- Introduction
The cannabis plant that is commonly referred to as marijuana has been known for a very long time for both its advantages and disadvantages. It is known for all the good and wrong reasons because when it is used as medicine, it does really good in speeding up the healing process of many illnesses and when it is used as a stimulant, it also works very well in making its users feel very high. For these two reasons, debate has been brewing on whether to legalize it or not because in as much as it does well, the damage it might cause when it becomes legal is also as bad. Legalizing it will be very beneficial more so to the medicine fraternity because it turns out that its benefits are far reaching more so because it holds solutions to problems that have tormented humanity for centuries.
If only marijuana could be legalized, there will be a solution to terminal illnesses that seem to have no cure. There are many stumbling blocks along the way that are hampering any progress towards this but if everyone could be brought on board then maybe, marijuana could be legalized by now. A policy can be enacted to ensure this is done smoothly without jeopardizing efforts that are in place that are not supposed to ensure that this drug is not abused nor is it used as a stimulant for people to just feel high. The policy will also ensure that marijuana is used for medicinal research and medicinal purposes and minimize its abuse by drug users who will be out to use it for all the wrong reasons.
- Methodology
There are quite a number of researches that have been conducted in an effort to establish the reasons why there should be this policy which will ensure that marijuana is legalized for medical purposes. The main method that has been used is use of survey of secondary data because this ensures that there is the acquisition of first hand information from the major researchers and stakeholders that ensure that there is provision of the right information. The survey basically focuses on the acquisition of data from other personalities who conducted research and documented it in an effort to present factual information that is helpful in the fight for this noble cause. Secondary desk review of studies from different researchers in this case has ensured that different findings are put on the table in an effort to compare them in an effort to come up with relevant findings that are helpful in arguing for the case of the legalization of marijuana.
- Discussion
According to Alena Novotna et al, the study which they conducted on the use of marijuana shows that it can be used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In marijuana, there is a chemical substance known as nabiximols (sativex). When this substance is used as an add on therapy in the treatment of refractory spasticity which is caused by multiple sclerosis, the end result is as good because there has been a great improvement in managing the pain that comes with this condition. The spasticity that is considered a disabling complication that comes with multiple sclerosis when treated with sativex confirms that the patients respond very well to this chemical substance. In many occasions, when patients are subjected to some healing substances that have been in use for a number of years, they do not show any sign of reaction thereby indicating that there is no progress on the path of healing on the part of the patients. This study therefore shows that this form of medication is a good sign that when medical marijuana is put to test, there are very high chances of having a breakthrough in the success of the treatment of spasticity and therefore confirming the fact that marijuana, when used for medicinal purposes is quite good.
Another study conducted by Mark, A. Ware,MD, MSc. Eta al had almost similar findings when it comes to the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Their study focused on the use of cannabis in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. Cannabis was used on adults who had post surgical neuropathic pain. The dosage was assigned at four potencies, 0%, 2.5%, 6% and 9.4%. This was done for a period of fourteen days. These patients inhaled a single dose of 25mg through a pipe at least three times daily in the first five days. This was followed by a nine day period of washing it out. When the daily average pain was measured, it was confirmed that 25 mg of 9.4% herbal cannabis when inhaled three times daily mad the magical power of reducing the intense pain that the patients were undergoing. Their sleep patterns were also watched closely and it was confirmed that they had improved tremendously. Their lives had improved greatly all thanks to the usage of cannabis as medicine. These findings also confirm the fact that the cannabis plant should be condemned no more and when used as medicine it can turn round the lives of patients for good.
