Introduction
Cannabis is a drug that consists of approximately 460 chemicals that are active and about 60 specific cannabinoids (Seamon, Fass, Maria, Maniscalco & Abu-Shraie, 2007, p.1040). Medical cannabis is the use of cannabis that is composed of components like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids which are proposed by the physician as herbal therapy or medicine. Medical marijuana/ cannabis have been used since 4,000 B.C. as medicine. It has been utilized as herbal therapy or medicine all over the world like in the Middle East, India, and China for many years. It was used to treat the following medical conditions in China; rheumatism, malaria, and constipation. However, in the mid-nineteenth century physician from the west started raising concern about the use of cannabis as a medicine. In addition, the establishment of the syringe in the late nineteenth century brought to an end the widespread use of cannabis since it could not be injected because it did not dissolve in water. Marijuana became illegal in the year 1928 in UK. This came up during an international drugs conference that was held in Geneva where a delegate from Egyptian convinced everyone that the drug was dangerous to the people and as severe as opium (BBC News, n.d, par.1-3). This paper will examine the use of medical cannabis and support its use.
The use of marijuana for recreational or pleasure purposes is illegal in many parts of the globe but its use for medicine has been legalized in many countries like Germany, Spain, Finland, Canada, Portugal, Israel, parts of the United States, and the Netherlands. However, medical marijuana still remains to be a controversial matter all over the world. Though the use of cannabis as herbal therapy or medicine has been debated or discussed for such a long period, it has many known effects that are beneficial. These benefits include; the betterment of vomiting and nausea, reduced intraocular pressure of the eye, relieves pain, and stirring up of hunger in AIDS and chemotherapy patients. In addition, studies carried out show that it is beneficial to many medical problems or conditions like depression and multiple sclerosis. There are different ways in how the drug is administered into the body. These are smoking or vaporizing buds that have been dried, eating or drinking extracts of the drug plant and one can take the capsules. Cannabis dosage should be taken from either two to five pills based on the quality of cannabis the individual or patient use. The appropriate outcome is gotten if the patient uses the drug prior to taking his or her meals as therapeutic effects show up when one is resting and has less or limited activities (Martinez, n.d, par. 2-5).
The use of marijuana as herbal therapy or medicine was widely known by the nineteenth century in most parts of the western world. It was utilized as the main reliever of pain until aspirin was established. Current medical and scientific questioning started with physicians such as Moreau de Tours and O’Shaughnessy, who utilized cannabis to cure migraines and melancholia. In addition, they used it as an analgesic, anticonvulsant, and sleeping aid (Drug Policy, n.d, par.3).
Clinical applications
Medical literature was reexamined in the year 2002 and medical marijuana was found to have had positive effects in the treatment of vomiting, lack of appetite, nausea, unintended loss of weight, and premenstrual syndrome. In addition, other associated effects included the treatment of painful problems or conditions such as neurogenic pain, glaucoma, and asthma, and, spasticity in injuries associated with spinal cord and multiple sclerosis. Cannabis has been used successfully as a pain reliever because it does not result in respiratory depression. Some of the painful conditions where cannabis has been applied effectively include neuralgias, migraine, neuropathy, Crohn’s disease, dysmenorrheal, arthritis, musculoskeletal disorder, and ulcerative colitis. There are fewer data available for the treatment of conditions like depression, epilepsy, and movement disorders Clinical investigation with only cannabinoids including the whole plant arrangements have mostly been motivated by anecdotal experiences, which are positive when patients apply illegal cannabis products (Grotenhermen, 2002, p.123).
Moreover, accidental observations have shown that there are useful therapeutic effects of cannabis. This happened when Volicer and colleagues as cited by Grotenhermen (2002, p.124), carried out a study in patients who were suffering from Alzheimer’s illness where the main matter was an assessment of the effects of THC in stimulating appetite. The results obtained were increased appetite, increased body weight, and decreased behavior that had spread among the patients due to the administration of the verum medicine. Medical conditions that have been for a long time scientific problems in the current medicine, may be solved by utilizing cannabinoids or cannabis for treatment (Grotenhermen, 2002, p.124).
Cannabis products in some painful syndromes that are substitutes to inflammatory procedures exhibit anti-inflammatory potential and also act as analgesics. For instance, patients applying or using cannabis say that they experience a decrease in their appetite for non-steroidal and steroidal drugs, which are anti-inflammatory. Moreover, cannabis and cannabinoids have positive effects on illnesses that have multiple symptoms. Such illnesses include painful problems, which contain an inflammatory source like arthritis, or diseases that have increased or raised muscle tone like menstrual cramps (Grotenhermen, 2002, p.132).
Medical cannabis should continue being used since it is less toxic, more suitable, and cheaper when compared to traditional medicines that are prescribed for diverse symptoms and syndromes like vomiting, Crohn’s disease, and migraine headaches among others. Medical conditions like cancer and AIDS which are chronic, cannabis should be utilized since it alleviate debilitating fatigue of the patients, restore the patient’s appetite, reduce pain, treat nausea, and remedy vomiting. Though marijuana has its disadvantages just like any other drug especially when it is smoked, its positive effects outdo the negatives. When it is administered through inhalers or vaporizers, it gives fast action without irritation. In addition, it is utilized by patients suffering from chronic muscle spasticity, tractable nausea, and wasting syndromes. Despite the fact that cannabis has all the above-mentioned effects, most physicians cannot administer or prescribe the drug especially in countries where it has not been legalized (Medical Marijuana, 2008, par.1-3).
