Medical Marijuana - The Debate Rages On

Marijuana, also known as marijuana, is also called pot, grass, and weed. However its official name is cannabis. It is made from the flowers and leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant. It is illegal in many countries, and possession is a crime. Schedule I substances are substances that have a high potential for abuse but have not been proven to have any medical uses. Many studies have shown that marijuana has naturaliscbduk medicinal properties, particularly in the treatment of terminal illnesses like cancer and AIDS. The debate about medical marijuana's pros and cons erupted. The Institute of Medicine's 1999 IOM report, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing Science Base, was published to settle the matter. Although the report was thorough, it did not provide a definitive yes or no answer. Part of the report is often used by the opposing camps to support their arguments for medical marijuana. Despite clarifying many points, the report did not resolve the issue.

Let's take a look at the reasons why medical marijuana should not be illegal.

(1) Marijuana, a naturally occurring plant, has been used as a herbal medicine from South America to Asia for many millennia. A naturally occurring herb such as marijuana may be safer than synthetic drugs in this age of all-natural and organic health buzzwords.

(2) Marijuana is a powerful therapeutic agent. Numerous studies have shown that cannabis can be used to analgesic purposes, such as pain relief. To treat pain. Some studies have shown that THC, which is a component of marijuana, can be used to treat chronic pain suffered by patients with cancer. Studies on acute pain, such as those caused by trauma or surgery, have not produced conclusive results. A few studies have shown that certain marijuana components have antiemetic qualities and can therefore be effective against nausea and vomiting. These side effects are common with radiation therapy and cancer chemotherapy. Researchers believe that cannabis may have some therapeutic potential for neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis. Certain compounds from marijuana are thought to have powerful therapeutic properties. Cannobidiol, a key component of marijuana, has antipsychotic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Other cannabinoids were shown to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), which is a major risk factor in glaucoma. The US FDA has approved drugs that contain active ingredients found in marijuana, but were synthesized in the laboratory. Marinol is an antiemetic drug that can be used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy. The active ingredient of the drug is dronabinol. It's a synthetic delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol.

(3) The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), an American-based organization, is one of the main proponents for medical marijuana. Many organizations and medical societies have supported legalization. The American College of Physicians recommended that the Schedule I marijuana classification be reevaluated in their 2008 position paper. ACP supports research into marijuana's therapeutic potential and exempts doctors from federal criminal prosecution, civil liability, or professional sanctioning if they prescribe or dispense medical marijuana according to state law. Patients who use medical marijuana in accordance with state laws are also protected from civil or criminal penalties.

(4) Medical marijuana can be legally used in many countries. This argument is based on the argument that if they are able to do it, why shouldn't we? Another strong point is: Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands have all legalized medical marijuana. However, strict prescription controls are in place for some countries like Spain, Israel, Spain, Israel, Israel and Canada. Exemptions are allowed in some states in the USA.

Here are some arguments that medical marijuana is not a good idea.

(1) Insufficient data regarding safety and effectiveness. Safety is the first priority in drug regulation. Safety of marijuana and its constituents must be established first. Second is efficacy. Even though marijuana may have some positive health effects, they should be considered medically acceptable. It may not be possible to approve marijuana for medical use if it isn't better than other drugs on the market. Robert J. Meyer, from the Department of Health Effects Of Marijuana and Human Services, testified that anyone can have access to any drug or treatment without having the knowledge or ability to use it. Patients are not helped by simply having access to information about safety, efficacy, or proper use.

(2) Unknown chemical constituents. The only way to get medical marijuana is through herbal forms. Marijuana falls under the umbrella of botanical products, just like other herbs. However, unpurified botanical products face many difficulties, including lot-to–lot consistency, dosage determination potency, shelf life, toxicity, and lot-to–lot consistency. The IOM report states that marijuana's future as a medicine lies in its individual components, which include the cannabinoids, and their synthetic derivatives. It would take so long and so much money to fully identify the components of marijuana that it would make it prohibitively expensive to produce the drugs that would result. No pharmaceutical company is interested in spending money on marijuana to find more therapeutic compounds.

(3) The potential for abuse. It is addictive to use marijuana or cannabis. Although it may not be as addictive than hard drugs like cocaine, there is still the possibility of substance abuse with cannabis. A few studies have shown this, as summarized in IOM's report.

(4) A lack of safe delivery systems. Smoking is the most popular method of delivering marijuana. This delivery method will not be approved by the health authorities due to current anti-smoking laws. Still in testing, reliable and safe delivery systems such as vaporizers or nebulizers or inhalers, are being developed.

(5) It is a treatment that treats symptoms, not cures. Although marijuana may have therapeutic properties, its only purpose is to treat certain symptoms. These diseases are not treated or cured by marijuana. It is effective in treating these symptoms. There are medications that work just as well, or better, than marijuana.

With the scientific evidence at that time, the 1999 IOM report couldn't settle the medical marijuana debate. Although the report strongly discouraged smoking marijuana, it did allow for medical marijuana to be used via a medical inhaler and vaporizer. The report recommended that marijuana be used compassionately under medical supervision. It also recommended that more funds be allocated to research on the safety and efficacy cannabinoids.

What is the best way to clarify the IOM report's questions? Health authorities don't seem interested in another review. The data is very limited and biased towards safety concerns regarding the harmful effects of smoking marijuana. The only data available about efficacy comes from synthetic cannabinoids studies (e.g. THC. This makes it difficult to make an objective risk-benefit analysis.

Due to strict regulations and limited funding, clinical studies on marijuana are difficult and often incontinence. Due to the complex legalities involved, few pharmaceutical companies invest in cannabinoid studies. It is often unclear how medical marijuana should be defined. Is it just the use of marijuana as a botanical product or can it also include synthetic cannabinoid compounds (e.g. It can also include THC and its derivatives. Synthetic cannabinoids, e.g. Marinol, a synthetic cannabinoid (e.g. The issue is further complicated by conspiracy theories surrounding the drug regulators and the pharmaceutical industry.