Medical Marijuana Essay Research Paper I decided

Marijuana And Medicine Essay, Research Paper

I decided upon the question .Should Marijuana be Medicine.. because I wanted

to confirm my strong beliefs of an anti-drug policy, but after research, my

attitude towards medical marijuana changed because it seems the benefits far

out-weigh the risks. Of the 60 some chemicals unique to the marijuana plant, the

main psychoactive ingredient and the one for exploring the physiological as well

as the psychological role in the anandamide system is delta-9

tetrahydrocannabinol, or more commonly known as THC. The anandamide system is

concerned with mood, memory and cognition, perception, movement, coordination,

sleep, thermoregulation, appetite, and immune response (a). Cannabis is the term

used to describe the dried hemp spike. When burned and inhaled, the cannabis

receptors bond to the macrophages in the brain and spine, which control the

anandamide system. Macrophages are chemicals in the body, which attack the

infected areas in the body and help take away the waste from an injury (a). THC

acts as a catalyst in this process. It speeds up the macrophages. disposal of

the waste and is why therapeutic relief comes as such a rapid onset to the user

(b). Even though the THC bonds with the processes going on inside the brain,

there are few THC receptors in the part of the brain that controls the basic

life functions therefore making it impossible for cannabis intoxication to lead

to death (c). There are strong links to cannabis relieving aches and pains,

numbing the symptoms of opiate withdrawal, improving sleep, reducing anxiety,

and alleviating the vomiting, anorexia, and depression associated with certain

AIDS related disorders, specifically AIDS wasting syndrome(c). Some studies have

also shown that cannabis can relieve muscle spasms especially in multiple

sclerosis patients. (b). .With smoked marijuana, patients get immediate

relief, whereas with the oral drug they get a delayed, big rush of

unpleasantness. . Studies on animals have shown it could also quite possibly

be an anticonvulsant. Doctors have been able to make a synthetic delta-9

tetrahydrocannabinol, which they call Nabilone, that helps relieve nausea and

vomiting after chemotherapy and may pose as the strongest evidence that

cannabinoids do work (a). It is a non-psychotropic drug and therefore greater

accepted. Researchers have also developed a delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, which

they call dronabinol (a). This oral drug has proven itself in stimulating the

appetite of AIDS patients and has won approval from the American Food and Drug

Association; one of only three drugs approved for this treatment. This drug has

also been found to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties along with

possible anxiolytic , hypnotic, and antidepressant properties, which gives this

drug a profile unique to other man made drugs, and is compelling enough for

further studies (a). The adverse effects have also been studied and there have

been no deaths due to cannabis toxicity alone. Some of the most common side

effects include sedation, euphoria, anxiety, and paranoia, dry mouth, blurred

vision, and incoordination. Dependence can occur but withdrawal symptoms are

mild. The smoke is toxic and may increase the risk of cardiovascular and

respiratory disease (a). When I began this study, I was greatly opposed to

marijuana for whatever reason it was being used, but now that I have found more

information on the subject, my opinion has definitely swayed. I have attained a

greater understanding for how this drug interacts with the body and why it has

the effects on pain that it does. I think that if I were to compile more

research, especially now that medical marijuana is actually a respected topic

and no longer a joke, I think that I would find even more reasons as to why this

drug should be seriously considered for therapeutic reasons. One of the reasons

that this drug is so frowned upon is that society has taken for granted and

abused a very unique and possibly beneficial drug therefore almost permanently

attaching a bad name and delaying the necessary research which could be putting

millions to ease. (a) British medical journal Cannabis as a medicine The major

point that this article brought out was that delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the

active ingredient in marijuana more commonly known as THC, does ease a wide

variety of various symptoms from aches and pains to AIDS related disorders. They

described how patients told their doctors how effective cannabis is in relieving

aches and pains, numbing the symptoms of opiate withdrawal, improving sleep,

reducing anxiety, and alleviating the vomiting, anorexia, and depression

associated with AIDS related disorders. It also discussed how THC acts as a

catalyst in the anandamide system, which helps dispose of the waste from an

injury, and is involved with moo

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать