions (4).
What is the supporting evidence that marijuana can be used for pain relief? Advocates contend that marijuana can alleviate symptoms of AIDS, cancer and other illnesses, but opponents maintain that patients have other alternatives and that legalizing drugs sets a dangerous precedent.
Proponents of legalizing medical marijuana contend that it is wrong to deny patients relief from the pain of debilitating disease. A study by the Institute of Medicine released in March of 1999 found that marijuana:
* Holds particular promise for alleviating nausea and vomiting in people undergoing chemotherapy.
* Shows potential for improving severe weight loss (wasting) caused by AIDS.
* Holds usefulness for chronic pain that does not respond to traditional opoids (Morphine, etc.).
Scientists at the University of California at San Francisco found that a marijuana-like drug deadens pain in rats by interacting with the same pain modulating area of the brain activated by morphine. The findings may show that cannabinoids, which include marijuana's active ingredient THC, are potent analgesics that deliver true pain relief (5). Recently, new information has emerged from studies by federal researchers at the National Institutes of Mental Health. Their reports have stated that THC and cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive component, both appear to protect brain cells from the damage that often occurs during a stroke. When the brain's blood supply is cut, as occurs during a stroke, THC and CBD act as powerful antioxidants, protecting the brain cells from exposure to toxic levels of the brain chemical called glutamate. This finding also indicates that marijuana may hold medical value in the treatment of brain injuries and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's (11).
Research on the medical uses of marijuana is scheduled to begin early next year. For the first time in nearly two decades, the government has approved new experiments to test whether smoking it can help patients who have multiple sclerosis or who suffer from pain in their limbs as a result of AIDS. The new approvals, granted on Nov. 28, 2001 by the Drug Enforcement Administration, do not make it legal for doctors to give their patients marijuana as treatment. They merely provide for limited use in scientific experiments. In some states, state law allows doctors to prescribe or recommend marijuana; federal law prohibits the practice, however, even in those states (8). After the passage of these proposals, scientific committees at the government-chartered Institute of Medicine and at the National Institutes of Health reported that there was little evidence that marijuana had medical usefulness, but that rigorous studies would be worthwhile. The coming experiments will compare the effects of marijuana cigarettes with the effects of placebo cigarettes (those with the active ingredients of marijuana removed).
Experiments using marijuana to stimulate appetite and prevent nausea were conducted in the United States until the early 1980's. After that, disapproving attitudes in the federal government and among research agencies led scientists to believe that financing of medical marijuana studies would be difficult to find. But after the referendums in California and Arizona in 1996, the focus shifted to the question of whether such medical use could be supported by scientific evidence (8).
There are many people who do not want the legalization of marijuana. They point to the drawbacks that marijuana has. There are the concerns that legalization can make marijuana more available for abuse, especially by children. In addition, many feel that there is still little proof that marijuana has any medicinal value. Two adequate and well-controlled studies in cancer pain compared graded doses of oral 9-THC to placebo, and one of these included graded doses of codeine as a control. Although there was evidence of analgesic efficacy, the studies indicate there is a narrow therapeutic margin between the doses that produce useful analgesia and those producing unacceptable adverse CNS effects. Many believe that there is little future for or benefit from smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication (6).
In Amsterdam, Holland, where marijuana is legal, crime and hard drug use remains a problem (7). Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and the ability to react quickly. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road. While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent or addicted to the drug. In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, showing they need help to stop using the drug (10).
As one can see, there have been many debates over the legalization of marijuana. These debates are likely to continue. In many different cultures, marijuana has been used through the years to treat various medical conditions. Even in 19th century America, marijuana was used by doctors to treat pain. Sometimes we can learn from the past. Not all of our new drugs are better than the old. Some have proven to be quite toxic. At the very least, marijuana should be moved to a Schedule II drug (a useful drug that can be prescribed by a doctor). If marijuana can bring any amount of relief to the sick or dying, it should be given to them. We need further studies to determine if marijuana has any medicinal value. The legalization of marijuana would make it easier to fund and conduct these studies. Science and medicine should determine the question of whether marijuana has any legitimate medical purpose. The United States should do more to encourage legal and open exploration of marijuana's potential, at least among physicians and researchers.
WWW Sources
1)Institute of Medicine, Marijuana and Medicine2)The Science of Medical Marijuana, Why is there so much controversy?
