Here’s another perspective. Assume there was no image. Erase that impartially unethical stereotype of a ‘pothead’ and consider the possibility of marijuana as somewhat a pain relief, in other words a prescribed medicine. Could then smoking marijuana be a medical option? And would it predominantly serve more than the intention of harming us?
Researches admit that the schedule drug type 1 marijuana, namely categorized with substances like cocaine, P etc is somewhat to the extent ‘overrated’ and should be reclassified as something more than a schedule 1 drug. Dr George D. Lundberg, Harvard School of Public Health explains, its far from harmless by toxicological or pathologic criteria, marijuana is much less dangerous than many other substances in less restrictive schedules, like morphine and cocaine, not to mention the unscheduled legal mass killers tobacco and alcohol.
In addition, a brief history of weed will clearly state what a harmful drug marijuana really is.
If in the beginning China used marijuana as medicine and Queen Victoria used it for menstrual pain. Why cannot it be used for medical reason today? After all it is marijuana’s history that paints its own picture!
The fact is, most of the identified health risks of marijuana use are related to smoke, not to the cannabinoid that produce the benefits. A report from the Institute of medical suggests, if marijuana is to become a component of conventional medicine, it is essential that we develop a rapid-onset cannabinoid delivery system that is safer and more effective than smoking crude plant material.
So consider all those arrested for violating cannabis law, which is, roughly every 38 seconds. That is about 3 people every 2 minutes. Imagine all the charges, jail time, drug wars; energy wasted on this breach of ‘law’ instead of further research into a compassionate approach for patience that is in pain.
Many stories from patience and others make it to the headlines exploiting medical cannabis to the world!
FOX news reports of a Professor to first-year medical students at the University of Southern California saying her beliefs are very grounded: The drug helps ease the symptomatic mood swings, lack of focus, anxiety and irritability in people suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders like ADD and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
And also CBS news on an article about a mother using medical cannabis for son’s condition. The problem is there Dr. never saw the son before prescribing him the marijuana, although the doctor says he was comfortable with that because "I know it's a very safe medication." Child Protective Services is taking mother to court where a judge could stop the boy’s mother from giving marijuana to her son. If that happens, Mother says she won’t be able to control him, and will lose her son to the custody of the state.
And that is just the beginning.
Students even in New Zealand are in favor of medical cannabis. Specifically Otago University students who over the years have generated much publicity over their outburst of protests and defiance on and off campus. J-Day and the 4:20 club are the more widely known public acts in support of legalized cannabis.
There is even a cannabis law reform radio show called overgrown, weekly on radio one 91FM.
There are government parties in New Zealand who have also supported medical cannabis such as Aotearoa legalize cannabis party and Green Cross.
Other organizations like The Law commission are supporting the medical use of marijuana in New Zealand. The report says there is "no reason why cannabis should not be able to be used for medical purposes in limited circumstances."
New Zealand Medical Association also advocates the Law Commission proposal that would allow for the medical use of cannabis. Although, it may seem that the NZMA supports smoking of cannabis for medicinal reasons. That is not the case. The NZMA supports research into the benefits of cannabis for medicinal use and, as stated in there submission to the Law Commission, its use must be subject to the same evidence- based testing as any other drug used for the same reason.
All of the above, academias, governmental parties, news, doctor’s, students, radio, organizations and ordinary people have the same opinion. Yes! Marijuana CAN be a medical option.
Jay Cavanaugh, PhD, National Director of the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) concludes, many of the chronically ill have successfully sought relief with the use of medical cannabis, an age-old remedy that now shows real scientific efficacy. Hundreds of thousands of the sick have replaced disabling narcotics and other psychotropic medications with nontoxic and gentle cannabis. The anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. Folks with spinal injuries able to give up their walkers, AIDS patients able to gain weight and keep their medications down, cancer patients finding relief from the terrible nausea of chemotherapy, chronic pain patients once again functional with their consciousness restored from narcotic exhaustion, and folks once disabled from crippling psychiatric disorders and addictions, returned to sanity and society with the assistance of a nontoxic herb with remarkable healing powers.
All in all, traditional medications do not provide indicative relief as effectively as medicinal cannabis. Patients must not be branded as criminals or forced to suffer needlessly in pain.
So help legalize medical marijuana... tick the leaf!
Reference
Cavanaugh, J. (2002) The Plight of the Chronically Ill. Retrieved from American Alliance for Medical Cannabis website: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1325
Doctor’s backing medical use of cannabis. (2010, Jun 13) Retrieved Sep, 26, 2010 from Sunday Times website: http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/sunday-star-times-wellington-new-zealand/mi_8185/is_20100613/doctors-backing-medicinal-cannabis/ai_n54066879/?tag=rel.res1">
Hartevelt, J. (2010, February 11). Cannabis ‘ok’ for medicinal use-Law Commission. Retrieved September 26, 2010, from National website: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3317457/Cannabis-ok-for-medicinal-use-Law- Commission
John A. Benson, Jr., MD, Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson. (1999) Institute of Medicine: Marijuana and Medicine; Assessing the Science Base. Retrieved Mar. 22, 1999, from Should marijuana be a medical option website: http://http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1325">http://
Lundberg, G. (2005) Medscape General Medicine: It is time for marijuana to be classified as something other than a schedule 1 drug. Vol 7(3): 47 Retrieved September 26, 2010, from Medgenmed website: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1325http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1325">http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1325>
