Los Angeles Marijuana Clinic Blog

Marijuana is not physically addictive, regardless of what many anti-marijuana people want us to accept as true. Cannabis consumers can use cannabis frequently, even numerous times daily, without any problem giving it up, when necessary.

Medcial Cannabis has the lowest risk of dependence and withdrawal potential if you compare it to other substances, such as alcohol, opiates (like Vicodin), caffeine, and other psychoactive drugs. Many of the anti-depressants (currently being prescribed abundantly) have very severe physical withdrawal symptoms which most patients are not warned about.

Marijuana Legalization is one of the most debated issues of the twenty first century. Use of the plant even dates back “further than 7,000 B.C. and was legal as recently as when Ronald Regan was a boy…” (Guither). The drug is the most commonly used illicit substance around the world and there are numerous slang terms for the plant such as cannabis, reefer, mary jane, weed, etc. Most Americans are familiar with the anti-marijuana commercials and the side effects of smoking pot as well as seeing athletes and celebrities reprimanded for the legal use and sale of cannabis. However, according to NORML (”The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws”) in 2008 “more than 80 million Americans admit that they have smoked in the past year.” This is a very large number considering how much money the United States government spends on advertising for the war against drugs. Many people agree that the drug is no more dangerous than the use of any other legal drugs such as the consumption of alcohol or cigarette smoking. For this reason, marijuana should be decriminalized and available to the public while regulated as cigarettes and alcohol.

The most obvious reason for a number of Americans to avoid marijuana is the belief that it is morally unethical. Jobs, that do drug testing, make it clear that it is not socially acceptable in the work place and that it will not be tolerated. Most Christians especially do not approve of smoking pot. Ironically, the Rastafarian religion has found numerous references to pot in the bible. For example, “…thou shalt eat the herb of the land (exodus 10:12)” (”BBC”).Though all religions vary in teachings, in general American parents are concerned that legalizing Marijuana sends the wrong message to children. Which is a good indication that most American parents of teenagers do not realize that “47% of high school students have tried marijuana” (Leachman 2). In 1936, “Reefer Madness”, a propaganda film framed as a documentary, warned parents and children of the dangers of the marijuana. The film was a far cry from reality and showed very unrealistic “scenes of high school kids smoking pot and quickly going insane, playing 'evil' jazz music, being committed, and going on a murder spree” (Murphy 1). “Reefer Madness” is now a musical and has been used for entertainment purposes because of its outdated and exaggerated views on marijuana.

For many people, marijuana is what is referred to as a gateway drug, or a seemingly harmless substance which may cause more serious addictions in the future. Joseph A. Califano says that “teens who drank, smoked cigarettes, and used marijuana at least once in the past month are more than 16 times as likely to use another drug like cocaine, heroin ,or LSD”(33) which are all very serious illicit drugs which can lead to severe health and legal consequences. For most of the American population it is considered to be common knowledge that marijuana is what gets people hooked on harder drugs. Despite this assumption, some believe that marijuana is not the cause at all and that most drug addicts begin substance abuse with legal drugs such as alcohol or cigarettes. According to the Institute of Medicine “ecause it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug that most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users do not begin with marijuana- they begin with alcohol and nicotine, usually when they are too young to do so legally”(36) It is understandable that”[people who enjoy the effects of marijuana are, logically, more likely to be willing to try other mood-altering drugs than are people who are not willing to try marijuana or who dislike its effects”(The Institute of Medicine 37).The Institute of Medicine also states that “illions of Americans have tried marijuana, but are not regular users. In 1996, 68.6 million people-32% of the U.S. population over 12 years old-had tried marijuana or hashish at least once in their life time, but only 5% were current users”(35). This does not mean that marijuana does not contribute to the amount of people who try hard drugs or become addicted to them. “Most people who smoke pot do not move on to other drugs, but then only 5% to 7% of cigarette smokers get lung cancer”, the lesson is that young people “who smoke pot are at vastly greater risk of moving on to harder drugs”(Califano 33). It would be easy to blame marijuana for drug dependency in America, but drugs that are legal in the U.S. are at fault as much or more because of their availability to the public.

For most educated Americans, it is known that marijuana has several harmful side effects. Health risks include memory loss, gum disease, lung and respiratory problems, and several mental health conditions that could become detrimental to a person's well-being. The most argued health issue is weather or not the drug is addictive. According to Tim Anderson “any people use marijuana compulsively even though it interferes with family, school, work and recreational activities” (226). Alcohol and nicotine are both legal drugs which are proven to be addictive and cause serious problems in the lives of people who become addictive. Why should the fact that marijuana is addictive keep it from being legalized when two other addictive substances are legally sold to the public? Alcohol can lead to the same poor choices as marijuana, such as unprotected sexual activity, neglect of responsibilities, or driving while impaired. Alcohol and nicotine are both proven to have as serious health consequences as marijuana. The Office of National Drug Control Policy states that “people who use marijuana on a regular basis often have the same breathing problems as tobacco users, such as chronic coughing and wheezing, more frequent acute chest illnesses, and a tendency toward obstructed airways”(228). More disconcerting than the physical health issues would be the mental health problems which may follow such as difficulty in “memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, and anxiety” (Office of National Drug Control Policy 226).Regular marijuana users have also been shown to have double the chance of suffering from depression and anxiety, panic attacks, or thoughts of suicide later in life (ONDCP 226, “Drug Facts: Marijuana” 1). Alcohol is a depressant; these same effects hold true for alcoholics. “Is marijuana addictive? Yes, can be, in that some people use it to excess, in ways that are problematic for themselves and those around them, and find it hard to stop. But marijuana may very well be the least addictive and least damaging of all commonly used psychoactive drugs, including many that are now legal. Most people who smoke marijuana never become dependant. Withdrawal symptoms pale compared with those from other drugs. No one has ever died from a marijuana overdose, which cannot be said for most other drugs. Marijuana is not associated with violent behavior and only minimally with reckless sexual behavior, and even heavy marijuana smokers smoke only a fraction of what cigarette addicts smoke. Lung cancers involving marijuana are rare” (Nadelmann 215).

The point is any substance, weather its caffeine or prescription drugs, can be abused and become addictive and harmful to a person, this should not mean that marijuana in particular should be illegal. Instead, marijuana should be legalized and regulated in the same way as alcohol and nicotine.

The first and possibly most essential reason for marijuana decriminalization is the many medical uses for the drug. A number of people with terminating illnesses have found relief from the use of marijuana. AIDS patients have shown an increase in appetite, as well as “cancer patients often smoke marijuana to battle the nausea caused by chemotherapy” (Rich 1). According to Ted Gottfried “arijuana has been effective in treating Glaucoma, a condition resulting from a pressure in the eyes, which the drug eases” the patient's pain (20). Marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes and can be beneficial to society but it is illegal, alcohol and nicotine are not effective as medicine for any diseases however they are both legal to the public. To supporters of marijuana legalization it is obvious why it should be legalized if only for medical use. The main concern for most patients would be the adverse affects of smoking marijuana may be more detrimental than the symptoms that the drug is meant to relieve. Luckily, less invasive ways to use the drug for medicine have been developed: “Pharmaceutical products containing marijuana's central ingredient, THC, are legally sold in the U.S., and more are emerging. Some people find the pill form satisfactory, and others consume it in teas or baked products” (Nadelmann 215). Even if patients decide smoke instead of one of the newer techniques, the effects on the person's health are minimal compared to the disease which it is helping to treat, especially since most of the diseases are fatal and incurable at this point in time.

Unlike cigarettes, marijuana has absolutely no harmful chemicals added before it is sold and smoked. For this reason alone pot is less likely to lead to cancer or lung problems. Lung cancer from the smoking of marijuana is rare and the use of tobacco is much more likely to result in respiratory complications and gum disease. In general, heavy users of marijuana still do not smoke as much as people who smoke cigarettes. Marijuana's health risks are significantly mild compared to legal substances and hard drugs. Infact many of the health risks are exaggerated or not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence: “In 1972, after reviewing the scientific evidence, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse concluded that while marijuana was not entirely safe, its dangers had been grossly overstated. Since then, researchers have conducted thousands of studies of humans, animals, and cell cultures. None reveal any findings dramatically different from those described by the National Commission in 1972. In 1995, based on thirty years of scientific research editors of the British medical journal Lancet concluded that “the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health” (”Myths and Facts about Marijuana”1).

