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Zach Popp

Ms. Poncin

WRD 104

10 January 2018

There is a lot of controversy sounding the idea of Marijuana use as a medicine in the United

States. Although “Marijuana is the most common […] drug used in the United States”

(Lehnardt), it still remains illegal and is characterized by the United States federal government as

a schedule I drug (Boeri 258). Because of this classification, it has made it hard for extensive

qualitative studies to be performed on the medical benefits. The existing research on Marijuana

usage shows mixed results. Although significant amounts of research show that Marijuana

caused memory loss and under developments in certain areas of the brain (National Institute on

Drug Abuse), it has also been shown to help the chronic pain associated with diseases like AIDS,

Epilepsy, Cancer, Depression and MS (Web MD). Marijuana usage can have some side effects.

Regular use can make pre-existing mental health problems worse and lower testosterone levels in

men (Robinson 2). Despite these side effects, Marijuana has shown time in and time out that it is

an effective medication providing much needed relief to some groups of users. The negative

connotations as a schedule I drug assigned to Marijuana has historically stigmatized the drug and

its users. As states across the country continue to legalize the drug, new research is being

undertaken showing additional benefits to its medicinal use. National support to push

legalization of Marijuana for medicinal purposes is gaining momentum.

Marijuana is a safer and less addictive than an opioid pain killer. In 2016 116 people died

everyday due to opioid related drug overdoses (Secretary of the HHS Office). The United States

has experienced a massive opioid epidemic and one way to combat it is through using Marijuana
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as a replacement. “From a public health standpoint this is a positive development, considering

that relative to opiates, Marijuana carries essentially zero risk of fatal overdose. Not only that but

Marijuana is a lot less addictive” (Ingraham). More importantly, “some researchers found

Marijuana beneficial for people with drug use problems” ( Boeri 258). Marijuana can be used as

a safer alternative to opiate drugs especially because it has less addictive properties.

Marijuana can also play additional roles in combating the opioid epidemic. “In an

epidemiology study on legaliz[ing] Marijuana, […it was] found that in states where Marijuana

was legalized for medical or adult use, opiate-related overdose mortality rates decreased” (Boeri

259). Although less people are dying from opioid related overdoses, some worry about how large

a presence Marijuana might make in their community. However, “In states that legalized medical

Marijuana, U.S. hospitals failed to see a predicted influx of pot smokers, but in an unexpected

twist, they treated far fewer opioid users, a new study shows” (NBC News). On top of a decrease

in deaths “rates for opioid painkiller dependence and abuse dropped on average 23 percent [and]

hospitalization rates for opioid overdoses dropped 13 percent” in states where medicinal

Marijuana is allowed (NBC News). Yuyan Shi, a professor at the University of California

analyzed data from hospitals in the United States from 1997-2014. Her study found that in states

where medical Marijuana is legal, both opioid use and deaths were down. This study “was the

fifth to show declines in opioid use or deaths in states that allow medical cannabis” (NBC

News). In addition, “Marijuana is often highly effective at treating the same types of chronic

pain that patients are often prescribed opiates for” (Ingraham). Because of Marijuana’s ability to

treat the same pain, it makes it an effective alternative. More and more stories add “evidence to

the body of research suggesting that increasing Marijuana availability could help reduce the toll

of America's opiate epidemic, which claims tens of thousands of lives each year” (Ingraham).
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Those within the medical community increasingly view Marijuana as a viable medicine.

The history of Marijuana in the United States has been a rocky road. Around 1916 many states

began to outlaw the drug. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 made it illegal nationwide (Little). In

the beginning of the 1930’s a war on pot was started. Propaganda was developed demonizing

both the drug and its users. The era of “reefer madness” labeled pot smokers as rapist, murders

and thieves (Zhang). Because the government classified it as a schedule I drug a stigma was

born, and propaganda was bought into by society. The United States Government’s “Framing

[of] Marijuana as a highly addictive drug reinforced its stigma in the public view” (Boeri 258).

For decades, people continued to view Marijuana as a harmful drug. Crusaders against drug use

pointed to Marijuana as a “gateway drug”. During the 1980’s “the issue of drugs and crime was

really being hyped by the Reagan administration and the news media” (Ganeva). Nancy

Reagan’s “Just Say No Campaign” helped to perpetuate a false narrative and continued to make

Marijuana usage taboo.

Recently the false claims have been uncovered and the stigma is starting to fade.