3)Pros and Cons of Marijuana Use ,
4)Medical Marijuana , Pain Management for the Dying
5)Medical Marijuana , The Pros
6)Medical Marijuana, The Cons
7)Schaffer Library of Drug Policy ,
8)Marijuana Research is Set After Two Decade Halt, New York Times Article, Nov. 28th, 2001
10)Marijuana Facts for Teens , Drug Information
11)New Emerging Evidence of Marijuana's Medical Efficacy, The Science of Medical Marijuana
An Interesting Link
12)Marijuana , Materials Related to Marijuana
Comments made prior to 2007
My name is Charles Kwiatkowski, I am 36 years old,with Multiple Sclerosis and disabled for the past 7+ years from work. I live in New Jersey all my life and I need help. After having many problems from using my doctors Rx's of Oxy Cottin, Vikeden, Oxy Codone, or Roxxicette. etc.etc, I must now only use Marijuana for MS Pain, Spasms, etc just to stay actively alive. I have had more then my share of problems with Pharmaceutical Drugs (narcotics) and refuse to use any in the future. So I must bite my lip each and everyday when pain or spasms begin. I am tired of risking my life to purchase Marijuana on the streets of NJ or NY. And besides, I have 3 daughters 7, 5, and 2 yrs old and they really need for me to make it home, safe and alive. Can you please direct me to any possible way I can use marijuana without risking my life with street drug dealers, that I am not even sure the quality of marijuana is even authentic or safe to use.I have been through many, many doctors in NJ, this is my fourth neurologist along with a list of other types, they all say the exact same crap. Currently, my doctor Alan Pertchick (neurologist) expects me to use Oxy Codone (Gov't Heroin) for pain which is very addicting, prevents me from having any normal erections, and prevents any sleep at all, so then he then offers Viagra for ED and Ambien for sleep, "MORE DRUGS." For spasms, I must also take Baclofen (muscle relaxer) which does not work orally after 10 years of use but I could then get it in a stronger Baclofen version "The Baclofen Pump IV" form (sound's fun, it is a hockey puck they sew underneath a persons skin--more drugs). After taking so many of these over time, I still want my liver/kidneys to function normal, which this will only damage my organs far more then marijuana ever would have. All of this is very expensive with my current insurance and I sometimes have to not buy food which is a requirement for my wife and 3 children's lives. I am lucky enough to catch a lot of fish and my family loves to eat it, thank God for that.
If I just smoke 1 or 2 joints of marijuana each day, I am totally able, and sane enough to live somewhat of a normal life (maybe even get a job again? I do have a college degree with honors). I don't have any pain, spasms, my appetite is normal, and I also have normal erections when using marijuana. Comparing this cost to the above Rx way, 2 joints of marijuana costs me $10-$15 per day on the streets and the Rx way is $75 per day at the Pharmacy. I only use marijuana 100% responsibly, far away from any children, and I would never even think of trying to operate any machine while using it.
After living this way for nearly 10 years, I can understand why so many innocent patients wind up taking their own life. Which is not what I want to happen to me. Simply because I live in The Divided States of America (every state is different). Why is there no Federal laws to justify the same policies in each and every state? Making marijuana legal in all 52 states.
Currently I can obtain/use marijuana in 14 states but not in NJ. But if I were an dope addict in NJ, I could easily go to a methadone clinic in South Plainfield and obtain free heroin to ease my pocket expense. Also not what I, or my kids want me to be, or become.
Marijuana really does work well for Multiple Sclerosis and after using it for the past 5 years I would recommend it be used for any nerve damaging or painful diseases or disabilities. I do use it safely, responsibly and far away from my children and totally out of reach of anyone other then myself.
I am begging you for help, please let me have even the slightest positive outcome from this Gov't Nightmare. In my state of New Jersey, the Gov't currently allows real heroin addicts to attend methadone clinics to obtain Gov't Heroin (aka methadone kool-aide drinks or biscuits), and I cant even smoke a joint of marijuana privately alone. Where is the democracy of this United States? I am 6th generation American Citizen and I deserve better. Many of my fore-father's and relatives have died for this great nation. Or not so great, if you are ill? ... Charles, 19 June 2007
Medical Weed here i come !!
Brilliant article!! and as such there isn't a need for any addiction treatment since it's actually healthy to smoke weed.Cure for migraines & asthma!!! here i come :-)
The Evil Truth of the conglomerate Drug Companies.....
Its so sadistic and evil of these Drug companies making their billions off the suffering of others! I find it hard to believe that we still can't discover a cure for diseases like cancer, aids, Alzheimers, etc....
As a matter of fact I refuse to believe it. I'm of the opinion that there are many powerful and wealthy people who would stand to lose everything if a cure was developed for some of these diseases. Why would the head of the American Cancer Society or some other organization or drug company want to find a permanent cure for any of these diseases when it would bankrupt them? Wouldn't they rather find "discover" a pill that would alleviate the pain or disease temporarily and have these poor people be dependent on their drugs for relief and have them coming back for more and more?
If a Drug CEO whose companies are paying these senators on both sides of the isle (it really doesn't matter folks, Republicans and Democrats alike) are getting "campaign contributions) to make sure that policies are passed which aid in drug companies doing things benefit their practices. Whatever it may be, whether it's influencing the FDA to shutdown "alternative medical clinics" if it's discovered that they are close in discovering a cure for some "incurable disease" like cancer, MS, Alzheimers, Aids, etc. Just call the head of the FDA to issue a "stop" on a potential cure for these diseases in the name of "protecting the public from potentially dangerous herbs" when the truth of the matter is, natural herbs and plants are far more effective in curing some diseases than a synthetic strand made in the laboratories of Pfizer or Bayer or some other Pharmaceutical giant!