Some researchers will argue that the effects of marijuana are clearly visible regardless of scientific proof. The idea that marijuana leads to brain damage, has yet to be anything more than a theory. Scientists continue the study of the effects of marijuana on animals and humans:”None of the medical tests currently used to detect brain damage in humans have found harm from marijuana, even from long term high-dose use. An early study reported brain damage in rhesus monkeys after six months exposure to high concentrations of marijuana smoke. In a recent, more carefully conducted study, researchers found no evidence of brain abnormality in monkeys that were forced to inhale the equivalent of four to five marijuana cigarettes every day for a year. The claim that marijuana kills brain cells is based on a speculative report dating back a quarter of a century that has never been supported by any scientific study”(”Myths and Facts about Marijuana” 2).Though marijuana smoke is not necessarily a healthy habit, it is not any more harmful than the legal drugs that are being used everyday in the U.S.

Legalizing marijuana would not increase the number of people who abuse the drug; because it would be less taboo and not as thrilling if it is legal. When drugs are prohibited in America or in neighboring countries, use of the drug is actually increased. As determined by Dan Gardner, “he most frightening jumps in drug use the world has seen have happened after the introduction -or escalation- of drug prohibition” (132). He also believes that “tates with higher rates of drug incarceration experience higher rates of drug use” (133). If that is true, keeping marijuana illegal is counter productive to the fight against drug use in America. Legalization would cut down on the number of people in jail for marijuana related crimes. Instead of police chasing people, who may be illegally dealing drugs or in possession of marijuana, they can focus on catching criminals who are guilty of rape, burglary, or murder. Also if the number of people in jail were reduced tax payer's money would not be wasted and marijuana users could be productive members of society. According to District Attorney, Paul Gallegos, legalization of the drug “would probably reduce the value of marijuana pretty significantly, so we'd probably see a reduction if not a complete end to the ancillary crime associated with marijuana” (1). People who do not smoke pot now while it is illegal will most likely not start if it becomes legal due to religious beliefs or health concerns.

Economically, the legalization of marijuana could be beneficial to the U.S. because it could be taxed and regulated like tobacco. NORML states that currently “Californians consume $1-$2 billion worth of medical marijuana per year, enough to generate some $100 million in sales tax” (2) or approximately 1.3 billion dollars a year! The Economy in America is suffering and hemp could be a major export and beneficial cash crop. The use of hemp in clothing and other products has been around for thousands of years. Infact the first woven fabrics are believed to have been constructed from the plant's stalks (Guither 1). Of course, clothing is not the only industrial use of hemp; “over the centuries the plant was used for food, incense, cloth, rope, and much more” (Guither 1). According to Dan Stancliff California's sale of marijuana could lead the nation out of the recession if pot were legalized. The money would not only come from industrial use but also on “tourism picking up for the entire state, and especially for the Emerald Triangle, 'Green Tours' would have a new meaning, more importantly, legalizing marijuana would put an end to the Mexican cartels who infest our state and national forests with their huge destructive grows” (Stancliff 1). Presently, much of America's tax dollars are being spent on anti-drug programs and advertisements. Many supporters claim that “f drugs were decriminalized…much of the $50 billion spent annually by federal and state government agencies might be used in such critical areas as health care, education, low-cost housing, and programs to reduce dependency on drugs and alcohol”(Gottfried 68). The cost to enforce marijuana laws in the U.S. is an estimated $10-15 billion (Nadelmann 214). Most supporters of marijuana legalization agree with the opinion of Ethan A. Nadelmann:

“No drug is perfectly safe, and every psychoactive drug can be used in ways that are problematic, The federal government has spent billions of dollars on advertisements and anti-drug programs that preach the dangers of marijuana -that it's a gateway drug, and addictive in its own right, and dramatically more potent than it used to be, and responsible for all sorts of physical and social diseases as well as international terrorism. But the government has yet to repudiate the 1988 finding of the Drug Enforcement Administration's own administrative law judge, Frances Young. Who concluded after extensive testimony 'marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man',” (Nadelmann 214).

Instead of spending American tax dollars on advertisements which people will ignore, that money could go toward improving the lives of the citizens.

In the United States, the possession of marijuana lands more that 700,000 people in jail every year (Nadelmann 214), most of which have no other criminal records. That means that the number of people arrested for marijuana related crimes is “almost as the same number as are arrested each year for cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and all other illicit drugs combined” (Nadelmann 214). Clearly the U.S. government has overreacted and over the years this view has grown without many of the view-holders fully aware of the facts. In the some countries the use and sale of marijuana is legal and regulated as tobacco. For example, Amsterdam allows people to buy marijuana at coffee shops and the country does not seem to have a problem with abuse of the drug.

“Young people who smoke marijuana are to do so in coffee shops that openly sell the drug. There are rules governing these coffee shops. They are not allowed to sell alcohol or hard drugs. They may dispense no more than five grams of marijuana or hashish in any single transaction. Drugs may not be advertised. The shops must not cause any nuisance to local neighborhoods” (Gottfried 92).

Not all Americans agree that the same success with pot would happen in the U.S. Amsterdam and the other European countries, which do not prohibit the sale of marijuana, rely more on public transportation than most citizens of the United States. If pot were legal to the American public for personal use, laws prohibiting driving under the influence of marijuana should be enforced much like the laws regarding drinking and driving.

For a number of United States citizens that idea of marijuana legalization is a subject in which lies a lot of gray area. There are people who are totally against the idea, others who think that legalization is an imperative part of improving the quality of life in America, and many who are undecided on the matter. However, a plethora of American people who believe that marijuana should be legalized are vocal enough to gain national attention. Nadelmann states that “Marijuana Prohibition is unique among American criminal laws. No other law is both enforced so widely and harshly and yet deemed so unnecessary by such a substantial portion of the populace” (213). Many people disagree with the use of marijuana because of moral views but the same groups also disagree with tobacco and alcohol, both of which are not prohibited by law. Marijuana is no more dangerous than cigarettes or alcohol and therefore, should be legally treated as equals.

Above the Influence. “Drug Facts: Marijuana.” http:// www.abovetheinluence.com/facts/drugs-marijuana.aspx#. (2009)

Anderson, Tim. “Marijuana should be Decriminalized.” http: //www.themountaineeronline.com. (18 Nov 2008).

BBC. “Worship.” http: //www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/rastafaria/customs/customs_1.shtml.(18 Mar 2009).

Califano Jr., Joseph A. “Marijuana is a gateway drug.” Espejo, Roman. Drug Abuse. San Diego: Green Haven, 2002.

Drug Policy. “Myths and Facts about Marijuana.” http:// www.drugpolicy.org /marijuana/factsmyths /#harms. (2009).

Gardner, Dan. “Legalizing Drugs would not cause an increase in Drug Use.” Espejo, Roman. Drug Abuse. Green Haven: San Diego, 2002.

Gottfried, Ted. Should Drugs be Legalized? Brookfield: Twenty First Century, 2000.

Guither, Pete. “A Brief History of the Criminalization of Cannabis.” http:// Marijuana.drugwarrant.com. (2009).

The Institute of Medicine. “Marijuana Use does not lead to Harder Drugs.” Espejo, Roman. Drug Abuse. San Diego: Green Haven, 2002.

Leachman, Dr.Mackenzie. “Welcome to High School: What to Expect of your teenager through High School.” http://www.pld.fcps.net/welcom/htm. (19 Mar 2009).

Murphy, Kevin and Dan Studney. “Reefer Madness History.” http: //web. archive.org/web/20060328163232/ www.reefer=madness-movie.com/index.html. (2005).