It does not stop there, another one of these studies by Ronald J. Ellis shows that treatment of neuropathic pain is very possible in HIV associated distal sensory and polyneuropathy. When the patients smoked cannabis or used placebo cannabis cigarettes, there was immense pain relief more so among those who used cannabis than those who used placebo cannabis cigarettes. There was an increase of about 30% in the relief of pain which is considerably higher and greater than any other tested formula. This is a clear indication that in the adventure to find out lasting solutions to some of the ailments that are coming up which are associated to pain, cannabis holds the solutions to many of them. If its usage is given room, chances are that some of these ailments that have plagued man for quite a long time can find lasting solutions in cannabis. This ideology is also shared by Donald Abrahams who argues that the end results of this are comparable to the use of oral drugs that are used in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain and therefore cannabis is just as good as them. They propose the prospects of having solutions that people and the authorities fail to recognize.
Neuropathic pain that originates from different places and with has diverse causes can be treated effectively by the use of cannabis sativa. Findings from a study conducted by Barth Wesley state that when a high or low dosage of cannabis is used on persons undergoing pain originating from different places, for example physical trauma, nerve bundles, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury get immense relief the moment cannabis is administered. A standardized procedure was carried out and those who completed the dosage that was administered showed great improvement on their path to recovery or management of their pain. Through the study, there was no significant difference exhibited by the end results in those who smoked higher and lesser amounts of cannabis thereby demystifying the myth of quantity. The bottom line was that the desired results were achieved and it is for this reason that cannabis was recommended so as it be used in the treatment of patients with different forms of pain originating from different body parts. With such findings, it is no doubt that the effectiveness of cannabis as medicine has been downplayed for many years. Those who use it do so behind closed doors while hiding from the authorities because it is a crime to use it. But then David notes the fact that the good thing is that they achieve their goals even if they commit a crime. It is said that it is the wearer of the shoe who knows where the shoe pinches most and it is them who know how painful it can be dealing with their condition and therefore they would rather disobey the law than be condemned to pain forever.
A research was conducted to determine whether the whole plant of cannabis can be used in improving intractable neurogenic symptoms which are unresponsive to other standard treatments. Derrick T. Wade in this study noted that when the patients recorded their symptoms of how other medicines worked with them, the severity of their problems were measured after which cannabis extracts were administered. The end result was a relief in pain. Problems like the impairment of bladder and muscle spasms. It was concluded that cannabis extracts help improve neurogenic symptoms which seem to be unresponsive to other treatments. This is clear evidence that previous medicines to some extent are on the verge of failing completely. If only cannabis could be used to fill in the gap, then maybe there could be a lasting solution to this in the offing. There are numerous solutions lying in the cannabis plant and if it is given a chance, Wade says, advancements can be given room so as to solve the problems that are there in the area that pertains bodily pain.
- Position Statement
It is advisable that there should be change in policy regarding the use of medicinal marijuana. The state of Florida to this day has not cleared the use of medical marijuana but this should change because of the far reaching benefits that have been established by this study. Floridians should at the same time push for the reforms that are as necessary as those that surround this very critical issue. Change is as good and if only this subject could be embraced and consideration be taken in changing the lives of Floridians, then life could have been better. The bottom line is that considering the above research, the State stands a position to benefit the people. Regardless of the disadvantages, the advantages are tremendous and marijuana ought to be legalized for medicinal purposes.
References
Abrams, D. et al. (2007). "Cannabis in Painful HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial" in the journal Neurology
Barth Wilsey, B. et al. (2008). "A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Cross-Over Trial of Cannabis Cigarettes in Neuropathic Pain," published in the Journal of Pain.
Ellis, R. B. et al (2008). "Smoked Medicinal Cannabis for Neuropathic Pain in HIV: A Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial," published in Neuropsychopharmacology
Novotna, A. et al. (2011). "A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group, Enriched-design Study of Nabiximols (Sativex), as Add-on Therapy, in Subjects with Refractory Spasticity Caused by Multiple Sclerosis," published in the European Journal of Neurology
Wade, T. D. et al. (2003) "A Preliminary Controlled Study to Determine Whether Whole-Plant Cannabis Extracts Can Improve Intractable Neurogenic Symptoms" in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation.
Ware, M. A. (2010). et al. "Smoked Cannabis for Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial," published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
