Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Medical Marijuana
Check out this article. This discussion will center around the issues related to the legality of marijuana and differences between states' handling of it compared to the federal stance. Also, how much evidence do we have for the medical efficacy of marijuana and for what disease states? Feel free to check on YouTube and search the Internet for interesting and tastefully funny articles and videos to contribute.
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46 comments:
I couldn't get the hyperlink to work; however, I found another site with some interesting information: http://www.medicalmarijuana.net/
This site identifies a few disease states with symptoms treatable by marijuana. Those include arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, MS, and nausea. It also lists a number of state where one can find clinics that dispense medical marijuana.
Maybe someone can clarify this for me but I have never understood the legality of medical marijuana. It is classified as a schedule 1 drug by the DEA and is ultimately classified as an illegal substance under USA federal law. Though this is true, many states have enacted/passed legislation that recognizes the drug's medical use and as exemplified by this site, many states even have dispensaries for marijuana. How legal are these dispensaries and the actions of the prescribers/patients? What exactly are the legal repercussions of partaking in the prescribing/dispensing of medical marijuana if ultimately federal law trumps state law?
I really don't understand why legalizing marijuana is such a struggle. Morphine is legal and carries severe side effects and addictive qualities. Marijuana has proven time and time again to be beneficial medically and does not have the severe side effects that most other medications do. Possibly the reason for not making it legal is confusion around how to tax it and who would be allowed to grow it. I do think this debate has gone on too long and the reasons for not legalizing it are ridiculous and dated (and have been mostly proven false!)
An interesting topic following marijuana legalization in Colorado for recreational use. I think that marijuana does provide medical benefits to patients and is a less risky form of sedation compared to other proposed drug therapies judging by side effects. However, many people do falsify symptoms and conditions to obtain marijuana for recreational use. The laws applying to marijuana must be changed on a national level soon. The marijuana industry is growing into a billion dollar company and doing so by undermining many national laws. I am a believer in legalizing it completely, not just for medical use. It should be regulated, taxed and distributed for medical purposes as it is effective in certain cases.
NIck Scaturo
I fell that marijuana has gotten such a bad reputation as being a recreational drug, that when people hear the phrase “legalizing marijuana” immediate negative feelings and thoughts ensue. This was the case for myself for a while, until I realized that it is not necessarily bad all the time. There have been proven beneficial aspects a cannabis for pain relief in instances where other drugs are ineffective. Also, it seems to be much safer, being a natural product, than synthesized drugs and comes with less adverse effects. I am not knowledge about the taxation for this product but I have heard that this is one of the big reasons as to why it had not become illegal yet. This has and may continue to change with it now being legal in Colorado and with Obama being in office again and his views being positive about the legalization of marijuana.
Marijuana has gotten such a bad reputation in the last 10+ years. When people think of legalizing marijuana, the first thing that comes to their mind is legalizing a recreational drug. In reality, marijuana had great medical benefits. Like Whitney said, marijuana has less severe side effects than other common legal drugs, such as morphine. I think marijuana should be legalized but should be regulated carefully.
Legalizing marijuana for medical purposes should be no more difficult than legalizing other controlled substances such as morphone and oxycontin, which are commonly used for relief of severe pain. That said, I do agree that use of medical marijuana should be highly regulated and dispensed under such regulations deeped appropriate by the FDA and Board of Pharmacy. Though this is a great stigma when it comes to legalization of marijuana, I think that an exception can be made for those who are truly sick and/or in pain and may benefit from using it.
Marijuana is not the only drug that gets abused. Oxycontin, Morphine and several others are overly abused yet it is not removed or debated as illegal. Although Marijuana is often misused, it should not be placed in the same category as LSD, ecstasy or even peyote. Some patients could actually be helped, whether those with cancer or other diseases. Marijuana should be legalized and treated the same as other Scheduled drugs.
I don't really have an opinion as to whether marijuana should be legalized or not. I do think, though, that the article brings up some good points regarding the purpose of using marijuana. Since it is an illegal substance, there haven't been many research studies done to see what medical conditions marijuana could treat, what dosages/amount is appropriate, how dispensaries could ensure purity, etc. I would probably support further research into this "medication" to figure out answers to these questions. I also would be curious to see if the benefits would outweigh the side effects/risks, and to see if it would be more beneficial than other drugs. I don't know much about the pharmacology aspect, but I wonder if marijuana is that much different than dronabinol, which is already a legal medication that is dispensed in pharmacies nationwide. Would it work better than dronabinol?