Historically, the stigma that surrounded Marijuana made it almost impossible to legalize.

Because of the negative view that many people had on Marijuana based on what propaganda had

told them about the drug, they did not see the benefits that it can have. Those opinions have

significantly shifted in just the past decade. Gallup conducted a poll in 2017 where 64 percent of

respondents “said they support the legalization of Marijuana” which was up four percent in the

previous year (Nelson). Now for the first time “more Americans are in favor of legalizing

Marijuana than those opposed to it ” (Boeri 258). On top of that “Marijuana has become a

medicine by popular vote” (Boeri 257). Now an estimated 60 percent of United States citizens
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reside in states where medical Marijuana is legal. It is clear that now more Americans than ever

are condoning the use of pot for medicinal purposes.

Pharmaceuticals derived from Marijuana are just as effective as typical chemically

created medications and can be life changing for some patients. Large drug companies are now

beginning to explore using Marijuana in their own products. One large pharmaceutical company,

GW Pharma has created a cannabis extract called Sativex (Mintz 19). This “cannabis extract

contain[s a] 1:1 ratios of THC: CBD” and it has been clinically shown to help reduce and in

some cases fully eliminate the seizures (Mintz 19). “More recently there have been reports that

cannabis extracts with high concentrations of CBD may be effective anti-convulsants for

children suffering from severe forms of uncontrollable epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome”

(Mintz 19). Dravet Syndrome is a form of Epilepsy that does not respond to typical medications

(Young). Current medications used to control the syndrome are addictive and hard on the body

(Young). A 3-Month-old named Charlotte Figi is an example of person with Dravet

Syndrome(Young). Charlotte endured years of seizures and countless medical treatments before

they had stopped. (Young). Charlotte “was 5 when the Figi’s learned there was nothing more the

hospital could do” (Young). As a last resort her mother searched for “two doctors to sign off on a

medical marijuana card for Charlotte” (Young). Once Paige, Charlottes mom, found a

“dispensary that had a […] type of marijuana called R4, said to be low in THC and high in CBD”

(Young). She was able to start administering the CBD extract to Charlotte. She specifically

wanted it to be low in THC, so Charlotte would not get a high from the oil extract. Sure enough,

they “found three to four milligrams of oil per pound of the girl's body weight stopped the

seizures” (Young). To this day Charlotte remains seizure free. This is a perfect example of why

Marijuana needs to be legalized in the United States. If Marijuana can be shown to provide
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significant improvements to the quality of life for a child, states should not be getting in the way

of a family decision.

In addition to seizure conditions, Marijuana derived pharmaceuticals are also helping

diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer. “THC and CBD have been clinically found to be

more effective in treating cancer-related neuropathic pain [rather] than placebo” (Mintz 19). This

is a big deal because it means that the pain actually is gone. If only a placebo takes place then the

problems still occurring, but the brain perceives it as non-existent. One of the first medical uses

for Marijuana was to help chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting also known as CINV

(Mintz 20). The aggressive nature of many chemotherapy treatments can wreak havoc on a

patient’s body. Marijuana is used a pain reliever that does not have any additional severe side

effects. “There is a growing body of evidence that cannabinoids exhibit anti-tumor and cancer—

fighting effects” (Mintz 20). Some of these cancers include glioblastoma, breast, prostate,

thyroid, colon, skin, pancreatic, leukemia and lymphoma (Mintz 20). In “2013 a survey in the

New England Journal of Medicine found that nearly 8-in-10 doctors approved the use of medical

Marijuana” (Ingraham).

Marijuana should be legalized so more research can be done on the potential health

benefits that it may pose on humans. There may be additional medical conditions that could

benefit from the use of Marijuana or its components. With Marijuana being illegal federally, it

makes it difficult for research to be done as the funding critical to research is often inaccessible.

This status creates a kind of catch twenty-two because the FDA needs more research backing

that Marijuana is an effective medicine in order to move towards legalization federally. With the

drug being illegal it makes it risky to research and deters people from doing it. Because

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug it is classified with drugs like LSD (Rui 200). This negative
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connotation makes people worry about what the government might do if they look into it. During

the Bush and Obama administrations, the federal government turned somewhat of a blind eye to

the Marijuana industry. Based on some comments coming from current Trump administration

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, there is fear that position may be changing. While doctors are

approving of Marijuana use, many are still reluctant about prescribing it. This fear may be based

on the position that because Marijuana is illegal federally, they put their medical licenses at risk

of revocation if they prescribe it. As stated earlier “Physicians who prescribed MM fearful of

losing their FDA approved licenses” (Boeri 258). Marijuana’s legal status in the U.S. has kept it

from being researched but “beneficial medical uses for cannabis [was] found in a plethora of

studies that were mostly conducted outside the United States” (Boeri 258). “After 60 years of

Marijuana prohibition, the United States population has had little opportunity to learn how to

effectively us Marijuana as a medicine” (Boeri 259).