Nadelmann, Ethan A. “An End to Marijuana Prohibition”. Goldberg, Raymond. Taking Sides: Drugs and Society. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.

NORML. “NORML Statement on the Cultivation of Industrial Hemp.”http://www.norml.com/index.cfm? group_ID=5447. (11 Dec 2006).

Office of National Drug Control Policy. “Marijuana and the Truth behind 10 Popular Misperceptions.” Goldberg, Raymond. Taking Sides: Drugs and Society. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.

Rich, Alex K. “Legalization of Marijuana: an overview.” Points of View: Legalization of Marijuana. http: //search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=puh&AN=23554883&site=pov-live. (Feb 2007).

Stancliff, Dan. “California can lead the nation out of this depression by legalizing Marijuana.” http:// www.times-standard.com/ci_11865538?source=most=viewed. (08 Mar 2009)

Tam, Donna.” Marijuana Legalization Supporters say Bill could save Billions.” http: //www.times- standard.com/localnews/ci_11865543. (08 Mar 2009).

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L.A. 420 Collective News! More than 400 Medical Cannabis Dispensaries in the greater Los Angeles county area were notified to close up their stores before June 7, 2010. Will shop keepers decide to fight theletters sent by the city council to let their shops go up in smoke?

The “official” decision to go against social progress is not likely to bode well for city officials. After all the great work celebs and Ca. residents have done to de-stigmatize medicinal cannabis as a natural remedy alternative for so many costly pharmaceuticals, this is distressing news for many “going green” Americans.

Medical Marijuana became legal in 1996 when California voters approved Proposition 215, known as the Compassionate Use Act. The proposition removed state-level criminal penalties for the use, possession, and cultivation of marijuana by patients who have received recommendations by their physician.

In 2003, Senate Bill 420, known as the Medical Marijuana Program Act, was signed into law. The act established statewide guidelines outlining the amount and weight of marijuana a patient and their caregivers may posses and grow. Patients who have received physician recommendations may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana plants. Counties and local municipalities may approve local ordinances permitting patients to possess larger quantities of marijuana.The bill also mandates the California Department of State Health Services to establish a voluntary medicinal marijuana patient registry and identification card program to qualified patients. Senate Bill 420 also granted right to medical marijuana collectives.

Medical Marijuana collectives, also known as dispensaries or clinics, provide their members access to medical marijuana. Dispensaries offer marijuana in a variety of forms, from traditional bud to smoke, to edible treats. “The dispensaries range from Hollywood-day-spa fabulous to shoddy-looking storefronts with hand-painted billboards.'' “Across California there are an estimated 2,100 dispensaries, co-operatives, wellness clinics and taxi delivery services in the sector known as “cannabusiness”. That is more than all the Starbucks, McDonald's and 7-Eleven outlets in the state put together.”''

Los Angeles police to raid medical marijuana stores

California dreaming of full marijuana legalisation

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L.A. 420 Collective News! More than 400 Medical Cannabis Dispensaries in the County of Los Angeles were notified toclose up shop before June 7, 2010. Will shop keepers decide to fight theletters sent by the city council to let their shops go up in smoke?

The “official” decision to go against social progress is not likely to bode well for city officials. After all the great work celebs and Ca. residents have done to de-stigmatize medical cannabis as a natural remedy alternative for so many costly pharmaceuticals, this is distressing news for many “going green” Americans.

Medical Marijuana became legal in 1996 when California voters approved Proposition 215, known as the Compassionate Use Act. The proposition removed state-level criminal penalties for the use, possession, and cultivation of marijuana by patients who have received recommendations by their physician.

In 2003, Senate Bill 420, known as the Medical Marijuana Program Act, was signed into law. The act established statewide guidelines outlining the amount and weight of marijuana a patient and their caregivers may posses and grow. Patients who have received physician recommendations may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana plants. Counties and local municipalities may approve local ordinances permitting patients to possess larger quantities of marijuana.The bill also mandates the California Department of State Health Services to establish a voluntary medicinal marijuana patient registry and identification card program to qualified patients. Senate Bill 420 also granted right to medical marijuana collectives.

Medical Marijuana collectives, also known as dispensaries or clinics, provide their members access to medical marijuana. Dispensaries offer marijuana in a variety of forms, from traditional bud to smoke, to edible treats. “The dispensaries range from Hollywood-day-spa fabulous to shoddy-looking storefronts with hand-painted billboards.'' “Across California there are an estimated 2,100 dispensaries, co-operatives, wellness clinics and taxi delivery services in the sector known as “cannabusiness”. That is more than all the Starbucks, McDonald's and 7-Eleven outlets in the state put together.”''

Los Angeles police to raid medical marijuana stores

California dreaming of full marijuana legalisation

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While the legalization of Cannabis in the state of Ca. is on the November ballot, right now you can find medical marijuana collective ads all over the internet, as well as in print. Just grab an OC Weekly or SF Weekly, for that matter in Sacramento grab a Sacramento News & Reviews, you'll see multiple ads for medicinal marijuana stores. Advertisements include free deliveries, free lighters and “free gram” promotions. Sacramento has so many MMJ shops, and doctor’s offices the areas medicinal marijuana business is as competitive as L.A.’s west Hollywood.

Rape of LGBT inmates has been a disgrace in the California prison system for a while, and the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act (AB 382) is intended to end this crime. Is a lack of enforceability its downfall?

LGBT Prisoner Safety Act (AB 382) Introduced by California Assembly Member Tom Ammiano

Tom Ammiano - you may remember the San Francisco democrat as also being the legislator whose California marijuana bill proposes legalizing marijuana tax to equal $1 a joint - introduced Assembly Bill No. 382, the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act. The legislation protecting LGBT inmates from rape was initially introduced on February 23rd, but it was not until May 11th that it passed the assembly with bipartisan support.

Goals of the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act

Just Detention International reveals that 67% of LGBT inmates are victims of rape or other forms of sexual assault. This figure is actually 15% higher than the incidents of sexual abuse experienced by inmates who do not identify as LGBT.

Passage of the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act would introduce “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as criteria the Department of Corrections would take into consideration when classifying inmates and allocating their housing.

Implementing the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act Presents Problems

The numbers bear out that LGBT inmates are more vulnerable to sexual assaults than the rest of the inmate population, but the implementation of the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act may present some problems. Tom Ammiano himself is quoted by the Bay Area Reporter Online as stating that he has no idea how much the implementation of the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act will cost. He is leaving this detail to the appropriations committee.

California - already cash strapped and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy or at least insolvency - is facing a budget deficit of epic proportions. Overcrowding and unacceptable conditions have previously led to one third of the California prison inmates being handed “get out of jail free” cards by federal judges barring necessary improvements in the jail system.

This presents a unique problem to the implementation of the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act and might lead to little more than a segregation of LGBT inmates from the rest of the inmate population. While initially this would indeed protect LGBT inmates, it is certain to lead to system abuse by non-LGBT inmates who seek the protection against sexual abuse and violence the regular inmate population experiences.

Falsely self identifying as being LGBT would then introduce non LGBT inmates into the group. There they might once again perpetrate the very violence against LGBT inmates against which these inmates sought protection. Since the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act fails to mention a litmus test of verifying identifying criteria, the implementation quite possibly will be the downfall of an otherwise much needed piece of legislation.

Sources

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1510881/california_marijuana_bill_proposes.html; http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0351-0400/ab_382_bill_20090223_introduced.pdf; http://www.justdetention.org/en/sprnews/2009/022409.aspx; http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3834; http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1462677/one_third_of_california_prison_inmates.html

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As emotions over medical marijuana and the locations, and numbers of the dispensaries allowed heats up in every city across the state of California… There is still no greater place to live. In one afternoon a properly documented marijuana patients can visit a marijuana doctor, be evaluated, and with 30 min be on his or her way looking for their new favorite medical cannabis club. Of which there are more than a few to choose from.

Many of us are familiar with Marijuana, also known as cannabis, ganja, weed, dank, KB, or for those out there that can't afford much, schwag. No matter what you call it, it is all the same — in a sense. But, although, many people smoke marijuana, few actually understand what it is, and the benefits. This is why I have compiled a complete information article based solely on the herb, Marijuana.

