Use of Marijuana as Medicine
Use of Marijuana As Medicine
If your every waking moment was consumed by pain and nausea, wouldn 't you ask for medication? What if the only medication legally available would leave you unconscious or do nothing at all? If you were the one suffering, would you resort to the only treatment that allowed you to live normally even though it was illegal? Thousands of people across the country are forced to break the law to ease their pain. They have chosen marijuana over anything legally available because it has various medicinal properties that cannot be found anywhere else. Due to these many unique medicinal uses, marijuana should be reclassified as a valid, legal form of treatment. Marijuana has many unique uses as a form of treatment. It has been used effectively to combat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, to reduce the internal pressure of the eyes of glaucoma patients, and to prevent the "wasting syndrome" in AIDS and cancer patients ("Marijuana for the Sick" A10). As an alternative to using actual marijuana, modern science has developed a synthetic form of THC, the active chemical in marijuana. However, this synthetic drug, called Marinol, is useless for most everyday treatment because it has the unpleasant side effect of being a powerful sedative. A member of Milwaukee 's AIDS community, said that a friend of his was taking Marinol to increase his appetite: "He spends the whole day laughing and watching movies...He can 't even drive a car because he 's so out of it." (3/25/97) In addition to that, Marinol only comes in pill form, which makes it useless for patients taking it for nausea. Marijuana has neither of those drawbacks. Because it is usually smoked, even the most nauseous patient can use it as well as easily regulate their intake ("Medical Marijuana" 23). No prescription drug offers the benefits and potential of marijuana. Many people have testified to marijuana 's validity as a unique form of treatment. One of these, Robert Randall, one of
If your every waking moment was consumed by pain and nausea, wouldn 't you ask for medication? What if the only medication legally available would leave you unconscious or do nothing at all? If you were the one suffering, would you resort to the only treatment that allowed you to live normally even though it was illegal? Thousands of people across the country are forced to break the law to ease their pain. They have chosen marijuana over anything legally available because it has various medicinal properties that cannot be found anywhere else. Due to these many unique medicinal uses, marijuana should be reclassified as a valid, legal form of treatment. Marijuana has many unique uses as a form of treatment. It has been used effectively to combat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, to reduce the internal pressure of the eyes of glaucoma patients, and to prevent the "wasting syndrome" in AIDS and cancer patients ("Marijuana for the Sick" A10). As an alternative to using actual marijuana, modern science has developed a synthetic form of THC, the active chemical in marijuana. However, this synthetic drug, called Marinol, is useless for most everyday treatment because it has the unpleasant side effect of being a powerful sedative. A member of Milwaukee 's AIDS community, said that a friend of his was taking Marinol to increase his appetite: "He spends the whole day laughing and watching movies...He can 't even drive a car because he 's so out of it." (3/25/97) In addition to that, Marinol only comes in pill form, which makes it useless for patients taking it for nausea. Marijuana has neither of those drawbacks. Because it is usually smoked, even the most nauseous patient can use it as well as easily regulate their intake ("Medical Marijuana" 23). No prescription drug offers the benefits and potential of marijuana. Many people have testified to marijuana 's validity as a unique form of treatment. One of these, Robert Randall, one of
Cited: Brazaitis, Tom. "The Illegal Wonder Drug." Plain Dealer 2 July. 1995: 1C-2C. "Marijuana for the Sick." New York Times 30 Dec. 1996: A10. Conant, Marcus. "This Is Smart Medicine." Newsweek 3 Feb. 1997: 26. McCaffrey, Barry. "We 're on a Perilous Path." Newsweek 3 Feb. 1997: 27. "Medical Marijuana. "Issues and Controversies on File" 10 Jan. 1997: 22-23. Brookhiser, Richard. "Pot Luck." National Review 11 Nov. 1996: 27-28.