Legalizing marijuana has been a very hot topic in the United States of America for the past decade or so. Obviously, there are some serious concerns when considering its legalization. In my opinion, I believe that the medical use of marijuana should be legalized. However, serious restrictions and limitations should be put in place to monitor its use and make sure the drug is not abused in the health care system. If this drug can be helpful to patients, who is to say that it should not be used in treatment? However, I believe the legalization of recreational marijuana is unnecessary. I do not believe that people should be given the opportunity to use/abuse a potent drug whenever they feel like it. The physical/social negative side effects are too great.
Legalizing marijuana has been a controversial issue for way too long and has been going on for years. I think marijuana should become legal. In my opinion, there are several reasons the legalization should be considered. In my opinion, the most influential reason is the benefits a patient can gain if used to treat medical conditions or diseases. It cannot be any different from other controlled medications that are currently prescribed for pain and other problems. I think the medical benefits outweigh the potential abuse. There are studies that show that it has less adverse effects than other medications. I think that if other scheduled medications can be used to help treat disease states then marijuana should also be controlled by the DEA and used to benefit patients.
As mentioned by many others I feel that marijuana is much less dangerous than many of the drugs that are available and allowed to be dispensed. The government allows “pain clinics “and methadone clinics in almost every city and town from coast to coast. I feel that many of these people are clearly addicted to the pills that they legally obtain. They should not even be compared to a patient who uses marijuana to control seizures or a cancer patient who uses it to increase appetite. Many cancer patients have uncontrolled pain and loss their appetite due to chemotherapy treatments. Why should we prevent these patients from feeling better? I feel people should be allowed to use any substance needed for treatment as long as it does not hurt them or affect other people. We only live one life, and if a patient has cancer does not seem to be able to find relief from conventional medicines or therapies, let them use marijuana. I feel when compared to opioid therapies this opinion is much less dangerous and effects on the community are much less.
Even though there are various medical uses of marijuana, I do not think marijuana should be legalized because there are many other drugs out there that already have high abuse potential, such as opioids and cocaine. I understand that others think that marijuana is much less dangerous, but I do not think that we need to add more onto the list that would give those "patients" an opportunity to abuse the drug and we would have to monitor them.
- Tam Pham
I have mixed feeling about this topic. I feel that if drugs such as methadone and oxytocin are legal for physicians to prescribe then marijuana should be too. I think that it should only be legal for medical purposes. If it is something that can improve one’s health and life then by all means give it to them. Marijuana is illegal in most states and is abused enough as it is, if it were to become legal for recreational use I cannot imagine how much more it would be abused. I am against all drug abuse no matter what the drug is, so to legalizing a substance for any other reason but a medical reason does not make sense to me. I do feel that Marijuana has gotten a really bad reputation. People think of it as a really bad drug when there are other drugs that are more detrimental than marijuana to one’s health.
The fact that many states have legalized medical marijuana comes as no surprise. Soon enough other states will fall in line with Colorado and making this PLANT legal. Yes, there are some side effects but isn't that true for just about anything we take? As for medical marijuana the article noted that many states do not require the doctor to be part of the counseling of details of this drug. I think the counseling is a big part of this. The patients should have to right to be aware of potential side effects, and even a choice in the matter. The website below shows all of the side effects and reasons for each. Comparing them to other drugs, it really is a short list: Drowsiness, Dry Mouth or Thirst, Giddiness, Hunger, Insomnia, Red Eyes, Respiratory Issues, Short-Term Memory Loss, Uneasiness or Anxiety.
(http://www.evaluationtoday.com/news_medical_marijuana_sideeffects.html)
I understand the trouble law makers may have in making the decision to legalize marijuana because ultimately they don’t want an excessive amount of marijuana floating around the city for anyone and everyone to take part in. However, I believe this is no different from any other CII schedule substance. CII substances are classified as CII’s because of their potential for abuse, and dependency, I believe marijuana would fit in this class. I do believe lawmakers need to figure out more monitoring systems along with figuring out how to dispense marijuana. The article stated, “State laws do not regulate marijuana’s quality or potency, and most don’t address ways of obtaining the drug.” If it is legal for a physician to prescribe or recommend patients take marijuana and marijuana is highly addictive then this drug should be something a pharmacist should manage not the local drug dealer. I do believe this should be the question at hand, how to prescribe and manage the dispensing side of marijuana, not whether it should be allowed at all.
Jennifer Jones
If Marijuana has medical purposes, why then can it not be approved for such use? As noted in the article, they are yet to run scientific trials on this plant to confirm and evaluate the extent of its efficacy. That leaves a lot on the table to discuss if this drug is added to the prescription list. How are the states deciding that it can be allowed for medical use only if there is no scientific data to support it?