First off, many people don't know what this “weed' actually is. Marijuana is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. The herbal form of the drug is made of dried mature inflorescences and subtending leaves of female (pistillate) plants. The most active chemical compound found in ganja is tetrahydrocannabinol, or as many people know it as THC. This compound has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed — either by smoking or ingesting (brownies). Believe it or not there is a minimum amount of THC that is required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect, and that amount is around 5 mg. There is also a related compound that is very similar to THC that is found in certain drug strains, and that is tetrahydrocannabidivarin, or THCV. This second type of compound is recorded as having faster and “flashier” effects than THC, however, there have been recent studies that are suggesting THCV actually inhibits the effects of THC. THCV is found in African dagga, or marijuana, as well as in hashish from the northwest Himalayas.

But, how long have humans been consuming Marijuana? Is it a fairly new drug? Actually, humans have been consuming “weed” since prehistoric times, however, in the 20th century, marijuana reached its peak in its use for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. There are estimates that around 4% of the world's adult population consume marijuana. In the United States, there are estimates that 20% or more of adults have tried the drug, and 10-30% or more in Europoean countries. However long humans have been consuming marijuana, it has now become very illegal in many parts of the world. Although, there are some countries that have eased the enforcement of marijuana, as in The Netherlands. However, it is still very illegal in most of the world to produce marijuana for drug use due to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

What is the history of Marijuana? Well, botanists have determined that marijuana is native to central Asia and possible going down into the Himalayas. There is evidence of inhalation of marijuana smoke that goes back as far as the Neolithic age. This is proved by the charred seeds found in a ritual brazier at an ancient burial site in present day Romania. However, the most famous users of marijuana were the ancient Hindus of India, and the Hashshashins (hashish eaters) of present day Syria. There were also signs of use from the citizens of the Persian Empire, in which they would partake in the ceremonial burning of massive marijuana bonfires. By doing this they would expose all that lived around the bonfire to billowing fumes for often over 24 hours. Marijuana was also used by the Assyrians, who discovered it through the Aryans. They used it in religious ceremonies, and called it qunubu, which translates to the drug for sadness.

There is one thing that is communal about many of these ancient cultures, and that is many of them used marijuana in their religious ceremonies. When you trace the history of this plant, you will find that many pharmacological cults around the world used marijuana in their ceremonies. There are even some historians who are saying that marijuana was used as a religious sacrament by the ancient Jews, early Christians and Muslims of the Sufi order. However, the use of religious marijuana stems to today, as the Rastafari movement has embraced the use of this drug. Like the Rastafari, some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that Marijuana is the Tree of Life. There are actual organized religions founded within the past century that treat marijuana as a sacrament. Some of these organizations are the THC Ministry, the Way of Infinite Harmony, Cantheism, the Cannibis Assembly and the Church of Cognizance. However, many individuals consider their use of this plant to be spiritual, regardless of their religion.

Surely we have all heard of Medical Marijuana. However, why is this so? The Marijuana Policy Project has stated that marijuana is an ideal therapeutic drug for cancer and AIDS patients, who often suffer from clinical depression and from nausea and weight loss from chemotherapy and other treatments. It has been said that marijuana makes these and other treatments more bearable for the sick. Even for people that do not have a terminal sickness, the effects of marijuana provide a degree of relief for persons suffering from motion sickness, and can also be used by hyperhidrosis sufferers for temporary relief of excessive sweating.

However, there have been many different discussion for the use of medical marijuana, both for it and against it. On April 20, 2006 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an intra-agency advisory that warned against medical marijuana, stating that the plant has a high potential for abuse, no current medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Also, the FDA made a statement saying that, “there is no currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful.” Also, the National Institute of Health (NIH) made a statement saying, “the association of these [lung and upper aerodigestive tract] cancers with marijuana, even long-term or heavy use, is not strong and may be below practically detectable limits.”

So what's the big fuss about medical marijuana? Well, there have been claims that marijuana reduces the intraocular pressure (fluid pressure within the eye) and is therefore useful for glaucoma suffers. It also been said that it is useful when treating epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder. There have even been studies that show the use of marijuana can relieve tics in patients that suffer from OCD and/or Tourette syndrome. Patients who have undergone this study were shown to have a 50% or more decrease in motor and vocal tics. THC has also been shows to reduce arterial blockages. In the United States, there are in upwards of 60 million people who have legalized medical marijuana to some degree. There are additionally six states that have enacted a decriminalization policy towards the drug. However, because the federal government does not acknowledge any medical uses for marijuana, there are still federal enforcements dealing with this drug.

Even though the use of marijuana is illegal, some medical practitioners still recommend it informally. There is a synthetic version of THC, which is available in capsule form as the prescription drug donation (Marinol) which is available in many countries. In Canada, the drug Sativex, which is an extract from marijuana is administered as a sublingual spray and is used for multiple sclerosis sufferers. However, the United States still views marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, which is in the same as heroin and LSD, but, they have listed Marinol as a Schedule III drug, even though they have the exact same active ingredient, THC.

Marijuana is prepared for human consumption in many different forms. There are several different terms that are used in order to identify the various types of consumption methods. Marijuana can be known as Hashish or Charas. Basically, this describes the concentrated resin that is composed of debris that has been physically extracted from the plant. There are various methods in which this is performed, either by rubbing, sifting or with ice. The Kief, or Kif, is the chopped flowering tops of female plants, which is ofted mixed with tobacco. Bhang is a beverage which is prepared by one grinding marijuana leaves in milk and then boiling the mixture with spices and various other tasteful ingredients. And Budder, which is the hash oil which is whipped in order add air into the mixture, making the finished compound similar to butter.

However, the most popular way to consume marijuana, is to smoke it. There many different types of ways in which have become widely used in the smoking process. The most popular ways is by a joint, blunt, using a hookah, a bong, or the pipe, which is usually recognized by the names “bowl” or “piece”, there is also a shotgun, chillum, and the one-hitter, which is also called a “bat.” However, there are several methods of actually eating the plant. Eating marijuana is an alternative to the previous methods. This has become very popular because of the longer lasting effects of the drug. However, many people who have consumed marijuana via ingestion often complain about the experience, because the “high” is far more intense than the traditional smoking. This is due to the fact that when one smokes marijuana, it looses a significant amount of THC, however, when one ingests the compound, all of the active components, are converted into the more psychoactive 11-hydroxy-THC by the liver.

No matter how you look at marijuana, there are some health issues that have been raised by the consumption of this plant. However, throughout peoples studies there have been many different and conflicting results concerning the physical and mental effects of marijuana. However, many of these studies have been done by government agencies, of whom it can be hard to take their findings as non-biased. Many people have condemned these studies as the various agencies “pick-and-choose” their findings that they put in their reports. However, all of the studies have shown that smoking marijuana has not been the cause of emphysema, lung cancer, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There have also been other studies that have suggested that marijuana does not appear to cause birth defects or developmental delays in pregnant women. Citing a United Kingdom government report, using marijuana is less dangerous than both tobacco and alcohol in social harms, physical harms and addiction.

Although the latter is not negative news, it has been shown that marijuana acts on the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain that is associated with memory and learning. It is said that this drug impairs short term memory and attention spans during the duration of the “high,” as well as throughout the next several days, in some cases. However, some studies have suggested that in the long term certain particular types of memory have been enhanced. One major study concluded that marijuana was found to be “neuroprotective” against “excitotoxicty” which is a major beneficial factor is preventing progressive degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. In a study that was conducted by the Health Secretary of the State of France, Bernard Kouchner, and was directed by Dr. Pierre-Bernard Roques, it was concluded that marijuana does not have any neurotixicity that affects the brain. Which means that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and cocaine.