They are all in bed together, our government, FDA, giant drug companies and the american media who get paid billions each year for advertising from these drug companies!! Its a vicious cycle folks! And in the meanwhile the poor public who are oblivious to most of these facts, are herded like sheeps, stuffed with various pills and socialized into believing that western medicine with all its pills and other synthetic garbage is the way to treat incurable diseases! The only thing it cures is the already heavy profit margins of these damn Drug Company CEO's and Pharmaceuticals!!!!
you don't have to smoke it to feel it...
First of all, the legalization of marijuana can help us in more ways than just medically, but I digress. The main point of this comment is to let alot of you know that smoking is not the only way to feel the effects of marijuana and also, certainly, not the most efficient way of using it. There are three other effective and "healthier" alternatives for using marijuana. You could soak it in food grade glycerin for 90 days and basically make liquid THC and either put it on your food/ingest it or you could use it as eye drops, considering your eyeball has a permeable surface. You could cook it in with your food, for example brownies or cookies. Lastly, the most efficient usage of marijuana would be with a vaporizer, which allows 97% THC received and there's little or no harm done to your lungs because it's just water vapor that contains THC... Just sayin'.
pot = medicine
marijuana is MEDICINE!!! im an 18 year old girl living in sacramento, california and i suffer from chronic anxiety and severe mentrual cramps. my anxiety is so severe it makes me nauseus (sorry idk how to spell lol), i cant sit still for ver ylong at all and i always have a feeling of restlessness and tiredness and just prolonged uncomfort. my cramps are just... debilitating... im sure a lot of girls reading this know what i mean. i've found that smoking weed literally eliminates my anxiety and relieves my cramps just a little bit to where theyre at least tolerable (i still pop a few ibuprofen for those cuz its just sickening pain haha). so i got my cannabis card from MediCann (i recommend medicann to anyone looking to get their card because theyre really cool people and understanding... and cuz my doctors last name was Toke :) now my life rulessss. i get to smoke to make me feel better adn its LEGAL. at least in californiaaaa. :/ lets make this shit legal throughout the united states! its what america needs to calm the fuck down and remove the stick that has been shoved so far up our metaphorical anus.
How Time Flies!
Good 'ol Steven Stills didn't sing "For What it's Worth" in 1996-- it was 1966. But what's 30 years in the scheme of things?
:)
right and wrong
Not wanting to get into the fray yet still voice an opinion, in 1996, Steven Stills sang a line in the song, "For What it's Worth" that still rings true--in this case for medical marijuana: "Nobody's right if everybody's wrong." Although some may feel that marijuana isn't healthy, I have to say, this discussion truly is.
DF
Medical use for chronic pain
Medical conglomerates cannot make a profit from a crop thats easily grown in a backyard. They're studies are exposed as slanted to favor their profit motives time and again even to the point of hiding studies that contradict their stated goals.
Fortunately I'm in a position to move to Michigan or California if it came to that. Currently my back pain requires vicodin and skelaxin daily - which I and my DR monitor and dole out cautiously and religously. AS MOST PAIN SUFFERES ALSO DO! We don't need our lives disrupted any further than they already are. If there's another tool in the warchest against chronic pain eventually we'll get it. So many tools I get asked about help only marginally and against DAILY pain they begin to damage the digestive tract, liver and kidneys. Ive already had 3 ulcers.
PS I'm a very very functioning well paid software engineer - my case shows you can manage opiates over 9 years and still function very well. I'm sure it happens all the time, and it would also happen with cannibis in our toolkit.
Legal marijuana
This article presents very clearly and on topic, what medical marijuana does and how it helps. All politicians or people crying out their opinion that not even medical marijuana should be legalized should read this article and become informed.
help find a caregiver
i need a caregiver to grow my medical marijuana where or how do i find one.
Legalization of Medical Marijuana would be a MIRACLE for many!
Our 26 yr. old daughter had Anterior Lumbar (front, on 3 levels), her first surgery on Feb. 26, 2007, they went in on the front side... it was a 3 level (S1-L5, L5-L4,L4-L3) Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) & bone taken from right hip to graft.
Her second surgery was 4 days later on March 2, 2007, they went in on the back side... it was a 3 level (S1-L5, L5-L4,L4-L3) Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) , with rods, plates and screws.
She was on high doses of oxicodone & morophine for 3 years waiting for her insurance company to approve the surgery.
Now almost 2 yrs. after the surgery she has been prescribed a tremendous amount of narcotics...she is trying to only take the meds when she is REALLY in EXCRUCIATING pain. She also has been diaginosed with fibromyalgia and degenerative disc disease. She is in constant pain, even when on the narcotics.
Her father and I feel she should be able, legally, to see if Medical Marijuana would help her. She would like to lead as normal of a life as possible and feels that the leglization of Medical Marijuana is probably her only hope.