I think every drug has its side effects and so if there is any reason at all to suggest that Marijuana is good for anything,the side affects should not get in the way but then the necessary steps should be taken so that its use can be allowed for that purpose.
.....Vida Ohene Agyeman
I am not sure whether or not I agree with legalizing marijuana. I think that in order for it to be legalized then they would need to do extensive research. They need to figure out what diseases marijuana would help and there should be strict regulation. Physicians will need to do their part in talking to patients about the risks and help limit abuse of marijuana. Even with regulation and research, I feel that like all other abused drugs, marijuana will be abused like it is now.
Sarah Martin
If there is scientific evidence proving that marijuana is beneficial for certain medical conditions, I feel that it should be legalized. I understand that over the years, marijuana has earned itself a bad reputation and is often times associated with crime. It’s a sticky situation to say the least, but at the same time there are legal medications that cause the same problems. Strong pain medications and others that carry addictive properties are being sold illegally on the street. Ultimately, they still help with the patients who actually need these medications. Regardless of if it is legal or not, marijuana is going to be involved in illegal activities so why not just go ahead and legalize for those that can actually benefit from it.
I honestly didn't know anything about marijuana but I did some research on it since I couldn't open up the hyperlink earlier. http://axon.psyc.memphis.edu/~charlesblaha/7705/Papers_08/samantha_daniel_medical_marijuana.pdf is the article I looked at and it also discussed the role pharmacists should play which I thought was relevent to us. Looking at the article, I personally am not in favor of marijuana use. It seems as though the possible adverse affects could actually hinder those patients where marijuana seems to be indicated in. For instance, in the article it said, that it contains 50-70% more carcinogenic ingredients than cigarette smoke. However, it is used in cancer patients to help them with nausea. There are other adverse effects as well. To me the adverse effects outweigh the pros of using it as a medication. However, I could not locate great evidence on the clinical effectiveness of Marijuana. If someone finds that please post it. If it were to become legal the pros and cons would have to be weighed by the doctor. However, right now as pharmacists it is a schedule 1 for us. Therefore, it is important for us to know our role. The article made some great poines about us not recommending it but making sure the patients are being monitored by their doctors and that they undergo an extensive history for it. I think it will be hard for us to navigate with it being such a legal issue right now.
New York Times article about regulating marijuana like alcohol:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/m/marijuana/index.html
CBS News Report about two-year-old Cash, who is battling a brain tumor. He is one of the youngest medical marijuana patients in Montana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkEGmw93-1I&feature=fvst
Iowa’s state board of pharmacy recommended legalization of medical marijuana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdQ-87OrTtY
This has been a long debated topic. It’s hard to believe that there isn’t scientific data to support either side. There are many drugs currently on the market that are more dangerous to users than marijuana. Because there is no scientific data it seems that this debate may have become more of a political stand. If the issue were solely about marijuana’s medical benefits then it would be logical for both sides to work towards gaining scientific information to demonstrate its usefulness or lack there of. It is expensive to keep marijuana labeled as an illegal substance, including the expense to arrest and send a large amount of offenders to prison for possession of marijuana. However, until we have the scientific evidence to support the benefits (or lack there of) this debate will be ongoing for sometime into the future.
If a substance could help a person medically it should be able to be used for treatment or symptom relief.
@Erin: Perfectly stated...I wish I could add something, but I would only be repeating what she said.
When it comes to medical marijuana I think the uses are valid but has a bad reputation associated with it. I feel a lot of that is related to the way marijuana is normally taken either being smoked, vaporized or ingested in some way. Since we are talking about medical uses some way of getting the active ingredient into a pill form to remove some of the negative associations with marijuana. If that is possible that could solve the medical part of the question of marijuana and separate it from the recreational use side of it all which in itself is a very debatable topic and is why legalization of medical marijuana hasn't happened yet.
Evan Medford
I believe that there is sufficient evidence proving that marijuana is beneficial in some medical instances. A friend of mine is chronically ill and after years of seeing specialists, is still undiagnosed. No one can find what is wrong with him. The only remedy that has been able to help his symptoms and reduce the daily pain is marijuana. I think it has its place in the medical field because it can help with conditions such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and other painful diseases. If medications such as morphine and methadone are sold in the pharmacy and are legal, something such as marijuana that has fewer and less severe side effects should as well.
If the concern for not legalizing medical marijuana is abuse, then most other prescriptions should not be on the market. People who use marijuana for recreational use obviously have a way to get it and are probably not going to seek out a prescription. Why punish those who can benefit from it because others abuse it?
