Medical Marijuana
...ional Cancer Institute authorized his patients to use the drug, but not over do it (Koch 708). With all the speculation, one would think that doctors wouldn’t be so eager to offer the drug as a reliever. The National Institute of Drug Abuse renders approximately 300 free joints each month for patients whom are enrolled in an experimental program (Iversen 12). The Government proclaims there is no therapeutic value in the medicinal use of marijuana, but they do not have hard evidence to prove it (Grinspoon 46). Ira Glasser, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, (at a congressional forum) expressed: "the government has demonized all drug use without differentiation and has systematically and hysterically resisted science."(Koch 714) Possibly if the two "sides" would work together an agreement could be established concerning procedures for further development and treatment. Marijuana has eased the pain of chemotherapy, severe muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, weight-loss due to the AIDS virus, and other problems (www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html). Experts from the National Institute of Health or NIH have confirmed that marijuana is an effective, safe and inexpensive alternative for treating nausea caused by AIDS medications and cancer treatments other such ailments as glaucoma, muscle spasms, intractable pain, epilepsy, anorexia, asthma, insomnia, depression and other disorders (Iversen 23). Other such ailments in which marijuana has been said to help are Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, repetitive migraines, and Alzheimer’s, but the NIH has not reported those results (http://www.abcnews.go.com/medmj990317.html). The National Institute of Medicine shows us that the benefits from cannabis short term use doesn’t hinder the possible hazards of its long-term use (Rosenthal 58). Marijuana has beneficial outlook for some illnesses, but experimentation is limited due to its unlawfulness. The positive effects of this drug are helping a limited number so doctors have tried to work with the government to create a reliable way to distribute the drug without smoking it. The work being done to find a chemical fabricate should clarify that marijuana has some medicinal value. In 1986 a THC based synthetic called Marinol was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, unfortunately it did not treat as well as cannabis (Rosenthal 61). Government experts have indicated that marijuana does relieve pain, and other disorders, but it does not cure them, therefore can not be legalized as a prescription drug (Grinspoon 55). In many cases marijuana has been the building block for recovery, ...