My hope is Obama and his
My hope is Obama and his "transperancy" will see through this senseless issue of offering relief. Why is something natural and held in your hand illegal while pills in the hand are? Because of the cost and who the Government needs to get the money. I grew up in Alaska while it was legal to grow it and smoke it, just a state of mellow people, we had one State trooper for our burough, 1200 square miles, and it worked. I am a 5-kinds of cancer survivor who lived through the "we will have to kill you to save you". Marijuana was the true pain medication, the meds they used were acid to my body. My journey has taken 19 years and the biggest differance of it all was the natural grown, I hate pills and needles. Illegal is immoral. Synthetic is sinful. Natural has always been in our history, it's a plant folks. Medicinal-yes but I believe it's far safer than alchohol or tobaccco, both government "enhanced". Wish we had a government that was really truthful to it's citizens, and worked for the benefits thereof. Come on Obama for once and forever admit it's medicinal value and get rid of it's street credentials.
Common Sense for Drug policy
Common Sense for Drug policy CSDP
Statement made by Obama himself
As for medical marijuana ... I'm not familiar with all the details of the initiative that was passed, but I think the basic concept of using medical marijuana for the same purposes and with the same controls as other drugs prescribed by doctors, I think that's entirely appropriate. ...
I was seriously burned in an
I was seriously burned in an accident years back so i have horrible pain in my neck,shoulders,back,knees. My shoulder and neck have contracted so tightly together from scar tissue it basically makes it impossible to function,move,turn even sit still, even smile it eventually turns into a migraine headache.i have smoked marijuana to relieve this pain and it works well.marijuana clearly isnt going to make my scars stop contracting but it makes me able to function and handle it better.I also have sleeping problems because of the pain and PTSD so marijuana makes it possible to relax enough to fall asleep.I have serious problems with temperture both hot and cold make me sweat the summer is my enemy once it hits around 70 degrees the sweat/water pours from my burned scarred face uncontrolably to the point that it makes me light headed and sometimes pass out.which makes it impossible to go outside. I wear a ton of makeup concealer to feel confortable in public the 70 + degree temp makes the makup slide\ melt right off which makes me look ridicules.After I smoke Marijuana i noticed I am able to better handle hot temperatures,shockingly my face would be less likely to profusely sweat so i wouldnt feel like i was going to pass out and my makeup would stay in place better so in return i would panic less about my appearance thus being able to focus on doing things.Did I mention Marijuana makes it easier to be a burn survivor!!!Now Im have always smoked marijuana since even before my accident yet i didnt know the positive effects it would later have in my day to day manage ment of pain.Also the Rage I feel from beening a horrible burned monster is seriously lessened since smoking marijuana which i feel is very important for my emotional well being.I have never heard of marijuana ruining anyones life! I do however have personal knoledge of how alcohol can ruin lives if not kill people.You see I was burned 33 % of my body third degree. I was burned when a junior in highschool 17 year old decided to buy grain alcohol illegally from a liquor store.Than that 17 year old gave that plastic bottle of 190 proof Grain alcohol to a group of 17 year olds up in a barn then she left for Italy.That group of 17 year olds were first at a keg party for underage kids were there was no supervision they got drunk and headed back to the barn.where they started to play with the grain alcohol by pouring it on a flaming candle in a bowl and watching it explode.hours later I show up after work unaware of what they had been doing earlier, within less than 20 minutes of me being there 2 of the underage drunk boys decided to begin playing there earlier game of playing with fire and alcohol.Within a moments notice they poured the plastic bottle of 190 proof grain alcohol on a lit candle that was in a bowl on a coffee table as we sat infront of it on an L shaped couch.. it exploded and engulfed me with flames for what seemed like minutes they put me out with a blanket.It horribly burned me and another girl.since everyone was underage no one was punished for our injuries it became a civil suit.I guess drinking under age is not a big deal to RI authorities.I guess selling alcohol to minors isnt punished either since the liquor company wasnt fined for the underage sale to minors!!plus I lost the part of my lawsuit against the liquor company because its not foreseable to a liquor company that if you sell liquor to underage kids the will set it on fire? go figure.So thats how alcohol ruined my life!! i would rather have all forms of alcohol be illegal since RI has the worst druck driving rate of all the states it shows you how Much Ri depends on Liquor sales tax.since many people die from alcohol related problems why isnt it illegal??? maybe because the government thinks its an even trade alcohol tax for lives???how about cigerettes their legal explain that bullshit.ummm can you say 3.75 tax a pack and they will continue to raise it thats Rhode Islands way of making money.. billions!!!If the government wants out of this recession they need to legalize marijuana!!! treat it like cigerettes tax the shit out of it!!! for everyone! except people who get it for medical reasons dont tax them. Make it illegal for anyone under 18 to be in possesion of it or on it.make it illegal to allow anyone over 18 to use it around anyone under 18.make it illegal to drive around while smoking.for home use only.license everyone who wants to grow it tax that too. Maybe control the amount no more then a QP or so at once unless you have a growers license no more than 50 plants in so many square feet.Its a gold mine for the Government they just need to swallow their pride and justifiy it inteligently to the public.Have Obama speak to the world about it only