In the United States of America there are millions of people who suffer from incurable illnesses. Those who have chronic illnesses go through long periods of paying and testing medicines that could end up causing more harm in the end. Medical marijuana could end this though. The legalization of medical marijuana could help patients get relief from their symptoms while saving them money and time.
Medical marijuana has been legalized in twenty-nine states as of right now. Although some states have approved it for use, the FDA has not. The FDA has only approved two medications that contain cannabinoids- which are the chemicals in marijuana. No broad, FDA-funded clinical trials have been conducted that would provide a look into whether or not medical marijuana would help people with chronic illnesses. However, there have been several experimental trials conducted by doctors and scientists outside of the FDA that have produced incredible results. For example, Dr. Allan Frankel has prescribed patients cannabis alone and seen tumors disappear. Another example is a study, which was conducted on mice, where CBD and THC extracts were used along with radiation treatment. The radiation was found to be much more effective when used with the extracts. Regardless of these successful studies, though, the FDA has not approved marijuana and thus there are no regulations on the sale of it, which can make it very dangerous to purchase. The lack of regulations gives those who sell it freedom to do what they want with it-such as contamination with pesticides-and also sell it at low quality, which can be dangerous.
There are currently only two FDA-approved medicines. These are dronabinol and nabilone. They are given to cancer and AIDs patients because they can help them gain their appetite back, while suppressing nausea. Even though medical marijuana itself is not approved, many patients use CBD and THC on their own. THC helps by increasing appetite and decreasing inflammation. CBD, unlike THC, can not cause the “high” sensation and it helps with pain, seizures, and possibly mental disorders. As earlier stated, it can also make radiation more effective.
Although there are only twenty-nine current states that have it legalized, most Americans agree with medical marijuana use. As of right now, 53% of Americans agree with legalizing marijuana and 77% of them support “it for medical purposes.” This has grown vastly since 1969, when only 12% of citizens approved the use of marijuana.
One of the diseases that could benefit greatly from medical marijuana is cancer. It can improve the symptoms of cancer tremendously. Because cancer patients usually suffer from extreme nausea, they can not eat therefore they lose weight. Cannabis, when smoked, helps by suppressing nausea and bringing back their appetite which helps them gain weight and regain some strength back. When cannabis oil is vaporized and inhaled it can relieve the pain caused by damaged nerves. So, while increasing their appetite, patients also decrease their pain medication use. Another great benefit that medical marijuana has on cancer patients is that it can slow the spread of cancer. In recent studies, THC was shown to have killed cancer cells and not the healthy ones which can be one of the downsides to other cancer treatments. Some of the downsides to marijuana use is anxiety and paranoia if too much is taken and sleepiness and poor memory.
Cancer patients who are having chemo treatments are now using cannabis as a way to get relief from the side effects. Chemotherapy can cause nausea, insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety. One patient, Jeff Moroso, had a friend who mentioned using marijuana to help him get through his bi-weekly treatments. Jeff got permission from his doctor and started with a low dose infused in coffee beans that he took when he needed to. Fourteen weeks into his treatment Jeff had gotten rid of his prescription medicine and felt much better than he had. Marijuana is a great treatment for cancer patients as it is anti nausea and it also increases appetite, which helps with weight loss. Patients report feeling happier and sleeping better while using it. Many oncologists support use and research of cannabis for cancer treatment, and it is becoming a more visible goal as the “barriers” come down.
Another disease which can benefit from cannabis use is Multiple Sclerosis. Patients who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis usually have intense pain and spasticity, both of which can be helped by THC. Patients can take an oral extract and a spray to help with symptoms. There is not a lot of research on the use of cannabis and Multiple Sclerosis as it is a very unpredictable disease in terms of symptoms and how it affects each individual patient. Because of this, though, there are not many treatment options open for people suffering from the disease. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has conducted research and found that physical ailments were improved, while mental was slightly decreased. The studies separated patients with stable MS into a placebo group and a cannabis group. Twice the number of people in the cannabis group reported relief from pain and spasticity. They also reported an increase in quality of sleep and less stiffness. On the other hand, when cannabis patients were put through mental tests they did not perform as well as the placebo group.
Epilepsy patients are also benefited by marijuana use. Medical marijuana can decrease the number of seizures that epileptic patients have during the day, which can help them gain control of their day and help them be more productive. Patients did have some negative side effects, such as: sleepiness, diarrhea, and fatigue. But most of the patients said that the side effects went away with time.
Epilepsy is a very difficult disease to treat as it is a “broad category that includes a number of distinct seizure disorders.” After diagnosis, patients have to test several drugs to see which one will help them. During this process, seizures usually happen frequently and many side effects can develop. In the past few years, CBD has become a very popular treatment among epilepsy patients. Dr. Angel Hernandez of Cook Children’s Medical Center cautions parents who are willing to try CBD as treatment that there is a quality problem in the hemp market. Since there are no regulations and protocols to follow, companies can sell hemp oils with dangerous materials contaminating them. Hernandez also warns of the lack of information and research behind cannabis use. In the 1970’s, though, research showed that the use of hemp helped reduce the amount of seizures because it set off receptors in patients’ endocannabinoid system which produced “anticonvulsant effects.
More chronic illnesses which do not have many treatment options and therefore can benefit greatly from medical marijuana use are Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In Parkinson’s Disease patients, all naturally made cannabinoids that bind to receptors in the brain impact brain chemicals. The area of the brain that most of these receptors belong to-the basal ganglia-”controls movement and is affected in PD.” Researchers have used this information to study any possibly way that they could use the cannabinoids from marijuana to control Parkinson’s. So far, the research done on medical marijuana to treat PD has been vague. Some patients reported that cannabis helped with “pain, sleep dysfunction, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and psychosis.”Others stated that it did not affect motor symptoms. There are fears that marijuana could worsen Parkinson’s symptoms by furthering the cognitive issues that are already had. Further research should be done to prove whether or not that cannabis is a suitable treatment for patients with PD.
Marijuana has proven to help remove a plaque from the brain, which is common among Alzheimer’s patients. It also reduces swelling that can damage neurons. Families of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients report that cannabis “was effective in alleviating the confusion and agitation that sometimes occurs.” There is a lack of treatments for Alzheimer’s because it is a very difficult disease to understand. Every medication that has been created ultimately fails because they can target plaques that are normal for people to have. When researchers were studying the use of cannabis, it showed that it prevents plaque and helps with inflammation. Marijuana is also able to stop the death of neurons which can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Many people who suffer from different physical ailments say that aside from relief of their symptoms, they feel happier. Because of this the medical benefits of using cannabis can not always be separated from the “psychoactive effects.” Patients who suffer from chronic illnesses, though, can benefit greatly from marijuana’s effects on the brain. Most are depressed or have anxiety thus they can get relief from both their mental and physical disorders with just one treatment. When marijuana is legalized, it can offer cheap and nontoxic relief