No matter what your stance is on marijuana, one must begin to ask themselves is this drug really worth illegalizing. Marijuana has been involved in mankind's history for millennia's. Yes, when one takes any type of recreational drug, be it alcohol or marijuana, in an irresponsible manner, there are going to be negative effects. However, I believe that it is a must that the pubic is educated on this “drug” before they begin to pass judgment. I am not saying that the government NEEDS to legalize the substance. However, I do believe that we should decriminalize, or make the punishments less severe, to marijuana users if they are responsible with the plant - just as in alcohol. But, will this ever happen?

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Marijuana Medicine can help with many ailments. With the recent death of Michael Jackson due to over the counter drugs| more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and cannot help but be curious as to what their future holds. Doctors are so swift to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Most medical cannabis patients feel that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana.

I woke up as the phone rang. Being a Sunday morning, with two of my kids at their father's house for the weekend and the other two still asleep, I let the answering machine get it. I heard my ex-mother-in-law Mary's voice telling me I should call her. While it was somewhat unusual for her to call, I didn't sense anything wrong by her words or tone. However, what Mary wanted to tell me would shake the very foundation of my sanity and change my life forever.

Mary's phone was busy, so I called my ex-husband Chris. Chris abruptly said his mom would call me back. This was not unusual either, since we preferred not to talk to each other. In retrospect, I feel he could of at least attempted to prepared me. When Mary finally called back, she started off with, “something has happened that I think you should know.” I quickly realized she was talking about my children. Lynn was 7, Christopher was 5, and they were the only good things that had come of my first marriage. The thought of anything happening to them made my stomach crawl up into my throat.

I was told Chris had a “small party” the evening before and several people were there “playing cards.” That next morning, my daughter Lynn, my sweet and precious daughter, walked into Chris's room and said she had been molested during the night and Christopher was a witness. Upon hearing those words I felt my stomach lurch and my legs give out. I grabbed onto my dresser for support and slumped there, bent over like someone kicked in my gut. I had just been told my daughter's innocence was stolen from her.

Time seemed to lapse around me while I cowered there, feeling a torturous agony I've never known. Finally, I asked Mary what the police said. Her reply was a simple, nonchalant, “We didn't call them because Lynn said he didn't hurt her and I don't think we should traumatize her anymore.” I was appalled and shook my head, trying to comprehend the words I had just heard. How could they not call the police? Someone has to pay for this! Someone molested my daughter!

I got in my car and drove to Mary's, where Chris was with the kids. Lynn appeared physically well, but had a blank emptiness in her eyes. We all went to the police station to file the report. Lynn was too scared to talk with the officer in the room, so a social worker had to take her statement.

I have been told many children give very vague statements after being molested. It was not so with my daughter. Every descriptive, in depth word that Lynn said cut through me like a jagged knife. She never cried though, so I bit my lip, struggling to hide my own tears. This was a time that my daughter needed me to be strong, but it was so insufferably hard to keep myself together. After finishing at the police station, we took Lynn to the hospital for a physical exam. The doctor said she appeared to be fine physically, but would need to see a therapist, as would Chris, Christopher, and myself.

We went home to begin the process of healing from this tragic event, yet every time I thought it was about to get better, the whole world would fall down on me again. First, when I obtained a copy of the police report, it was revealed that Chris and his party guests had been drinking, smoking marijuana, and using meth since the children had gone to bed that night. In the past, I expressed my concerns to Chris about his drinking while he had the children for the weekend, but I never imagined that he was still doing so, or even using hard drugs. In my mind, it was their own father's negligence that allowed this to happen.

Then, the person Lynn accused and the other possible suspect, who had also stayed the night, were pointing fingers at each other. Neither would admit or confess, just blame the other. One refused to take a polygraph or talk to police, the other took the test, but it was determined to be inconclusive. The children were not asked to testify in court due to the strain it could put on their already fragile minds and emotions. So, after nearly two years of being held off by the police saying they were working on gathering more evidence, we were told there was not still not enough to arrest or prosecute, despite the detective affirming he knew the person Lynn pointed out was indeed the perpetrator.

Life is as normal as it can get after a devastation such as this. The children did not have any contact with Chris for ten months and, even then it was supervised by Mary for six months. The therapy is over now and, for the most part, we are better. Lynn seems unaffected by this, but she brings it up occasionally in conversations when we are alone. Christopher, however, has had numerous behavioral problems since and is currently taking anti-depressants. I am also on medication for depression and anxiety. I am paranoid of everyone and everything these days, though I don't let the children know that. My fear is not so much that it will happen again, but that Lynn will suppress it until later in life, where it will continue to haunt her. I just want my nightmares to end and be able to sleep at night knowing my daughter is, and forever will be, safe.

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Marijuana Medicine has a long history of helping, With the recent death of Heath Ledger due to prescription drugs| more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and cannot help but be curious as to what their future holds. Doctors are so swift to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Most medical cannabis patients feel that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana.

If Michigan citizens have their way, Marijuana will be legal for those with chronic or debilitating diseases. Medically certified citizens would be able to possess and use marijuana legally under a new proposal on its way to the constituency in November.

State elections panel certified petitions with 377,975 signatures backing the plan, well more than the 304,000 minimum needed to put the initiative before voters if the Legislature fails to act on it within the next 40 days.

Current Michigan law prohibits marijuana use for any reason. But nearly a dozen other states authorize medicinal use by patients.

The Michigan proposal would permit patients to use and grow small amounts of marijuana for relief from pain associated with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. Patients would be required to register and carry cards so law enforcement personnel could tell who was a registered patient with permission to legally use the drug.

According to Detroit News, voters in at least five Michigan cities - Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ferndale, Flint and Traverse City - have passed ballot initiatives allowing for medicinal marijuana use. The practice has been controversial in California, where voters authorized the sale of small amounts of marijuana at licensed co-ops. Those operations have been targeted by U.S. law enforcement agencies under federal law.

If Law is Passed, Where will Michigan buy their Marijuana from?

Many wonder if this has been thoroughly researched. The Michigan statute does not address the question of where the marijuana would originate from and it does not sanction sales. Without a complete plan is this a disaster in the making?

The Michigan Coalition is backed by the national organization Marijuana Policy Project. It provided almost all of the $1.1 million used to arrange the campaign and gather petition signatures.

Several reports, including studies conducted with government grown pot from Mississippi suggest patients get more relief from smoking pot than from prescriptions, with fewer side effects. The FDA continues to block many human scientific studies on the medical use of marijuana.

Opposition to medical marijuana has always come from law enforcement, especially national drug enforcement agencies. Surprisingly, thus far, no resistance to the Michigan crusade for Medical Marijuana use has surfaced.

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The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical pot smokers and their medical cannabis clubs as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday (4/26/2010).

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medicinal marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

California is unique among those for the presence of medical marijuana collective — businesses that sell medical marijuana and even advertise their services.

A.G. Holder said in March that he wanted the fed’s to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice.

A memo of some length spelling out the policy is expected to be sent Monday to federal prosecutors in the the participating states and also to top officials at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The memo, the officials said, emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the legal guidance before it is issued.

At the same time, the officials said, the government will still prosecute those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other illegal activity. The memo particularly warns that some suspects may hide old-fashioned drug dealing or other crimes behind a medical marijuana business.

In particular, the memo urges prosecutors to pursue marijuana cases which involve violence, the illegal use of firearms, selling pot to minors, money laundering or other crimes.

And while the policy memo describes a change in priorities away from prosecuting medical marijuana cases, it does not rule out the possibility that the federal government could still prosecute someone whose activities are allowed under state law.

The memo, officials said, is designed to give a sense of prosecutorial priorities to U.S. Attorneys in the states that allow medical marijuana. It notes that pot sales in the United States are the largest source of money for violent Mexican drug cartels, but adds that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources.

Medical marijuana advocates have been anxious to see exactly how the administration would implement candidate Barack Obama's repeated promises to change the policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.

Shortly after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government's plans.