the republicans will have a problem with it. When i was first burned i was offered a morphine drip which i declined to use. I was given vicoden in the hospital only to have the nurses change it to oxycontin because they didnt want me addicted to vicoden? explain that one to me.Why would oxycontin be safer that vicoden?anyway I hated the oxycontin it made me itchy and since i was burned i was extremly itchy so i didnt need anymore itchyness. so I threw out a huge container of oxycontin and decided even though i was horribly scared of fire,flames i still decided to medicate myself with Marijuana even then to stop the horrible pain of freshly burned skin, skingrafts plastic surgeries and PTSD.Since I was force fed so many pills in the hospital you can imagine what going to the bathroom was like so i refuse to take any more pills in my life.I dont need to be a guinne pig for the pill companies.I think the government is selfish to get people strung out on oxycontin ect.Marijuana gets me through the day can you imagine waking up everyday horribly scarred by burns and having to see your face hardly resemble your old self.I keep to myself because of my situation and issues with groups of people.Marijuana is the only thing that relaxes me and stops me from playing my horrible accident over and over in my mind again PTSD.I did try differnt pills for depression ,anxiety,anger,you name it they made me more crazy! taking pills and talking to a counsler about my accident only made me more enraged and having to drive by the idiot that burned my daily in such a small town would send me into a Bipolar type rage nearly sending me to retaliate against this idiot!! luckly Marijuana has relaxed my rage enough to keep me away from him and everyone that reacts negatively about how i look.It seems a little silly to hear critics say if you legalize medical marijuana or just legalize it period than what message does this send our kids.Since alcohol is legal once it was legal to drink at 18 now its changed to 21. cigerettes are legal the governtment doesnt see that as what message are we sending our kids?Prozac,lexapro,depacoat all given to kids even though they are known to make you act on suicide thoughts.all of this legal and pumped into society.Did I mention My boyfriend of almost 8 years devloped an illegal oxycontin habbit that ruined his life for like 4 years hes finally off of them only to be given Suboxen to get him off of the oxycontin,oh yea hes addicted to that now Way to go Doc thanks for not taking control and weening him off!! he will be addicted to that instead for life.Its almost like the drug-pill companies are scared that medical marijuana will make it harder for them to push their pills on society!!!thanks drug companies!!! ok this is getting a little long and my neck\back is acting up again time to go self medicate =)
Need in florida
I am 16 years old and suffer from slight aneroxia, like i cant even swallow without thinkin about throwin it all back up, wich really cant be good and the only thing tht works would be marijuana, or codene wich is far worse for a 16 year old than marijuana is. I also have a severe chest pain from smoking so many ciggerattes because of how hard/expensive marijuana is to get.. if it was legal i wouldnt have to worry about any of this and could live normally.. ps i live in palm beach county a hard hit drug area (cops everywhere lol)
CNBC Marijuana Inc. Inside America’s Pot Industry
CNBC will be premiering Marijuana Inc. Inside America’s Pot Industry on Thursday, January 22nd at 9p ET / 10p PT. The marijuana trade has long been one of the country’s leading black market industries. What factors continue to help this taboo business thrive and how is the government profiting as a result? Join Trish Regan as she explores this growing industry and how it has expanded into a major business with its own sophisticated network of growers, workers, and quasi-legal retail outlets, in the form of medical marijuana dispensaries.
Web extras are coming soon to http://originals.cnbc.com.
Sneak preview on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/watch/51204/cnbc-originals-marijuana-inc-inside-americas-pot-industry#s-p1-so-i1
Thanks
do your homework before you
do your homework before you say it can't help people ask god why he put it herethen ask the potolitians why they don't legalize it money
My Medicine of Choice
Thankfully the great state of Michigan has passed a bill for usage of Medical Marijuana. I think it is down right dirty the way the government states the downfalls of Marijuana (cancer, emphysema..etc), YET cigarettes are legal and that doesn't even do anything for the person inhaling. At least Marijuana gives someone "stress relief" or reduced pain. I use it for Bipolar. I refuse to take pills that haven't been around for but a couple years. We don't know the side effects of anti-depressants or a non psychoactive tablet. Those fix a "chemical imbalance", but at what cost? Later in life will I become immune to anti-depressants and become even worse?? You don't know, the FDA doesn't know.. No one does. My liver will probably become paralyzed and stop functioning. I mean doctors hand the crap out like candy and I've been giving dosage's that made me feel literally careless.
EX: like if a fire started two feet away from me at a gas-station.
I was a complete zombie. So I quit taking it all together. I rarely ever smoked marijuana, throughout high school I maybe got high twice a year. Recently I went to a friend's house *anxiety shooting through the roof* and she offered me a hit and I took a few puffs, and every ounce of stress was set free. I only have a small bowl in the morning and after dinner... just enough to make me get threw the mornings without having a mental breakdown, and to help me get to sleep late at night so I don't constantly think about the worse. I have been commented on since I have started smoking that I am calmer and I haven't been letting things get to me - as in the past. I don't abuse it and I can function properly. I don't drive, I make sure of that. On almost every prescription (vicodin, naprosyn, oxycodone) I've got in the past, it says to not function heavy machinery or drive a motor vehicle. DAH! I do know enough marijuana should be used just as cautiously.
