(no subject)
The term, ‘fragrant cane’ seems like the most poetic way of describing the cannabis sativa plant. After all, marijuana is cultivated in nearly every country and is ready to botanically adapt to almost any given environment. The term weed was then given to this plant, mainly because of its abundant growth in nearly every cultural setting. That reason alone is probably why cannabis was discovered very early in man’s agricultural development and 144 million people are estimated to use marijuana around the world. Then why does the legalization of this plant a controversial and often eagerly debated topic? Cannabis has not only been around since early man, but is also proven to treat many certain conditions and relieve symptoms associated with various terminal illnesses. Canada as well as several states in the U.S. have passed laws in recent years to specifically allow sick individuals to use marijuana for medicinal purposes after a doctor’s prescription. Still, the U.S. federal government considers marijuana a Schedule One substance which has no medicinal value. The US government needs to implement pro legalization legislation of medicinal marijuana for those in need. Sick people should be allowed to use marijuana medicinally for the treatment and relief of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms and certain pain associated with diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Glaucoma, and Cancer.
The story of a Persian sect leader, Haydar told by the Islamic chronicler al-Maqrizi is one of the oldest known tales regarding the cannabis plant. According to the story, as Haydar was walking near the monastery near northern Iran he discovered a plant standing in the hot sun, unwithered by the immense heat. He cut off a few leaves and began to chew them as he walked. These leaves were said to put the man in a capricious mood and after returning to the monastery with a smile on his face he told his fellow monks what he had discovered. It is said that the old man remained elated until his death at an old age. This fable simply reaffirms the effectiveness of this polytypic plant and is one of the earliest stories regarding marijuana’s psycho-active mind bending properties which were discovered very early in man’s history. Cannabis is a psychotomimetic drug which means that it is a hallucinogenic which affects the mind and alters perception. The United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (NODCCP) states that marijuana grows in at least two thirds of all countries in the world. It is then no wonder that such tales exist documenting the well known effects of the plant. Despite the facts and age old fables, there are many prevalent issues that stand in the way of legalizing the cannabis sativa plant.
The physcho active effects of the drug are pleasurable feelings of elation and well being as well as a heightening of imagination. Cannabis is non toxic and no deaths have been recorded from overdosing. Further, Cannabis is considered non habit forming and a halt in usage does not bring about the agonies of withdrawal that are normally associated with other drugs such as heroin. It is now clear that what many younger users refer to as ‘digity dank’ is a widely accepted and generally safe substance. However, the legalization front is a battleground of conflicting opinions and misinterpreted facts. In July 2001, Canada became the first country in the world to legalize the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes allowing those with chronic and terminal illnesses to grow and use their own. The popularity of the drug among recreational users in the 1970’s caused a gigantic debate among the US government and citizens of the country. In response, the federal government enacted the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which established five categories into which illicit and prescription drugs were placed. The Controlled Substance Act confined marijuana to Schedule 1, defining the drug as having a high potential for abuse, as well as lacking an accepted medical use and lacking safety for use under medical supervision.
Users are aware that marijuana's medicinal use is highly beneficial in treating nausea, appetite loss and muscle spasms however marijuana's Schedule 1 category placement prevented doctors from prescribing it, and at this point research approval and funding are severely restricted. This ongoing legal battle is unfair to those that are suffering from illnesses who cannot legally obtain marijuana for therapeutic use. Although previous research shows that marijuana use is not for every patient, those that are able to find relief of their symptoms through marijuana use need to obtain access to the drug. While tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary active ingredient in marijuana, is an FDA-approved drug referred to as dronabinol and marketed as Marinol, possession of the plant itself in dried form is considered a federal crime. Despite this prohibition, over the course of the past thirty years, several states have passed legislation allowing for research regarding the drug’s medical value. Several petitions to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been submitted asking for the transfer of marijuana from a schedule 1 to a schedule 2 narcotic. This transfer would allow the prescribing of the drug by doctors to patients in need. In response to the petitions, the DEA agreed to hold public hearings for the reclassification.