___

On the Net:

Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/

One of the most heated debates in the United States today is the use of medical marijuana. A few states have and have begun to legalize the drug for medical purposes such as to mitigate intolerable pain and to reduce anxiety. Recently the Federal Government has cracked down on prescriptions of cannabis and has sparked even more debate on what should be done to resolve this outstanding issue. Marijuana can be a very vital medicinal drug for patients and outlawing prescriptions and arresting people for using it for the intended purposes is wrong and new legislation should be passed in order to resolve these issues.

In 1936 the United States passed the Marijuana Tax Act the criminalized marijuana. Furthering this act, the United States passed the 1970 Controlled Substance Act which set a schedule list for drugs. In this piece of legislation, marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug, which means that it has a high potential for abuse, it is not accepted as a medical treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of safety in using the drug under medical supervision. Schedule 1 drugs are also not allowed to be prescribed by doctors. Both of these laws are cited by the United States Congress as reasons to why the drug should not be used for medicinal purposes. However, there is an even more important piece of legislation that the federal government uses to protect and back its stance on minimizing the use of the drug.

Article I of the United States Constitution provides the Commerce Clause. The Commerce Clause allows the United States Congress the ability to regulate commerce with among other things, the states. This Clause was the main issue in the Supreme Court case Raich v. Gonzales (renamed after Alberto Gonzales took over the Attorney General position from John Ashcroft). Angel Raich was allowed to use medical marijuana under federal law but Ashcroft appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's decision held the Commerce Clause in saying that Congress was allowed to ban the use of marijuana even in states where it is used for medicinal purposes. Another case from 2004, one that did not reach the United States Supreme Court, was ruled by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that the use of medical marijuana had no effect on interstate commerce when grown locally under a physicians advice.

In 2002, Bryan James Epis was tried in federal court for growing marijuana for medicinal purposes for himself and four other patients and was sentenced to the mandatory 10-year sentence. The issue arrives in the fact that Epis was operating within the codified laws of the state of California but not within the laws of the federal government. Something needs to be done to clear up the confusion between state and federal laws.

Another issue arrives concerning the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Doctor's are contending that under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution they are allowed to discuss any and all treatment options with their patients. The government completely agrees with them on one point, but claims that the Amendment does not allow the doctors to facilitate “the unlawful distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana in violation of federal law.” As long as they stay within the confines of the Controlled Substances Act they are allowed to give their professional opinion, even if state laws constitute them more leeway.

In my opinion marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes because it mitigates pain in patients and can reduce stress for people with anxiety issues. Our prison system is at capacity and a large percentage of inmates are booked on counts of possession of marijuana, and in some cases even when it was prescribed to them by a doctor. Dissenters can argue that people that have a tendency to use the drug may also have the mindset to use more dangerous drugs and/or the ability to commit other crimes. However, you cannot arrest somebody under the suspicion that they may or may not commit more crime due to their present habits.

The best possible solution in this case is to regulate marijuana and make it legal; much like the government did when they repealed the Prohibition and the Eighteenth Amendment with the Twenty First. Medicinal marijuana would be the main use of the drug and legislation should be passed in order to achieve a uniform set of laws at the federal and state levels so that citizens are not confused as to what laws they should listen to. As for the recreational use of the drug, its priority should remain on the back burner to medical use. If there is a way to make people more comfortable and cure or at least mitigate such diseases as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anti-social behavior is should be implemented. As for more dangerous drugs that have been shown to be the cause of deaths and serious injuries, like cocaine and heroin, these drugs should remain criminalized and policed.

In conclusion, the past has shown us that the federal government always has precedent over state government and in the case of medical marijuana it is unprecedented to think that state government laws will overrule the federal government. It is necessary however for the federal government to listen to the voices of its citizens and provide a comprehensive plan for regulating the drug. When both the federal government and the states come on to the same page, this confusing litigation will cease to exist and one way or the other the country will have a set of laws that is consistent and not confusing.

Works Cited

Christenson, Vonn. (2004). Courts Protect Ninth Circuit Doctors Who Recommend Medical Marijuana

Use. American Journal of Law & Medicine and Harvard Law & Health Care Society, 174-177.

Court will not reconsider medical marijuana ruling. (2004, March 15). Alcoholism & drug Abuse Weekly.

Government Files Defense of Medical Marijuana Position. (1997, March 10). Alcoholism & Drug Abuse

Weekly.

Man receives 10-year sentence for growing medical marijuana. (2002, October 21). Alcoholism & Drug

Abuse Weekly.

Supreme Court to hear medical marijuana case. Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly.

Christenson, Vonn. (2004). Courts Protect Ninth Circuit Doctors Who Recommend Medical Marijuana Use. American Journal of Law & Medicine and Harvard Law & Health Care Society, 174-177.

Supreme Court to hear medical marijuana case. Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly.

Court will not reconsider medical marijuana ruling. (2004, March 15). Alcoholism & drug Abuse Weekly.

Man receives 10-year sentence for growing medical marijuana. (2002, October 21). Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly.

Government Files Defense of Medical Marijuana Position. (1997, March 10). Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly.

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Cannabis is not physically addictive, despite what many anti-medical marijuana people want us to believe. Medical Marijuana users can use it regularly, even multiple times daily, without any problem giving it up.

I have smoked pot.

In fact, in the past, I have smoked probably enough pot to keep one grower in business for a year. That is how much pot I used to smoke. Back then, I didn't smoke it for other reasons than to be stoned. Stoned is fun. When you are stoned everything is funny. And at the end of it all, after you have laughed at a fly on the wall, you eat a bunch of food, sit and vegetate in front of the television. Then you fall asleep.

However there are people in the world who want you to believe that if you smoke a little bit of reefer, you are going to end up doing something really stupid, like trying to shove your entire closed fist into your mouth just to see if you can.

I'm sorry, but those people who produced that commercial and the commercials like it are wrong. Also wrong is the assumption that people are going to try to to more lethal substances if they try pot once. There are legions of people right now, people who have not ever even done more than watch one of those very biased, one-sided commercials, believing that pot is the most evil substance on the planet.

These are the same people, or at least a lot of them, who vilify people like me so that they and people like them can continue to pop pills and wash said pills down with a shot of vodka. Their reasoning is that the pills are legal. Their assumption is that since the pills are legal, then they are also safe. Yeah, safe like too many shots of vodka, right?

I have friends who have family who are like those people who would vilify me because of the things that I choose to do in order that my menstral cramps are easier to deal with, my carpal-tunnel syndrome not so painful, and a myriad of other aches and pains are not so painful that I cannot deal with them. I get to eat and laugh and then woo-hoo! I even get to go to sleep, and I don't have to pop any pills to do it.

You cannot tell someone who is hopelessly addicted to the hope that they won't get addicted to the pills which they don't even realize that they are addicted to. Amoung those addicted are golf course maintenance workers, judges and lawyers, doctors, radio personalities, grandmothers, grandfathers, and yes, even and especially housewives. There are even a few teenagers who get into their parents' prescription bottles and take their parents' medication.
Whoever it was that said that addiction is a family trait wasn't lying.

I am not addicted to pot. I like it. It works and it does the job that I need it to do when I need it, which is fairly few and far between these days. There is no daily regimen and even though I do have to see a doctor to get the prescription, I can refill my prescription when I need to and there are no DEA guidelines that need to be followed. No  traditional pharmacist will tell me that I have to come back in “X” amount of days and the price for my meds is set in stone. You can't find that anywhere in the world in any pharmacy that is not deemed “alternative”. I'm a pretty darned alternative chick, by the way, all the way down to the way that i pray and to the God Whom I pray to (I call Him Akua).

Why is this plant illegal still anyway? My guesses are that there are too many pharmaceutical companies with too much to lose. There are too many politicians with too much money at stake. There are too many people addicted to too many chemicals and that means too much money wiill be lost to too many growers who the powers that be lovingly refer to as criminals.

Okay, so some…no, many growers are also felons, but there are many who are growing their gardens for the benefit of those who have chosen to do themselves and Mother Earth a favor by utilizing what has been here longer than the DEA, longer than the Federal Government, and longer than anyone reading this right now. It is ridiculous that this benign plant that has so many uses is illegal to own, to grow, to cultivate medicine from.

