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Taylor Gomm

Ibarra

Health 1050

26 November 2018

Medical Marijuana Final

Legalizing Marijuana for medical use has been a huge controversial subject in the state of

Utah. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that can also be used for medicine and is now legal in 9

of the 50 US states. Marijuana can be very useful when used in moderation when overused it can

have harmful effects. It is made from the plant Cannabis Sativa. The leaves and flowers from

the plant are dried out and used to make the drug. The plant contains very high levels of THC

and there are many ways it can be used. Marijuana can be smoked, inhaled through vapor and

baked into things like candy or brownies. Marijuana is often referred to as cannabis, weed, pot,

ext. Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the world. Marijuana is mood altering and it

has an effect on every organ in the body. However, medical marijuana is different. Substances in

the plant that don't have psychoactive properties are taken out of the flower buds and are used for

medical purposes.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes dates back at least 3,000 years. By the 1800s,

doctors were routinely using marijuana to treat pain, inflammation, and convulsions. Whether

it’s appropriate to use marijuana to treat health problems is still the subject of ongoing debate. In

1906, the U.S. Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, which required that over-the-

counter preparations containing cannabis be labeled as such. The safety of marijuana was

eventually called into question in the early 1930s when the Uniform State Narcotic Act
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encouraged states to regulate it as a narcotic. Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970,

marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug. This meant it was classified as a drug with no

medical use and a high risk for abuse. This is what triggered research into potential benefits of

marijuana. Despite this, marijuana was given to certain patients on an individual basis between

1978 and 1992 under the “Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug program.” Since then,

scientists have continued their efforts to study how marijuana affects the brain and other parts of

the body. (Davis)

At one time, the American Medical Association (AMA) was against any laws regarding

cannabis that would limit research into its medical benefits. The Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) has not yet approved medical uses for marijuana, however, the agency has approved a

drug that contains a synthetic version of a substance found in marijuana, along with another

medicine that contains a substance that acts much the same as the compounds found in the

marijuana plant.

There is legitimate evidence that Medical Marijuana has helped people's disabilities and

diseases. If marijuana can help people that are suffering with chronic diseases I don’t see why

we shouldn't be able to legalize it. Marijuana is already legal in 9 states in the US. In my

opinion, people that are going to smoke weed and abuse the drug are already doing it. It is not

hard to get a hold of Marijuana these days. Legal or not people that want to use it will.

I had the opportunity to talk to a few educated people about this controversial subject. Dr.

Jeff Barklow’s response was “I do think that the good outweigh the bad, the bad is that people

are abusing it. That’s already happening so why not make it legal for the people that really do

need it? I haven’t seen any medicines that are even close to as effective as marijuana. There are

hundreds of videos that show people with Tourette’s, Parkinson’s or seizures that get almost
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100% better after they’ve been given CBD. So, if there are other medications that had the

potential to be as helpful don’t you think they be advertised and that everyone would be aware of

them? The side effects are going to be different for every person. Someone that has a bad side

effect from something as simple as Acetaminophen could have no reaction from marijuana and

visa versa. Every medication will have different side effects (good and bad) for everyone.

Marijuana without a doubt does what they claim it does. Several recordings of proof and cases

and studies that have been done show that it is effective in helping different diseases and

disorders” (Barklow).

I couldn't agree more with his response. I have also seen several videos and articles

showing how much it has helped people when nothing else could.

I also talked to a Firefighter and EMT, Eric Gomm in Park City and although he didn't

know a lot about the subject I still thought his response was really crucial to this issue. Eric

Gomm said, “I have been on calls where spouses have been beaten by alcoholics. I have been on

heroin overdose calls as well as prescription pill OD’s where people have died. I can only think

of one call where a kid got into some pot brownies and was a little out of it but ended up being

fine. Not to say there aren’t bad side effects to marijuana but there are with every medicine. I

can’t recall any other calls where we were called because of someone who overdosed on

pot”(Gomm). I believe this shows some proof that marijuana doesn't kill people nearly as often

as things that are already legal like alcohol and other drugs/pills can.

People are more likely to overdose on opioids than marijuana. If we use portion control

like we do with all medications there will be virtually no side effects because it won't be over

used if it’s used as prescribed.

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Marijuana has many side effect and if it's overused they can be dangerous to your mind

and body. If overused, this drug may leads to permanent memory problems. There are also

studies done that show it can lead to gum disease. “Regular cannabis users experienced

downward social mobility and financial difficulties, like struggling with debt and cash flow”

(American Addiction Center). Other chronic side effects from overuse of the drug could be;

decrease in brain growth by killing brain cells, lung problems, as well as breathing problems

from smoking it. Some acute effects include increased heart rate, munchies, lack of

coordination, changes in mood and altered perception of time. Although, there are a few bad

side effects the good definitely outweigh the bad for medical purposes.

For instance, it relieves pain, and helps with anxiety and stress. The munchies can help

people on chemo who don't have much of an appetite. It can also help with nausea from chemo.

It can help and possibly cure multiple diseases and symptoms people with these illnesses have

such as; severe weight loss, nausea, vomiting caused by chemotherapy, chronic pain, spasticity

from multiple sclerosis (MS), anxiety disorders, insomnia and other sleep disorders, anorexia,

arthritis, migraines, HIV/AIDS, parkinson’s disease, alzheimer’s disease, and glaucoma.

60% of the United States population already supports Medical Marijuana. Only nine

states currently have Marijuana legalized and another 14 are only legal for medical use.

Lastly, a significant reason we should legalize the use of medical marijuana is for the

economy. Regulating marijuana and taxing it will bring a huge amount of growth to the United

States economy.
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Works Cited

“Marijuana.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, November 24, 2018. Web.

“Medical Marijuana.” Dr. Jeff Barklow- Nephrology Associates October 10 2018. Interview.

“Medical Marijuana” Eric Gomm-EMT October 09 2018. Interview.

“Dangers of Marijuana: Long-Term Effects on the Brain and Body.” American Addiction

Centers, October 12 2018.

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“Medical Marijuana- Side Effects, Dosage, Interactions - Drugs.” Stroke Center, Ziff Davis,

LLC, 18 May 2016.