International and national regulations
In the United States, marijuana is categorized in Schedule IV which makes it subject to unique restrictions. According to Schedule IV drugs, article 2 gives nations a permit to ban cannabis for the aim of non-research. On the other hand, countries can choose to permit cannabis for scientific and medical use if they think total banning is not the best method of guiding people’s welfare and health. However, if a country permits the medical use and production of cannabis, it ought to operate through a licensing system that should be provided to all cultivators, distributors, and manufacturers. In addition, such countries should also make sure that the quantity of cannabis in the market does not exceed the standards set for scientific and medical uses (International Narcotics Control Board, 1972, pp.2-3).
It is significant to distinguish between medical marijuana at the state level and at the federal level in the United States. At the level of federal, marijuana is indicated as criminal by applying or using the Controlled Substances Act that categorizes cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. This class of drug also includes drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), Ecstasy and heroin and in the United States, the Supreme Court in the year 2005 permitted the government to ban the use of marijuana including the use of it as herbal therapy or medicine. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States says that cannabis has a great probability of being abused, it has not been accepted as being safe for medical use, and currently, it is not allowed to be used for treatment in most states in the U.S (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2006, par.1).
The role, use, and regulation of drug in America
A drug from a scientific view is any material apart from food that affects the function or structure of the living organism by its chemical composition or nature. According to health care providers, a drug may be defined as a material or matter that can be used as a medicine to treat diseases. On the other hand, if a drug is abused, its meaning changes from scientific to social meaning. There is a great increase in the misuse of drugs in the United States which has turned to be a major problem and the need to eliminate the problem has been a repetitive issue of the social and political commentary for many years. Some of the factors related to increased drug misuse include increased crime and several anti-social characters. These behaviors are mainly found in young people and this comes as a result of peer influence hence putting the lives and futures of the young individuals at dangerous risks (Nixon, 1972, par. 6).
Although cannabis has been confirmed to be important for disease treatment, it remains miscategorized within federal law, miscomprehended, and misrepresented by many drug policy manufacturers. To stop their responsibility as leaders in the federalist system of the United States, California, and other eleven states have affirmed their support to most of the patients and health care providers who think that cannabis has therapeutic benefits. Advocates and users of medical marijuana obstinately persist that the restrictions set by the federal should succumb to medical truth or realities. The quality and variety of scientific confirmation that supports the role of cannabis as a medicine, legitimates the procedural and social tests in progress in several states. However, this assessment can only continue and be achieved when the federal government compiles with the right of the states to legislate the safety and health of its population (Dudziak, 2008, par.1).
At the state level, medical cannabis has been legalized by states like Hawaii, Alaska, Michigan, New Mexico, Vermont, Washington, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Maine. The only States that utilize dispensaries for the sale of medical marijuana are Colorado, Maine, California, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. The medical cannabis industry in California utilized approximately two billion dollars annually and in return gave in 100 million dollars in taxes of state sales in the year 2008 with about 2,100 co-operatives, taxi delivery, dispensaries, and wellness clinics (Mitchell, 2008, par.2).
From the year 1996, there are thirteen states that have endorsed laws, which permit the farming or cultivation of medical cannabis and guard patients possessing medical cannabis from illegal punishments or penalties. Eight of these states enacted the laws by initiative procedure or process. For instance, the law in Hawaii was endorsed through the legislature, and the governor approved it by signing it in the year 2000, Vermont’s law was endorsed through the legislature and approved as law without being signed by the governor in the year 2004. In addition, the law of Rhode Island was approved in the year 2006 over the veto of the governor and in the year 2007, the legislation of New Mexico was approved by being signed by the governor called Bill Richardson (Marijuana Policy Project, 2008, pp.14-18).
Marijuana and the methods used in its preparation are catered for in the bill by the phrase marihuana. No evidence or confirmation, which states that the use of cannabis as medicine has led to cannabis addiction. Because cannabis as a medicine has not led to addiction and it is not leading to addiction, banning its use for the purposes of treatment can achieve no good thing at all. The Medical Association of American has no opposition to any logical regulation of the utilization of marijuana, its derivatives, and preparations as a medicine. Instead the association object against being summoned to clear unique tax, to utilize unique order forms to secure the drug, and to maintain unique records concerned with the use of the drug professionally. If the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes asks for Federal legal regulation rather than the already existing legal regulation, cannabis can be catered for in the Harrison Narcotics Act under the provisions by an appropriate amendment without difficulty. With such a process the medical and scientific utilization of marijuana may gladly be managed as efficiently as are the professional or medical utilization of the coca leaves and opium. Moreover, this can be done with less intrusion with specialized practice and less effort and expenses on the side of the Treasury Department (Harrison, 1937, par.7).
Conclusion
Several countries and states have legalized the utilization of cannabis for debilitating and chronic medical problems or conditions. Therefore, health care providers including pharmacists should comprehend the multifaceted lawful framework surrounding the use of cannabis as a herbal therapy or medicine in order they can guard their patients and themselves.
Reference list
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Harrison, P., (1937). American Medical Association Opposes the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. American Medical Association Bureau of Legal Medicine and Legislation.
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Martinez, M., (n.d).Marijuana in capsule form- Marijuana As Medicine.
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Seamon, J., Fass, A., Maria Maniscalco, M. & Abu-Shraie, A., (2007). Medical marijuana and the developing role of the pharmacist. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 64, (10):1037-1044.
U.S. Food and Administration (2006). Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine. U.S. department of Health and Human Services. Web.