But is is perfectly fine to be prescribed 100 Hydrocodone pills at a time, and fine that even though the dosage instructions tell the user how many and when to take these pills, said user still has the option to take way, way more of said pill, right?

Which brings me to my next good point-
If Marijuana were to be made more legal than it is now in the states where it is legal, this would mean lower profits for the pharmaceutical companies. Not only the drug makers, but also the hospitals would lose money, because they would no longer be treating the same number of patients for the treatment of prescription overdose. Add to that list of industries which would lose money are the privately owned treatment facilities. I am sure that there are plenty more to add to this list, but I cannot think of them right now.

Marijauana is not the evil in this battle. The evil in this battle is the closed-minded thinking that because someone in a suit and tie who holds public office says that it is dangerous and evil, that it is indeed, evil.

Until it is that the powers that be understand the medicinal value in this plant is real, I and many others l like me will continue to be labeled as also dangerous criminals.

Oh well, I've been thought of as worse than this. Better to be a dope-fiend than a whore, I'd say.
Of course, whoring about is a misdemeanor.
Medicating myself naturally, though, with my own two hands, is a felony.

So much for the biblical thinking of “Give a man a fish and he eats once. Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” I learned to plant, so I could feel better for the rest of my life. But if I plant, I go to jail.

However, it is totally fine for me to spend 100 dollars on a pill that may or may not make me sick to my stomach, may or may not make me dependent on it, may or may not give me an allergic reaction to which I might react so badly as to die, right?

Yep.
Right.

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Recently, a survey of medical marijuana patients show cannabis is being used by many people to treat depression with good results. Many studies also show that medical cannabis patients who suffer with depression as a result of another debilitating disease, such as cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis or chronic pain, report less depression symptoms with the use of medical cannabis patients.

Should Ohio law allow medical marijuana usage? There are numerous arguments on both sides of this issue. Both sides develop their arguments with legitimate facts and support their positions with evidence. There is also many opinions and emotional weight to their respective positions on this very controversial subject, however it is necessary for the purpose of this assignment to do much weeding out of the opinions and emotions. The ethical issues will be determined, the stake holders will be identified, and the moral dimensions of this issue will be stated. It is this writer's goal to make a conclusion that is based on solid principles from a theistic worldview by way of a deontological ethical theory.

Here is a hypothetical scenario: Tom is a Christian Ohioan who is married and has three kids. He is a paraprofessional in the field of social services. He is a law-biding citizen who lives a clean and healthy lifestyle. Tom's father Jon has cancer of the liver, and needs to under go chemotherapy. The treatment has harsh side effects of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excruciating body aches, and loss of appetite. The physician prescribes a medicine that helps a little bit with the pain and the nausea, but it he still doesn't have much appetite and not enough strength to move about at home. The medication is expensive, and Jon is not a rich man. The insurance provider puts limits on way they will actually pay for.

Jon, in his younger days, had experimented with marijuana before the days of the War on Drugs. It was illegal to smoke marijuana but it was not strictly enforced. Some of Jon's friends cared enough about Jon to put themselves at risk to give him a small but adequate supply of marijuana to smoke to help him with his pain. Not only was Jon's pain relieved, but he regained his appetite and was able to keep his food down. His strength quickly returned, and after a couple of weeks, Jon was able to do household chores, and even mow the lawn.

This remarkable recovery has Tom looking at the pro-side of the issue of medical marijuana. Tom also has friends, family, associates, and clients who suffer from various physical and mental illnesses such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, depression, eating disorders, and alcoholism.
After doing some research, Tom discovers that marijuana had been used by legitimate medical professionals to treat these illnesses either in the past before marijuana prohibition, or in other states or countries where the law allows it. Eleven other states in the U.S. and all of Canada have passed laws that allow for the medical use of marijuana since 1996. However, in California, one of the legal states, the Federal DEA arrested patients and suppliers of the medical marijuana.

This seemed absurd to Tom. If there is solid medical evidence that supports the effectiveness of this plant as a medicine, why would the Federal Government attack people who were legally using it? Tom had some concerns about his father smoking marijuana illegally, but he was happy to see him feeling so much better. The risk that Jon was taking by breaking the law was outweighed by the need for good medicine. If marijuana is the best medicine for these symptoms, it seemed right for the government of Ohio to allow it to be prescribed by the physicians.

Does Tom feel strongly enough about this issue to join a lobbyist group? That remains to be seen. Tom is on the fence now, because it would be risky as a social worker to support such a controversial cause. He does not think that his employer, his church, or his family will understand, and it may negatively affect his relationships with these people.

When faced with such difficult problems, Tom thinks it is wise to read the Bible. He uses his student Bible appendix of topic reference to find anything about plants, herbs, or drugs. He finds, in Genesis 1:29 “Then God said “I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be for your food.”"

There is an extensive supply of published about this topic. There is literature supporting both sides of the issue. From researching these articles, books, and essays, it is easy to recognize that many individuals and groups who have many different worldviews and ethical theories feel strongly enough about this issue to work very hard in order to support and defend their position. Indeed, people of all walks of life and many different careers, lifestyles, cultures, and social roles are stakeholders in the progress of the history of medical marijuana usage. For example, there are as stakeholders all people involved in medicine and the progress of the institution; doctors, patients, families of these people, the medical associations, the pharmaceutical industry, and perhaps even insurance industry. Other stakeholders include judges, the federal government, state governments, and even farmers. The experiences and actions of all of these individuals affect the facts that can support or break down the platforms on any side of the debate, whether pro, con, or neutral.

An individual who experiences a real world problem that is directly related to this issue may be challenged to evaluate these arguments with his or her own principles contained in this one's world view. If it he or she is required to take action or make a life choice in a circumstance that is directly related to this issue, he or she becomes a committed stakeholder. This person can choose to support the pro or the con.

At he center of the debate is that many people believe that doctors should be able to prescribe marijuana to a patient who needs it, and that the law should allow it. Then, there are people who believe that it is against the law because it is harmful to people and that nobody should be allowed to use marijuana for anything.

To answer the original question “Should Ohio law allow medical marijuana usage?” one must gather the facts. On the “yes” side of the argument, here are some examples:

• 11 US States (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington) and Canada have passed laws that allow the use of medical marijuana. Some of these states allow the patients to grow it themselves (ProCon).

• In the past, cannabis had been used as an analgesic (agent that soothes or relieves pain)-hypnotic, topical anesthetic (agent that deadens sensation), antiasthmatic, antibiotic (agent that stops or destroys the growth of germs), antiepileptic (stops seizures) and antispasmodic (stops cramps and spasms), antidepressant and tranquilizer, antitussive ( relieves coughing), appetite stimulant, oxytocic (facilitates childbirth), preventative and anodyne (pain reliever) for neuralgia (including migraine, aid to psychotherapy, and agent to aid withdrawal from alcohol and opiates (Lust).

• Marijuana is a safe non-toxic medicine presently used to treat Alzheimer's disease, Anorexia, AIDS, Arthritis, Cachexia, Cancer, Crohn's Disease, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, HIV, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, Nausea, Pain, Spasticity, and Wasting Syndrome, and may be used for many others (ProCon).

• Marijuana is much cheaper, safer and more effective than many other FDA approved drugs prescribed for the same treatments.

• Marijuana can be grown just about anywhere that a tomato plant can be grown, indoors or outdoors.

On the “no” side of the argument, here are some examples:

• Under U.S. law, the Controlled Substances Act states that marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no currently acceptable medical use for treatment in the U.S. and that it has a high potential for abuse.

• The FDA has not approved a new drug application for marijuana use.

• Recreational use of marijuana by some may lead to experimentation with harder drugs (DFAF).

• Some people think that frequent smoking of marijuana may be bad for one's lungs.

• The short term effects of marijuana use include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety (USDOJ).

• Marijuana affects many skills required for safe driving: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and reaction time. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and signs on the road (USDOJ).

