Medical Marijuana: The Pros and Cons

According to historians, marijuana has been used as a medicine for 5000 years. Relatively speaking, marijuana has only been illegal for a very short period of time. As more states pass laws making medical marijuana legal, the debate over its effectiveness has garnered speed. With just a few beneficial reasons to medical marijuana, the 'con' side seems to have a much greater argument; however, when the main benefit is pain and nausea relief in very sick, often terminal, patients, to 'pro' side seems to pull ahead.

Many people with illness such as cancer and HIV/AIDS suffer from nausea. This nausea is often so severe that the patients are unable to keep anything down, sometimes not even water. Medical marijuana eases this symptom. Nausea and vomiting cease, allowing the patients to eat and keep down food, providing them with nutrients and energy. The medical community believes that the main chemical in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, has antiemetic effects. In fact, the medical community believes so strongly in the anti-nausea effects of tetrahydrocannabinol they have developed a prescription medication which includes a synthetic version of it. This medication is very expensive and contains only tetrahydrocannabinol. None of the other compounds found in marijuana are in these medications, limiting its effect.

Because marijuana is illegal, in most cases researchers are not allowed to posses the substance, so very few studies have been complete. That being said, there are some illnesses that have proven to receive relief from marijuana. Marijuana has been proven to lessen intraocular pressure, the primary symptom of glaucoma. Marijuana slows, and in some cases stops, the onslaught of the disease. It can also reduce the muscle cramps and spasticity of multiple sclerosis. Tetrahydrocannabinol reduces Grand Mal seizures in some epileptics. We are only just being to understand the beneficial aspects of marijuana.

On the opposite side of the fence, there are several major negative effects of medical marijuana. Marijuana contains many of the same chemicals that regular cigarettes do and studies suggest that marijuana users are at increased risk of lung cancer as well as the cancers of the mouth. The use of marijuana has been linked to schizophrenia, depression, and suicidal thoughts. It reduces the flow of blood to the brain leading to memory problems. A study by the British Medical Association shows that marijuana use is linked to a greater risk of lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and bronchitis. Perhaps the strongest argument against the use of medical marijuana is the fact that it is a gateway drug. Simply put, marijuana leads to other, harder, drug use.

Perhaps the argument should be made that if a patient suffers from a terminal disease, do the possible affects really matter? Both sides seem to make compelling arguments. Medical marijuana can provide relief to people suffering from an illness, but it can also cause even more health problems. Over the next few years, as more and more states legalize the use of medical marijuana, a consensus will have to be reached.

http://www.mpp.org/