To those of you who think legalizing marijuana is dumb, unethical and your totally against it, I think you really need to talk to someone who knows the facts, and who uses *not to get high/stoned*, but to get relief on things that take over their lives. It is ridiculous it became illegal in the first place. If it can give someone better life, why is it even a debate?
legalizing medical marijuana
I think they should legalize marijuana period.Up until 4 years ago. I never touched the stuff, until my husband was dignosed with throat cancer. and our daughter died the same month. It calms me down, and relieves my back pain and pain spasms for my bladder. Its a natural herb. So legalize it. There's alot of people in so much pain. Some one has to listen to use.
Its a natural herb that should be legalized
I think that marijuana should be legalizecd because its a natural herb that grows in the grown. It is not man made and it doesn't have man made chemicals in it. People are going to use it weather its legal or not so why not go ahead and make it legal to use if even putting an age limit on it? The government would make so much money off of the profit that its not even funny because so many people smoke marijuana.
"In 1995, 165,000 people
"In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, showing they need help to stop using the drug."
Now that's a bit presumptuous. A lot of these people entering drug treatment facilities did so to avoid jail time, or because it was required by law for their type of offense. They are not all willingly going there on their own just because they use marijuana.
Should Be Legalized
There are several reasons why i believe marijuana should be legalized. First of all, smoking marijuana does NOT cause lung cancer. It's actually quite the opposite. It has been proven in animals that CBD inhibits the growth and spread of cancer cells. It is also stated that marijuana helps nausea and clinical depression due to chemotherapy. Marijuana can also be used as a pain reliever for many things, such as; headache, dysentery, menstrual cramps, and depression. As for neurological diseases, it can treat certain illnesses such as bipolar disorder and epilepsy. Cannabis is also found to relieve tics in OCD and Tourette syndom patients. Patients with Multiple Sclerosis are able to use marijuana to aid with muscle spasms associated with it. There is no reason that cannabis shouldn't be legalized for medical purposes. It isn't right to deny a relief of pain to those who ask for it. Although it wouldn't be bad to completely legalize it. If you think about it, alcohol has much worse effects on your body. While under the influence of marijuana, it is still possible to function properly and think clearly. While under the influence of alcohol, its nearly impossible to operate. Also, alcohol damages many things in your body. It damages nerve ends, destroys your liver, and damages your brain. Not to mention it is physically addictive unlike marijuana.
Medicinal Marijuana
I agree that the people who have never experienced chronic pain, or the effects of chemotherapy really have little to contribute to the discussion as far as tretment for those things go. I have done my homework on marijuana for over thirty years and I continue to learn as much as I can, pro and con about the use of this plant by rational adults.
It seems to me the constituion guaranteed us the right to life, liberty and happiness in the US. It is difficult to maintain a positive attitude, much less happiness, while experiencing bone crushing pain and fatigue like nothing you can imagine.
We freely allow food manufacturers along with the blessings of the FDA, to poison our children with stuff that isn't even food on a daily basis, endanger the lives and health of an entire nation with laws making it illegal to educate the public about natural foods and medicines(which we were designed for in the first place), and we allow these politicians to continue to prevent us from treating our myriad health issues with the plants intended to heal us!
This is absolute craziness! I will be forced to move to a state where I can take care of myself. Without medical marijuana, I have found myself in a condition making it impossible for me to be self supporting and I refuse to become one of the hordes of the people sucking at the state's tit for a livelihood.
When are we as a country going to wake up and take control of our lives?
Marajuana
Ok I am in full support of legalizing this for medical purpose on the whole. Many studies have been done and I have not come across any article that states anyone has suffered from cancer due to this or second hand smoke, that is from cigarettes because of all the junk they put in them. If you want to be safe while smoking, use a reusable pipe made out of blown glass, that way it can be cleaned, and had no junk in it. Oh to our friend that states do your research, it sounds to me it might suit you to do some as well before offering an opinion, and try being a bit more polite about it if you want others to listen to you.
FROM NIGERIA
I think people should find the causes of their problems,and stop labelling marijuana beacause its safer than the legalized tobbaco.The gratest legends of time smoked marijuana e.g Bob nesta marley the reggae legend and Fela Anikulakpokuti the great Afro beat legend from nigeria.And also snoop dog a living legend.PEOPLE OF THE WORLD SHOULD STOP LABELLING MARIJUANA.LEGALISE IT.WE WILL ADVERTISE IT.