As previously stated medical marijuana has its pros and cons. But, I believe it should be allowed since it has been proven to treat many different indications. I find it odd that a drug with nearly zero addictive properties can be considered illegal but the most addictive drug can be purchased at a gas station once a you turn 18 years old. I don't believe tobacco has any indications for medical use. We also use opiates and amphetamines to treat disease states and these drugs are highly addictive and toxic.
I don't believe that medical marijuana should be legal. I believe that by legalizing marijuana it is giving in to crime and encouraging someone to use it in an abusive manner.
I can't understand why drugs like Alcohol and Nicotine, which are extremely addictive and have well-documented, severe and dangerous side effects are legal to purchase, yet Marijuana is not. I do believe that some people see medical benefits from using this drug, but I also think that "medical marijuana" is nothing more than a cover for any user to buy the drug legally. It's well known that doctors in these states will write prescriptions for basically anyone who wants it. Just stop kidding everyone and make it legal for purchase like beer and cigarettes. I don't endorse abusing any drugs recreationally, legal or not, but the double standard seems rediculous to me.
I see no difference in legalizing marijuana for medical purposes and drugs such as methadone and other addictive drugs being legal. The reason I think people are opposed to this is because marijuana is already established as socially unacceptable. It is important to make sure that it does not lead to increased recreational use but if it provides medical benefits I see no reason for it not to be legal in certain situations.
I don't have a problem with marijuana being used for medication purposes. We use stronger drugs than marijuana already, but I am concerned with the potential for abuse. At this point it becomes more of a social issue than a medical issue. As with the other drugs, it will require additional regulation and that is costly. If the benefits of marijuana use are greater than the cost, than I say we should go for it.
I believe that categorizing marijuana as a Class I scheduled drug holds no merit. Drugs in this class include peyote and LSD which obviously have no medical benefits. Marijuana has been proven to be medically useful in diseases like cancer, therefore are medically useful to the sick. I think that medical marijuana has been scrutinized because doctors are dispensing cards when not warranted. Holding these doctors liable for improper dispensing like they do with other controlled substances would alleviate these discrepancies. It is time to legalize this drug, and allow patients to benefit if needed. It's abuse potential is high just like other controlled substances, but we do not pull these drugs because of that. Marijuana shouldn't be held to a higher standard.
I agree with most comments on here. I personally think it should be legal completely. If alcohol and tobacco are legal, why isn't marijuana legal? Side effects are less severe, just as everyone else said, and recreational legalization would increase tax revenue (a common pro) and ease the strict guidelines and dosages needed to make it prescription.
I have no idea what has or has not been discovered about the efficacy of marijuana in treating actual disease. However, I am not opposed to making this drug legal under the guidance of the FDA. From what I no, the side effects can be much less than many of the already legally prescribed drugs. With some medications for hypertension that can cause kidney failure and others that treat asthma but can cause asthma-related death, I don't feel like side effects can be a contributing factor to keep it off the market. That being said, the legalization of recreational marijuana seems a bit ridiculous, but I would be alright with it. The process would be business driven, so legalizing it and then taxing it furiously seems like a good idea. Its hard to know what the long term effects of such laws would be, but I think its worth a shot.
- Jesse R Alvarado
I was listening to NPR yesterday, and they were talking about the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. They had said that marijuana grown in that state has become a huge industry. It is only allowed to be grown indoors, and there are strict regulations. All of the marijuana grown in the facilities is tracked, from growth to distribution and sale. The interview was really interesting, and you can listen to it at this link.
http://www.wfae.org/post/legalizing-and-regulating-pot-growth-industry
There are so many aspects and views that need to be considered when making an analysis of the pros and cons to legalizing marijuana. It is probably true to some extent that by restricting the use of marijuana completely it will create a reverse psychological outcome, creating a desire to try it. I think at this point though that legalizing it, making it acceptable in the minds of society will have a detrimental effect on society as a whole. A person who would normally have not gotten into marijuana because it was illegal now sees it as ok. I would expect there to be a sharp increase in addiction to it. I don't know much about the exact effects of marijuana or if it is even dangerous, but I wouldn't want a new "cigarette" that has the potential of creating tensions within the family. Like any abusive drug, there is the potential for an increase in problems derived from the uncontrolled abuse of an addictive drug, such as financial problems, marital problems, and social problems. This has the potential have a cascade of negative effects. This is probably controversial and many may argue that I might be wrong, but there is no denying the struggles that come from abusive substances (which include cigarettes and alcohol). Is it worth the risk?