Several patients with illnesses such as Glaucoma and Cancer attended public hearings along with their physicians and testified in favor of marijuana as a therapeutic medicine. The DEA then instituted the Compassionate Investigative New Drug (IND) program in which patients and their doctors could apply to the federal government for permission to obtain medicinal marijuana. The Bush administration however, took away this program in 1991 in order to continue the administration’s “War on Drugs”. Although Marinol became legal and available for distribution in 1986, the THC containing drug was too expensive for the average patient, and proven to be less effective than dried marijuana itself which is used for smoking. A breakthrough was made on September 6, 1988, when the DEA's chief administrative law judge, Francis L. Young, declared that marijuana in its natural form is "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man”. The reclassification of marijuana to schedule 2 was nearing; however the DEA opposed the move. Today the compassionate use program is being used to distribute medicinal marijuana to sick and dying patients in California. A newly created advocacy group in Santa Cruz called the Drug Policy Alliance is now engaged in legal battles to medicinally distribute marijuana. Despite ongoing proposals to allow patients with Glaucoma and those undergoing chemotherapy due to cancer to obtain medicinal marijuana from their physicians, the stern attitude from the federal government regarding the drug makes it seem as though legalization will not be available in the near future.
When examining the research performed on these patients, the use of marijuana has been on numerous occasions proven to alleviate pain and muscle spasms. Further, marijuana usage has also proven to stimulate appetite and relieve nausea associated with cancer treatment. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are forced to undergo dangerous and unpleasant side effects from this treatment. The condition of these patients eventually deteriorates and these individuals not only suffer emotional effects because of their treatment, but physical effects as well such as not being able to eat. Cannabis can be used as an antiemetic, which is a drug that relieves nausea and allows patients undergoing chemotherapy to eat and live normally. Smoking marijuana in such cases is far more effective than taking it orally and the effects are seen only moments after use. The immediate effect allows patients to attempt to live their lives in a less debilitating fashion and the euphoric effects of marijuana further help to alleviate depression found among many cancer patients. Patients suffering from multiple sclerosis experience a gradual deterioration of nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The central nervous system is affected by this illness causing patients to have painful muscle spasms, weakness and other effects. Smoking marijuana for some patients has proven to alleviate some of these symptoms and according to Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine, cannabis may even retard the progression of the disease. Further marijuana has proven to alleviate intra ocular pressure found in patients suffering from Glaucoma while other medications for the disease have proven unsafe with many negative side effects. There must be more research conducted in the treatment of other diseases with the use of marijuana.
Prohibition of marijuana is not reducing drug use. Despite popular opinions of marijuana abuse among adolescents and the term “gateway drug” regarding marijuana’s potential for abuse and further exploration of other harder drugs, marijuana must be legalized for those in need. The distribution of marijuana should be controlled by the government and regulated by appropriate authorities in order to be available to patients suffering from terminal illnesses. Decriminalization is the middle point between prohibition and legalization and would benefit not only individuals obtaining marijuana for therapeutic uses but also the recreational user. The use of marijuana would not be legally sanctioned under this policy, but no action would be taken against anyone found carrying the drug for their own use. At this point, 60,000 individuals are behind bars for marijuana offenses at a cost to taxpayers of $1.2 billion per year. Decriminalization would not only decrease these costs, but also make sure that those individuals that are ill and being imprisoned for marijuana possession are free to obtain and use the drug at their leisure without the possibility of government action. The federal government needs to either decriminalize marijuana or enact other pro legalization legislation in order for those with serious illnesses to be able to receive the relief that they need.
It is seen that patients suffering from symptoms associated with terminal illnesses are being overlooked by the federal government in an attempt to outlaw and restrict the flow of drugs into the country. While actions must be taken in order to prevent prevalent drug abuse among teenagers in our society, the use of marijuana medicinally must be one of the top priorities of our government. We cannot allow patients suffering from illnesses such as Cancer, MS and Glaucoma to continue with their suffering. If marijuana serves as a type of relief for certain patients with these diseases, then these patients need to have access to this drug. Research has only supported claims regarding therapeutic uses of marijuana which were known to man as early as man could count on agriculture for sustenance. Legalization is necessary and legislation must be implemented in order for patients to be able to obtain this highly debated drug.