I changed my mind 6 months ago
I live in Florida where marijuana is still not legal. I wasn't for or against making this drug legal until six months ago. I hurt my back at work and was put on Oxicotin 30mg 3xdly, Soma 10mg 3xdly, percecet 10/325mg 3xdly, methadone 10mg 5xdly, and was still in a lot of pain. My doctor suggested that if pot was legal he would be perscribing it. I started smoking pot only 1/2 hour before I go to bed. I am now only taking methadone for pain
any help here
how did you bring it up to your doctor? Or did he bring it up? I wanted to bring it up to my doctor but Im worried he will laugh at me or just think im a pot head.does it take a marijuana smoking doctor to understand? im in RI and Im preety sure its legal medically since the po po busted down the door of a legal growing medical marijuana home after getting a tip and the homeowner\grower produced a license to legally grow it and the police couldnt do anything!!!! and the po po was pissed...until he found the growers son in possesion of his own stash in a seperate building on the property and the son was arrested.anyway do you have any advice on how to approach my doctor or any doctor. I also heard of another person who has back pain and i heard he was going to talk to his doctor about trying to get medical marijuana growers license or get himself a care giver to grow it up to 10 plants or something? little info
i would like to comment
i would like to comment about the use of marijuana and epilepsy.there are many drugs that have come out as new drugs to help seizures but as many doctors know if more than 3 different epileptic drugs dont work to settle seizures then the chances of any other drugs working is extremely low.marijuana does help seizures.i know i have someone very close to me that has tried all new drugs out there and nothing has stoped the seizures in fact she has only gotten worse.she has tried marijuana and the results were a complete stop of seizures,at the least a very very noticable decrease in the seizure activity.marijuana can be eaten or vaporized or in a tinture made of either alcohol or gycerin.but the purest form seems to be vaporized.that is nothing but steam and thc and cannabinods(sp).no one should have to be desperate to try anything in order to get to use marijuana,it should be as available as any other medication if not more.the side effects from the medications that can be prescribed many have much more serious side effects that can kill u or distroy your blood cells and many other negative effects.i have seen this with my own eyes.marijuana has been around much longer than so many medications we get from the pharmacy.please keep your mind open when it comes to the use of marijuana.no one should be near deaths door just to MAYBE get access to it.and when it comes off the street it is hard to say which strain u r getting and is it the customised one for your condition? please help to legalize this medication so others in need can get the help they so need and DESERVE!!
thanks
marijuana
lung cancer is not caused by the paper that they use or used in the past it is caused by all the garbage the cigarette manufacturers are putting in them. one of the main causes of lung cancer is the tar that they put in.also everyone is born with cancer in there body my father in-law smoked 3-4 packs a day for 45 years and he died from a unrelated bone infection. the doctor`s were amazed when they did look at his lung because they were 100% clear.I am in the same boat as mr.kwaitkowski i suffer from chronic pain that was brought on by severe osteoarthritis. i played all the sports for years over the past 7years i havegone through 17 surgeries on my knees alone.and my lower back hips sholders ankles all have arthritis. marijuana does help get rid of the pain. i take enough addictive pain pills that if the a normal person took what i took there heart would stop. what about our constant suffering. people who don`t live with chronic pain every day have no business saying what works and what doesn`t. there are days that i just want to pack my stuff and move to a state that has medical marijuana for chronic pain. if it works and the ama says it works why can`t a doctor prescribe it for the people who need it. this state needs to get a clue. i can`t even find marijuana to help my pains so i take pills that don`t work but if i don`t i would be in a world of trouble. sorry for being so long people.
marijuana
i felt that the five years that i have been smoking "pot" that its the only thing that seems to calm my nerves.after i smoke it i feel pure and soothed.
Yeah
Look it doesnt Cause Lung cancer. The papper they used to smoke it with caused lung cancer. Understand. it can kill premature lung cancer cells. and can takea Lung tumuer and decrees it by half. ohh and theres a safe way of somkeing it it's called a VAPAORIZER
Tobacco has 500+ chemicals
Tobacco has 500+ chemicals in it.
What do you think that will cause> I been smoking pot 43 yrs. no problem whatsoever! I am healthy as a horse. OOPS! Go figure.
This should be legalized
This should be legalized because its no worse than going out and getting drunk but noone cares that people die from drinking but if you can tell me one person that has died from smoking weed. Most people that i have talked to have said that it is alot safer and you can drive from place to place while on the drug but doesnt affect the way your body works. if anything marijuana should be legalized and drinking alcohol should be illegal but noone cares if people die from drinking but there is still no recording of people dying from marijuana. but thats what i have to say on this subject because its starting to annoy me by how peopl can go drink but then those who dont drink have to sit around and do nothing. IT SHOULD BE LEGALIZED THIS IS A DUMB LAW.
in a study of the effects
in a study of the effects on marijuana on 1128 people 27 of them died from lung cancer. an for the person who wants marijuana for their spasms etc. there is a synthetic drug that xtracts the ingrediants from the plant that giv thoughs effects. it is expensive but its legal. wont giv u lung cancer. wont giv u the associated sycoatic side effects and will work without wearing off over time! its not as effective in pain relief as smoking the stuff but its still being worked on and improved. look it up!!!