I think that marijuana should be legal for medical use. If you think about the effects marijuana has, how many adverse effects do you come up with? If a cancer patient's opioids and other pain meds aren't controlling their pain and are causing so much addiction and adverse side effects, why shouldn't they try marijuana?
-Amy Miller
I do not think marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes, however it can be studied for purposes such as treatment of diseases associated with a lot of pain and suffering. We should always be willing to test any option to help patients that are in need but there needs to be proven efficacy. I do not think it should be just handed out to any patient like oxycodone is starting to be. All drugs with high addictive potentials need to be more highly regulated.
-Jessica Osteen
When I first thought about this topic, it worried me that many patients would abuse this drug and it might be a danger if the patient were to take the "medication" on the job or even driving. However, after hearing many different views I now see that marijuana is not any more dangerous than many of the control drugs. Therefore, this drug may be useful for patients who have no where else to turn and nothing else has worked for them. Since this drug would still have a very high abuse potential, I believe before the U.S. goes through the steps to make it legal, they need to evaluate the many details that this would entail so that no loopholes would be left.
I agree with legalzing of marijuana for medical use. I think we are foolish to not utilize its many benefits for patients who otherwise don't have better alternatives for treatment. As far as controlling its use in this country, it should just be classified like any other drug that has a high potential for abuse or addiction, so it could be a CII drug since it does have medicinal benefit. In states like NC, this would require regular doctor visits to monitor its use and efficacy, and hopefully prevent abuse.
Evan Palmieri
I keep on hearing that there are many medical uses for marijuana with few side effects so I decided to find out whether this is true or not. I found two very reputable sources which I want to share. One is from Harvard University and the other is from the US government, namely the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I strongly encourage everyone to take a quick look at both sites to have a better informed background before deciding whether we should legalize marijuana.
Here are some very important points from the websites:
• “Marijuana harms in many ways, and kids are the most vulnerable to its damaging effects. Use of the drug can lead to significant health, safety, social, and learning or behavioral problems, especially for young users. Making matters worse is the fact that the marijuana available today is more potent than ever.”
• “The consequences of marijuana use can last long after the drug’s effects have worn off. Studies show that early use of marijuana is strongly associated with later use of other illicit drugs and with a greater risk of illicit drug dependence or abuse.18 In fact, an analysis of data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse showed that the age of initiation for marijuana use was the most important predictor of later need for drug treatment.”
• “It was once believed that marijuana was not addictive; many people still believe this to be the case. But recent research shows that use of the drug can indeed lead to dependence. Some heavy users of marijuana develop withdrawal symptoms when they have not used the drug for a period of time.”
• “Although some people think of mar ijuana as a benign natur al herb, the drug actually contains many of the same c ancercausing chemicals found in tobacco. Puff for puff, the amount of tar inhaled and the le vel of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana, regardless of THC content, are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers.”
• “Research shows that kids who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more likely than nonusers to report they engage in violent behavior. One study found that young people who had used marijuana in the past year were more likely than nonusers to report aggressive behavior. According to that study, incidences of physically attacking people, stealing, and destroying property increased in proportion to the number of days marijuana was smoked in the past year. Users were also twice as likely as nonusers to report they disobey at school and destroy their own things.”
• “Smoking marijuana regularly (a joint a day) can damage the cells in the bronchial passages which protect the body against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of the immune cells in the lungs to fight off fungi, bacteria, and tumor cells. For patients with already weakened immune systems, this means an increase in the possibility of dangerous pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, which often proves fatal in AIDS patients.”
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html
https://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/marijuana_myths_facts.pdf
I personally think marijuana needs to be legalized only for medical uses if it has proven scientifically. There are many other drugs out there that is even more dangerous than marijuana. If it can benefit patients from severe pain that can not be treated by other medicines, it should be given to the patients as a legal medicine. With that being said, legalizing for recreational uses need to be prevented as there is no such a point to be legalized.
I do know enough about marijuana to make an opinion about whether its should be legalized, but I think people have made too big of a deal about it. I have never heard of anyone on that stuff committing heinous crimes. I constantly hear of people all sorts of horrid crimes on other legal mind-altering substances (i.e. alcohol). Correct me if I am wrong but there seems to be an imbalance here. Maybe we should just regulate it somehow?
-Yelena Panko
Yelena and others, I posted those two websites for you to make a better informed decision regarding this important matter. Please take a look at them because these two good sources are unbiased and very informative. This is a topic that is extremely important to our society and requires citizens to be well-informed when deciding whether or not to legalize this dangerous drug. Please take some time to look at them.
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