Moreover a narrative review called Therapeutic Properties of Cannabinoid Drugs and

Marijuana in Several Disorders claimed it was , “one of the few articles to carry out a search in

the last 40 years about cannabinoid drugs and the Marijuana plant, their medicals use and the

ethical dilemmas surrounding the issue” admittedly stated that even the evidence they collected

was not enough to make any conclusion about Marijuana (Alvarado 116). While this has become

a political topic “The debate over medical Marijuana has largely been dominated by vested

interests and advocacy groups on either side” (Ingraham). While on the other hand “patients’

voices have been either [silenced] or ignored completely” (Ingraham). When it comes to medical

Marijuana and all types of medical treatments patient’s voices need to be heard. “The Green

Party of Aotearoa conducted a medical Marijuana survey of [225] physicians” and 37 percent of

doctors said they did not know enough about the effects and uses of medical Marijuana
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(Kondrad). As more stories of patient success spread, the number of doctors comfortable with the

use of Marijuana as part of a patient’s treatment protocol continues to grow.

However, some people say wide spread Marijuana legalization will have a negative

impact on communities. If Marijuana is legalized people will have much easier access to it which

could lead to over use. On top of that “Marijuana is associated with lower occupational status

and higher unemployment” (California Society of Addiction Medicine). Although this can be

seen as one of the stigmas associated with smoking Marijuana. However, studies actually show

a reduction in teen usage when it is legalized and brought to communities. This might be due in

part to the regulation making it more difficult to buy on the street. In Colorado many

dispensaries have put the neighborhood drug dealer out of business. Because of this people under

the age of 21 have no way buy weed unless they need it for medicinal purposes. “2015 state-

collected statistics from Colorado, where the first state licensed retail shops for legal Marijuana

opened in 2014, showed a decrease in Marijuana use by young people ages 12 to 17” (Boeri

259).

Also some people say Marijuana should remain illegal because it can cause unintended

health risk. Some of these risks related to ongoing pot use include lung changes, memory loss

and a number of other health problems. “Marijuana smoke is also filled with many of the same

chemicals as tobacco smoke, including ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and formaldehyde”

(Watson 2). While some of these chemicals are known carcinogens, marijuana has also been

known to be anti-cancerous. While smoking Marijuana may cause some of the same health

problems associated with smoking of any kind, alternative ways of ingesting marijuana can be

very beneficial because they do not impose as many health risk. Some of these ways are through

extracts or oils. For pain CBD drops can be dropped directly on the tongue. CBD can be
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embedded into food products such as butter. There are countless opportunities to create recipes

and products allowing a patient to ingest cannabis and benefit medically from its chemical

components. It is still unclear what long-term effect these active chemicals have on the brain.

Legalization would allow greater opportunity for this research to be undertaken. The

documented medical benefits that have been shown make legalization a worthwhile endeavor.

The limited research conducted using Marijuana show that it is a true and highly effective

medicine that should be fully legalized in the United States. One reason why medical Marijuana

should be legalized has to do with the opioid epidemic. Studies have shown that in states where

Marijuana was legalized for medicinal use, opioid use declined. Marijuana has also been shown

to be a pain relief substitute for opioids. Marijuana usage for medicinal purposes now has the

support of the majority of U.S. citizens. This wide spread acceptance should provide the impetus

for legislators to move on enacting legislation for federal acceptance. Federal approval would

allow families to no longer need to leave their home state to seek treatment in a more “marijuana

friendly state.”