Ever heard of Marinol? Look
Ever heard of Marinol? Look that up. That is already being used.
medical marijuana
I have no idea where you got your information but it is wrong. did you bother to check to see if any of the people who died had any effect`s from cigarette or cigar smoke. did they live or work in a second hand cigarette smoke area. look at all the people who become highly addicted to oxycontin,morphine,vicodin,percocet,ect. i suffer from chronic pain. i have went through 17 surgeries on my knees. i have severe osteoarthritis in my knees.hips,lower back,sholder joint`s. so don`t you dare go and say it shouldn`t be legalized for at least pain. do your homework before you open your trap. it is not to take to a party or sell it is medication.i to live in n.j. our congressman lautenberg is 72 so he is clueless on the issue. they would rather see people suffer. the worst part is that these elected officials are calling us liars.they need to be elected out to the street.
you really need to get you
you really need to get you info worked out and there is meds that can help you. maybe if you are more worried about how this world is going to be for your kids with legal drugs going around. they willnot even know how to read bc they found this cool drug in their parnets bathroom. thing about this you could buy drugs at any local store, so when your kid goes to buy some gum they could also buy some weed isnt that nice. just think about the whole picture before you speak, you would do us all a favor!!!
medical marijuana.
this shouldnt be legalized. given i have smoked it before. there is no dening that it messes you up and you shuld go and legalize it just because there are some undercover potheads working for the government.
what???
Obviously you have never watched a loved one die from cancer. I feel sorry for people who think they know everything, because those are the ones who know absolutely NOTHING.
Do you feel that it "messes
Do you feel that it "messes you up" if you are in chronic pain, crippled by muscle spasms, and have no quality of life? If no other medications give you any relief or help? I am pretty sure this is not about you, but about the benefits that others receive. If you do not like it, and it is legalized, then don't use it! Same with cigarettes, alchohol, and any other "medicines" that are legal and on the market.
taking real drugs off the streets and saving the planet go green
i am paralized from the waist down i take 4 ten milligram tabs of valium a day and 3 ten mil .of bacoflen a day i have chronic pain and take 3 eighty miligrams of oxycontin legal herion and 5 fifteen milagrams of oxycondone more legal herion a dayit is hard for me to got to the bathroom to crap because of all the opiates and 4 one mil tabs of ativan for my stomach ,irriatable bowel all these meds probably are killing my liver yet if they would legalize pot i could probably live a lot better life one it would not cost as much and i could have a normal bowel movement i would gladly do away with the herion if i could somke weed i have no children at home she is grown i have smoked for 39 years don't have cancer but am addicated to legal herion i have rsds a degenerative spine rotting my dr says also says if it were legal he would put me on it in a heartbeat but the government can't make any money off of it except to bust you put you in jail take all you have andcharge you money in a court and make you a criminal all because they haven't figured out that they wouldn't have to worry about smuggllers, dealers,narcoterrisom and a host of other problems in our undivided states of america legalize it let people grow what they need and if caught selling it charge them of course they could awalys make rope,clothes,power cars, stop green house gases, i've never heard of a murder high on pot, a rapest,a robber high to get pot but herion yes god put it here use it responsiable and legalize it already get rid of cigirettes alchol,immorality, and all the things that will actually kill you and just make it legal ask willie nelson how it has hurt him
I cant believe that some
I cant believe that some people(all you anti-marijuana sacks)can be so insensitive to others. I say: Give EVERYONE who suffers and would benefit from medical marijuana, the right to legally buy and use it as they see fit. My girlfriend has epilepsy and I'm sick of the doctors not knowing what to do. I smoke marijuana for recreational purposes and she sometimes has a toke. She ALWAYS feel better afterwards(the drugs they give her makes her depressed) and has since contemplated the idea of medical marijuana. Oh and I use it daily and can't say that I'm messed up. I hold a great job and live way above average. So give the dissing of this amazing, God-given plant a rest guys.
medical marijuana
They argue they want it legalized, AND your reply is "It Messes you up".How old are you or are you from the dark ages. The Lord has a place for judgmental people like you.There are more than 30 000 brilliant reasons for making it legal and your response is I QUOTE "it messes you up"
[...]
Wake Up , We going into an era where ages 25 to 35 have realized that we THE PEOPLE have to take back our power from the rich and ignorant so that bread of God can be used freely by Everyone.
i [HEART] mary jane
now you listen here kiddos, there is absolutely nothing wrong with smokin the old mary jane. back in the day when i was a youngen, we used to get full ounces for half a nickel, now look at it... people are havin debates over whether it should be legalized... and it should be!!!
sure it kills ya but ya hav a good time for the time period in which you do live. have you ever heard of someone dying from a marijuana OD?? no, i didnt think so. and who told you about the government?! solve every ones problems and just smoke it, then no one would argue over it, they would just grow it. for medical reasons, of course....
why dont you make it bigger?
And bring it up to your state.
if you havent already.
i think it would be smart and a rational arguement.
and who knows? if you do it...then who will follow in other states.
if we could get a reasonable arguement and a believable argument of why medical marijuana should be legal in all fifty-two states then we should try to make a difference.
it doesnt make sense that the gov't would give you these pharmacutical drugs that you could possibly over dose on or could leave you a complete zombie over legalizing medical marijuana which you couldnt possibly over dose on if one or two joints is all you need for the day to be okay and your normal everyday life can be normal instead of wondering around through the day not knowing up from down.
having experience with both marijuana would definitely be the proper medicine to use in this situation. So why not try to make change and get it legalized?
Post new comment