More states are examining the idea of legalizing marijuana for people living with chronic conditions including spinal cord injuries and disorders (i.e., MS, ALS, etc). Oregon and California allow marijuana dispensaries for people with legitimate marijuana medical cards. Should the federal government follow suit?
- Is it time for medical marijuana to be legalized?
- Does medical marijuana help people with sci/d?
Before you rush to judgment that we have gone off the deep end or have been taken over by commune leaders left over from the late 1960’s – let us make clear we are not taking a position on the issue of medical marijuana but merely putting it out there to get your opinions and feedback.
Fourteen states have laws that allow for medical marijuana. Legislation has also been introduced in Ohio that allows people who live with disabilities such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and injury or disease to the spinal cord and spinal column to grow their own marijuana for personal use.
While many dispute the benefits of medical marijuana to treat chronic conditions, others swear by it. The active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been shown in some studies to alleviate a variety of symptoms, including muscle pain and spasticity, tremors, and nausea.
But many individuals with disabilities in states where the use of medical marijuana is still prohibited face some pretty harsh penalties for using the drug to cope with their symptoms. Recently in New Jersey, a man with MS is facing a 5-year prison sentence for growing marijuana that he said was for medical purposes. According to the Associated Press article, the marijuana user John Wilson, who was released on $15,000 bail and is in the process of appealing his conviction, said he would say no to the drug until it becomes legal in New Jersey. A medical marijuana law is set to take effect in the state on Aug. 1.
One major critic in the past has been the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A 2006 advisory issued by the FDA, stated, “Marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Furthermore, there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful.”
Two alternatives to smoking the drug and reducing its harmful effects proposed by some medical marijuana advocates would be through the use of a vaporizer or ingesting the drug in an edible form. This would eliminate the release of irritants and toxic compounds, while delivering equivalent amounts of THC into the bloodstream.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have completed studies on the use of medical marijuana and concluded that more research needs to be done. Links to their studies can be found at www.americansforsafeaccess.org, which is the nation’s largest organization that promotes therapeutic use and research of marijuana.
Although some states allow medical marijuana it’s important to remember that federal law still trumps state law. Courts have also sided with federal law in employment and other cases when state laws have been tested.
marijuana is a miracle drug and can help a butt load of symptoms. The government is being selfish because they are mad because they can’t tax it…GET OVER IT
I have Fibromyalgia, which is thought to be a nerve based disorder. I can attest that there is NOTHING man is making that actually touches the pain. It all started with my feet hurting and burning, now it usually is best described as the feeling you get from sticking a 12 volt battery on your tounge, usually a weak one thank God, but some days it’s bad! I also have a miriad of other symptoms starting from the base of my skull down! Well, actually some days my skull muscles even hurt bad! So then it’s from the top of my head down! This gets OLD! If I hadn’t been a “stoner” (stereotype) in my younger days, I would have thought people were nuts talking about Marijuana being a Medicine, but I had experienced relief like a Medicine smoking it, so why not try to take it orally just like any other medicine? Well, I did & it WORKED! I have since became a legal Patient & advocate spreading the truth about what I know! If you suffer from Fibromyalgia I promise this is a MIRACLE drug! Within 15 mins after orally ingesting the tingling in my feet becomes light and bearable & after a few months of this therapy, I am feeling better all over! It’s time we stop the lies! It’s time we ask for a Presidential REPEAL! Cannabis Hemp (Marijuana) will generate billions!
Let the sick and suffering use this natural herb to get the relief that other things cannot provide!
The difference amongst amateur consumption and medical employment of marijuana begs to be recognized. While I believe that a responsible adult ought to have the right to use marijuana recreationally, I do think, without doubt, allowing for an ill person use of a plant with a long history of medical value had better be accepted and legal. Marijuana has a enormous potential as a medication and more awareness and tolerance is needed. In Summary, legalize it!
Cannabis does in fact treat spinal pain. It also helps with the associated nerve pain as well.