Those who say “yes” believe that it is ethical for people who are suffering with diseases to be allowed to have the medicine that is the safest, most effective, and least expensive. They believe that it is ethical for doctors to prescribe marijuana if it is the best thing for the patient. They believe that it is unethical for the government to not allow it. Those who say “no” believe that marijuana should remain illegal because it might be dangerous. They believe that it will cause more people to abuse the drug. They believe that the government knows best about what drugs are safe. They believe that people who use marijuana are criminals.
In Ohio, it is not presently legal for a doctor to prescribe marijuana to a cancer patient, nor is it legal for the patient to buy it. It is a misdemeanor offense to buy small amounts. It is a felony to grow it or sell it (MPP). What is more ethical: the judgment of medical professionals who have taken an oath to do no harm, or the law makers who have taken an oath to serve and protect society from danger? Before one can answer this, other questions arise. If doctors and patients in 11 states accept the medical value of marijuana, why would others not? If there is no difference in the suffering of patients in Ohio than that in Alaska, and there is no deficit in the professional training of physicians in California, then is there an error in judgment by the doctors in the in legal states? Is there really that much difference of political philosophies in Rhode Island and Ohio? Are the doctors and patients in legal states criminals because their laws are inconsistent with that of the United States Constitution? The answer to this last question is “yes”. The DEA has arrested people in California who supplied patients with marijuana and the patients themselves!

…Angel Raich, a 40-year-old mother of two from Oakland who suffers from scoliosis, a brain tumor, chronic nausea and other ailments. She uses marijuana every couple of hours to ease her pain and bolster her appetite.

“She'd probably be dead without marijuana,” said her doctor, Frank Lucido, who has recommended marijuana for some 3,000 patients. “Nothing else works.” The Bush administration says the lawsuit is without merit (Kravets).

Is it ethical to arrest and incarcerate a cancer patient for buying medicine? It does not seem so.

What principles have a bearing on the case? Even for the deontological theist, there are principles that may be in conflict. In the Acts of the Apostles, Christ instructed them to heal the sick. God wants people to give comfort to each other. On the other hand, he wants Christians to be good citizens who respect the law. However, slavery was lawful in ancient Rome and in the early history of the United States. Christians made a stand against the laws of the United States and helped abolish slavery; even though slavery was lawful in the Old Testament (King Solomon used slaves to build the temple of Jerusalem!). Concerning the dangers of the abuse of marijuana; prohibition has not stopped it. It is speculation to believe that the legalization of medical use will increase the illicit abuse of the substance. It is possible that it would decrease.

“While it is not possible with existing data to determine conclusively that state medical marijuana laws caused the documented declines in adolescent marijuana use, the overwhelming downward trend strongly suggests that the effect of state medical marijuana laws on teen marijuana use has been either neutral or positive, discouraging youthful experimentation with the drug.”(Earlywine).

The theist values justice. Is it fair that marijuana is illegal as a medicine for sick people? Is justice served if a patient is arrested for using marijuana? How about natural law? If marijuana is a naturally growing non-toxic plant that one could grow in his or her own flower garden, shouldn't he or she be able to use it as seems fitting? Digitalis is an important medicine for heart problems, but it is not prohibited to grow foxglove in a flower garden in Ohio, even though it is toxic and an overdose can kill a man. Concerning Tom's discovery of the Genesis verse about the free use of plants; The Bible does not rescind the command that mankind is not to use any plant on the face of the earth. One might argue that it was before the Fall, and that the ground was cursed because of sin. But, we do not stop eating raspberries because the canes bear thorns. Would the argument be the same for poison ivy? If poison ivy was the cure for the common cold, not only would every one grow it in their garden, but they would change the name to wonderful ivy. Or, perhaps the FDA would not approve it for medical use because it is not patented by a huge pharmaceutical corporation.

There are other circumstances connected to marijuana prohibition that do not seem just or ethical. It seems that marijuana was made illegal not so much because of its alleged dangerous potential as a drug, but for the interests of industrial greed and prejudicial intolerance of immigrants. In North America, cannabis hemp was used for making rope, canvas, paper, and as a treatment for various ailments. Nevertheless, in 1937 Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act which restricted its use; the law was passed as a result of a media campaign that portrayed marijuana users as “dope fiends” and, as conflict theorists note, was enacted at a time of growing sentiment against Mexican immigrants (Mooney).

Also, it seems unjust that the FDA's refusal to approve marijuana is not based on real evidence, but on pressure from the pharmaceutical companies who can not gain from the use of raw marijuana. Since it is an herb that can not be patented, and it is effective as it is, they would only gain from derivatives that are developed in laboratories. That is why Marinol, a cannabinoid drug derivative of marijuana, is FDA approved. The problem is that Marinol is very expensive for the consumer and not nearly as effective as whole marijuana. Indeed, it is so effective that the industry may lose money on the decreased sales of inferior drugs that compete with plain old Mary Jane.

Philosophically and ethically, the people who would say “yes” have the stronger argument. The “no” side bases too much on superstition, fear, speculation, prejudice, and in general have a lack of solid evidence. Ohio law should allow the use of medical marijuana, and so should all states. There is no good reason that an herb should be prohibited for use by medical doctors for the treatment of any ailment, disease, or symptom if it is safe and it works. Corporate greed is not a good reason. The argument that it may be abused is full of holes. FDA approved diet pills are abused, as are countless others. The abuse of any substance is wrong, but prohibition does not stop it. Perhaps the drug is potentially dangerous, so is Tylenol, but the users of these substances are responsible to use it and store it safely. It should not be legal for a marijuana user to operate a motor vehicle, but it is not safe for someone who took a dose of Nyquil to drive either for exactly the same reasons.

What should a concerned citizen of Ohio do someone like Tom who has a loved one who is suffering? There are options: he or she could write a letter to a congressman, join an activist group, or find some other way to support the cause of medical marijuana legislation. However, the loved one could die in pain waiting for the bill to pass. He could move his loved one to Vermont or Hawaii, but Ohio is his home and he would have to give up so much. Even so, the DEA would still be able to bust him. He could just let him take the risk. But what about all of the other people who are suffering without a treatment for their illness? The woman with fibromyalgia who is suffering because the doctors have no treatment settles for less. She takes drugs like morphine or dilaudid that are addictive and have nauseating side effects. The consequence for allowing the loved one to break the law is a murmur in one's conscience and some concern for their safety. Turning him in is not an option. Moving is too expensive and risky. Finding a legal medicine is possible, but unlikely. Chances are they have tried everything else. It would be just settling for less, that is more suffering.

The concerned citizen of Ohio must stick to his or her principles. It seems that there is no way for the compassionate soul to not be trouble by the suffering of a loved one. He cannot turn away, but he can keep a secret. There is no law against that, nor is it a sin. He can give what comfort he can legally, and pray that God will send more. In the meantime, for those who say yes to the legalization of marijuana for medicine, they must learn to labor and to wait, because it is a justice that is worth fighting for.

Reference Page

American Heritage Dictionary. (1983). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Earleywine, M.,Ph.D. & O'Keefe, K.,Esq. (2005). Marijuana Use by Young People: The Impact of State Medical Marijuana Laws. http://www.rxmarijuana.com/why_won't_the_government.htm.

Mooney, L., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2002) Understanding social
problems (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson
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Kravets, D. (2006). Medical marijuana issue returns to court.
Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR2006032600329_pf.html.

Lust, John B., N.D., D.B.M. (1974). The Herb book. New York:
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Marijuana Patient's Project. (2004). Common questions about marijuana answered by the institute of medicine. http://www.mpp.org/common_q.html

ProCon.org. (2005). “Should marijuana be a medical option now?”
www.medical marijuanaproandcon.com.

Grinspoon, MD. Lester (2000).WHY WON'T GOVERNMENT LET US USE MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE? Boston Globe. http://www.rxmarijuana.com/why_won't_the_government.htm.

Drug Free America Foundation. (2004) Medical Fraud Marijuana. http://www.dfaf.org/printthis.php?dyn=13.1.0.

United States Department of Justice. (2004). Exposing the Myth of Medical Marijuana. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/marijuanap.html.

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