Saenz 1

Celina Saenz

Professor Collins

ENGL 1301

30 October 2017

Medical Marijuana

For several years in the United States, marijuana has been illustrated as the psychedelic

drug of potheads and hippies who sit around smoking weed harming their cerebral activities. In

2016 Lecia Bushak, a reporter that covers mental health and international news, from a news

station in Cleveland, Ohio. Bushak states in her article A Brief History Of Medical Cannabis:

From Ancient Anesthesia To The Modern Dispensary that the way marijuana is perceived can no

doubt be credited to one part of culture, but Cannabis, a tall plant with divided levels that is used

to produce hemp fibers, have been used medically for thousands of years. "Ancient and medieval

physicians mixed the plant into medicines or teas to treat pain and other ailments; back then, it

was not a highly controlled substance the way it is today, where in the U.S. it is listed as a

Schedule one, along with LSD and heroin" (Bushak). As stated in a non-profit organization

website that shows neutral opinions, a schedule one drug such as marijuana is said to be the

classification in which the certain drug has a high potential of abuse, and an absence of accepted

safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. Here is a short history of medical cannabis

to more suitably understand the level of the drugs effectiveness in treatments and therapies. By

the late 1800s, early American medical journals recommended hemp seeds and roots for the

treatment of inflamed skin, and several diseases. Unfortunately, the American attitude toward

marijuana changed towards the end of the 1900s. Around this time many U.S. citizens were

unaware of their addiction to morphine. With this occurring to many people the government
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introduced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It did not apply to weed though, so the

regulation of chemical substances was a huge shift in the American drug policy. With marijuana

being so relevant in todays society, due to its controversy it causes quite an uproar in people

questioning its way of use, but it has proven to be quite beneficial.

Many people debate over whether weed is addictive or not. It is normally referred to as

marijuana disorder, and about thirty-percent of users live with this. When a user intakes huge

amounts of weed they begin to build up a tolerance. For those who attempt to stop after building

that tolerance will experience side effects, this is referred to as withdraw symptoms. As

expressed in teens.drugabuse.gov, the symptoms include sleeping difficulties, irritability,

physical discomfort, marijuana cravings, and a decreased appetite. When quitting after a long

period of heavy use, these symptoms last anywhere from a week to a month. Many harder

addicts laugh at the idea of marijuana withdrawal, but for those who experience it, the problem is

very real. It is difficult to manage the sleeplessness and frustration that accompanies withdrawals

from weed. While it may not be addictive in every sense of the word, cannabis does rewire the

brain and cause some to abuse or depend upon it.

Addiction experts tend to agree that pot is addictive, but non-specialists and much of the

public see it differently. It all depends on what you mean by addiction. According to

healthland.time.com, "Addiction is the compulsive use of a substance despite ongoing negative

consequences". The way the negative consequences occur come from the main ingredient of the

plant which is THC. This part of the cannabis plant that is harvested is known to be the leading

factor of addiction. Being the most important part of the plant is the largest downside to enjoying

the use of weed.

Not many people know how beneficial marijuana is for sick patients. For example, as

said in medicaldaily.com, the largest patient category that uses medical marijuana is cancer

patients. Chemotherapy is known to cause patients to constantly feel nausea, aching pain, and

loss of appetite. These side effects have the potential to be relieved by marijuana. Although

chemo is the only well-known treatment for cancer, in studies marijuana has shown that it can

help stop the growth of tumors. According to the National Institutes of Health, another type of

marijuana, has proved to help relieve pain along with decreasing inflammation. Types of

marijuana such as these have proved to block cell growth, prevent the growth of blood vessels

that spread tumors, and destroy tumor cells. Researchers have proved and even found a way to

eliminate the psychological side effects but keep the helpful effects the marijuana

provides(Health Benefits Of Medical Marijuana: 3 Major Ways Cannabis Helps Sick People

Live Normal Lives ).

Anxiety disorders include severe levels of pain and fright that could potentially restrict

the ability to maintain a daily life routine, they come from an assortment of mental disorders.

The major types of anxiety disorders most likely to be identified are social anxiety disorder,

panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. The root to these disorders is

not currently known, but according to an article from medical daily, "research suggests that they

stem from a combination of factors, including environmental stress and changes in the brain" due

to personality and life events (Anxiety Disorders). Anxiety disorders frequently emerge in

association with other physical and mental illnesses, such as drug abuse and alcohol. From this

research, marijuana is shown to be very beneficial for several patients with this disorder around

the world.
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Supporters of marijuana state the facts that it truly is good for patients with certain

diseases, and causes no harm. While objectors bring the point of how marijuana can be addictive.

These two sides will never agree because of how contradicting the topic will always be due to

the amount of current users around the world.

Works Cited

Anxiety Disorder Marijuana Benefits | Medical Marijuana Inc. Medical Marijuana, Inc.

(OTC: MJNA), 20 Oct. 2017, www.medicalmarijuanainc.com/anxiety-disorder/.

Bushak, Lecia. A Brief History Of Medical Cannabis: From Ancient Anesthesia To The

Modern Dispensary. Medical Daily, 21 Jan. 2016, www.medicaldaily.com/brief-history-

medical-cannabis-ancient-anesthesia-modern-dispensary-370344.

Is Marijuana Addictive? It Depends On How You Define Addiction.

healthland.time.com/2010/10/19/is-marijuana-addictive-it-depends-how-you-define-addiction/.

Marijuana and Cancer. American Cancer Society,

www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-

medicine/marijuana-and-cancer.html.

Marijuana Withdrawal Is Real. NIDA for Teens,

teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/marijuana-withdrawal-real?page=9.

Rivas, Anthony. Health Benefits Of Medical Marijuana: 3 Major Ways Cannabis Helps

Sick People Live Normal Lives. Medical Daily, 19 May 2014, www.medicaldaily.com/health-

benefits-medical-marijuana-3-major-ways-cannabis-helps-sick-people-live-normal-lives-283388.