Marijuana also can be used as effective pharmaceutical medicine to help treat disease. In

many cases, Marijuana may become the very last option as was discussed earlier in the case of

5-year-old Charlotte Figi. The current lack of federal legalization of Marijuana makes

comprehensive research difficult if not impossible. The research limitations stand as a road block

to the exploration of additional benefits Marijuana may provide. There are those that are still

concerned about what impact legalization might have on communities and any potential harmful

health effects to humans. Marijuana has been demonstrated to provide measurable relief to those

who are suffering from many medical conditions. Legalization would undoubtedly increase

access and provide comfort to those in need. Legalization provides the potential to enhance the
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quality of life for many of our citizens and legislators should move to provide appropriate

medical access to all those who, in concert with their physician, believe it could be of help.
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Works Cited

Alvarado, Ricardo Iván Nanni, et al. "Therapeutic Properties of Cannabinoid Drugs and

Marijuana in Several Disorders: A Narrative Review." Salud Mental, vol. 40, no. 3,

May-June 2017, pp. 111-118.

Boeri, Miriam and Aukje K. Lamonica. “The Social Re-Construction of Marijuana as Medicine.”

Journal of Ethnographic& Qualitative Research, Vol 11, no. 4 Summer 2017, pp.

257-276

California Society of Addiction Medicine, “The Adverse Effects of Marijuana (for the General

Public).” The Adverse Effects of Marijuana (for the General Public) | California Society

of Addiction Medicine, California Society of Addiction Medicine, 2018, www.csam

asam.org/adverse-effects-marijuana-general-public.

Ganeva, Tana. “Pot Prisoners: Meet Five Victims of the War on Drugs.” Rolling Stone, 13 Sept.

2017, www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/pot-prisoners-meet-five-victims-of-the

war-on-drugs-w502337.

Ingraham, Christopher. “Analysis | Legal Marijuana Is Saving Lives in Colorado, Study Finds.”

The Washington Post, WP Company, 16 Oct. 2017,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/10/16/legal-marijuana-is-saving-lives-in

colorado-study-finds/?utm_term=.54c2127750a9.

Ingraham, Christopher. “92% Of Patients Say Medical Marijuana Works.” The Washington Post,

WP Company, 1 Oct. 2014, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/10/01/92-of

patients-say-medical-marijuana-works/?utm_term=.6726e2de3648.
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Kondrad, Elin. “What Are the Findings of Physician Surveys on Medical Marijuana? – Medical

Marijuana - ProCon.org.” Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option., 25 Sept. 2013,

medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000085.

Lehnardt, Karin. “45 Interesting Facts about Marijuana.” Interesting Facts, Fact Retriever, 10

Apr. 2017, www.factretriever.com/marijuana-facts.

Little, Becky. “Why the U.S. Made Marijuana Illegal.” History.com, A&E Television Networks,

4 Aug. 2017, www.history.com/news/why-the-u-s-made-marijuana-illegal.

Mintz, Clifford S., et al. “Cannabis-Derived Pharmaceuticals.” Journal of Commercial

Biotechnology, vol. 21, no. 3, July 2015, pp. 16-31.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “What Are Marijuana's Long-Term Effects on the Brain?”

NIDA, 1 Dec. 2017, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana/what-are-marijuanas

long-term-effects-brain.

NBC News. “Would Legalizing Medical Marijuana Help Curb the Opioid Epidemic?”

NBCNews.com, NBC Universal News Group, 27 Mar. 2017,

www.nbcnews.com/health/healthnews/legalized-marijuana-could-help-curb-opioid

epidemic-study-finds-n739301.

Nelson, Louis, et al. “Poll: Growing Number of Americans Support Marijuana Legalization,

Including Republicans.” POLITICO, 25 Oct. 2017,

www.politico.com/story/2017/10/25/poll-americans-support-marijuana-legalization

244155.

Robinson, Jennifer. “How Does Marijuana Affect You?” WebMD, WebMD, 18 Oct. 2016,

www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/marijuana-use-and-its-effects#2.
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Rui, Cao, et al. “Is Marijuana Beneficial for Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes.” American

Journal of Biomedical Sciences, vol. 9, no. 4, Oct. 2017, pp. 200-210

Secretary of the HHS Office, and Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs (ASPA). “About the U.S.

Opioid Epidemic.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 12 Feb.

2018, www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/.

Watson, Stephanie. “Is Marijuana Safe?” WebMD, WebMD, 25 Feb. 2014,

www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/is-marijuana-safe-web#2.

Young, Saundra. “Marijuana Stops Child's Severe Seizures.” CNN, Cable News Network, 7

Aug. 2013, www.cnn.com/2013/08/07/health/charlotte-child-medical

marijuana/index.html.

Zhang, Mona. “The Crimes of Reefer Madness.” High Times, 25 Sept. 2017,

hightimes.com/culture/crimes-reefer-madness/.