The debate over the use of medical marijuana spurs intense reactions on both sides of the issues. This article provides the reader with important facts about the debate. It is not intended to establish a position on the issue of medical marijuana or serve to influence opinion.
The recent trend to allow certain individuals to use medical marijuana appears to be gaining ground in states throughout the country. To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia allow the use of medical marijuana.
Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is categorized as having a “high potential” for abuse. At the time, the concept of medical marijuana was not accepted by the health care community.
Since 1986, the University of Mississippi has participated in a government research project to grow marijuana. The actual amount of the substance grown by the university varies from year to year, but ranges from 1.5 acres to 6.5 acres. Interestingly, a judge connected with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) declared in 2007 that the supply of marijuana available for research projects failed to meet demand.
Between 1999 and 2006, 10 states legalized the use of medical marijuana. Eight of those states experienced a decrease in teenage use of the drug during that time. In addition, the FDA found no cases in which marijuana considered the primary cause of death between the years 1997 and 2005. The In 2009, the United States Department of Justice backed away from encouraging federal prosecutors to target users of medical marijuana in states where its use had been legalized and the user operated according to existing laws.
More than 400 chemical constituents can be found in marijuana, including Vitamin A and steroids. There is a debate over the connection between smoking marijuana and lung cancer. Research by the British Lung Foundation posits that just 3 – 4 marijuana cigarettes a day may be as dangerous 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day in terms of their effect on the lungs. However, the UCLA published a study that found no connection between marijuana and lung cancer.
Calls for the use of medical marijuana intensified beginning in 1999. At that time, the Institute of Medicine issued a report, under government auspices, which recommended certain narrow allowances for its use. The report acknowledged other risk factors associated with marijuana.
The first medicine based on cannabis was developed in the United Kingdom. The medicine, came in the form of a mouth spray and was used to help patients with Multiple Sclerosis deal with spasticity challenges.
Fun fact from history: The ancient Chinese appear to have been familiar with the benefits of medical marijuana. According to historian Robert Deitch, Emperor Fu His (ca 2900 BC) – credited with bringing civilization to this vast nation – appears to have discussed cannabis and its positive medical properties.
Researcher Janet Joy notes that Chinese legends credit the emperor Shen Nung with discovering the healing properties of marijuana. Shen Nung is widely viewed as the father of Chinese medicine.
The earliest written reference to medical marijuana in Chinese literature can be found in the Rh-Ya, an encyclopedia on Chinese pharmacological knowledge dating back to the 15th century BC.