Medcinal Marijuana: Pros and Cons

At age five, Charlotte Figi was having three hundred seizures a week (average about one every 30 minutes) confined to a wheelchair and using a feeding tube as swallowing was difficult for her. Her frequent seizures represented a response to a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. After Charlotte tested positive for the gene mutation, SCN1A, a common mutation in Dravet Syndrome, Charlotte’s mother, Paige Figi found relief in an answer. Unfortunately, her daughter was still having seizures and there was no way of treating them even with this discovery. Dr. Margaret Seed agreed to meet with the family to discuss the use of CBD, a nontoxic, nonpsychotic part of the cannabis list.

Pros

Marijuana is referred to as cannabis because of its makeup from the Cannabis sativa plant (Anderson, 2020). It is known for its mind-altering components and acts as a psychotropic drug affecting emotions, behavior, and thought processes. Made of elements of THC, users smoke the drug in the form of rolled cigarettes or pipes. The drug is found in edibles such as brownies, cookies, or extracts of the plant are chewed to expedite an inebriated state. 

The growing legalization of marijuana has gained momentum in the United States over the last decade. In fact, two-thirds of those polled by Pew Research (Green, 2021) believe marijuana should be legal for recreational and/or medical purposes. As shown in Diagram A, 91% polled support legalization in various forms, with 60% believing it should be legal for both recreational and medical purposes, while thirty-one believe it should be legal for medical use only. While marijuana is still illegal on a federal level, eighteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana, while thirty-seven states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use.

Over the past few years, the use of marijuana has increased significantly among people of all ages, especially young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 (Camors, Chavez, & Romi, 2020). Their support for legalization outweighs the support of those in the older generation (70% of 18–29-year-olds are for legalizing, while 32% of those surveyed seventy-five and older, believe in the legalization of the drug). 

The use of medical marijuana is not new. The Shennong Ben Cao Jing, a Chinese encyclopedia on agriculture and medicine, has the oldest written record of cannabis as a medicine (Ding and Wang, 2015). Usage ranged from constipation, rheumatic pain, female reproductive tract disorders, and malaria. With wine, it also served as anesthesia during surgery. 

Those who have used marijuana have said they are able to sleep better than before, have few side effects that mimic opioids, find their quality-of-life increases the nature of cannabis, and people are able to use as fit and perform their everyday tasks. Not only was medical marijuana common in China, but the US had it part of its drug pharmacopeia until 1943. During World War I, supply decreased, so American farmers started to grow their own east of the Mississippi, about 60,000 pounds annually, helping the US become less dependent on India. While politics, religion, and increased production of NASIDs saw the decline and in the inevitable schedule one classification of marijuana, the American Medical Association opposed the Marihuana Tax and supported studies for pain management (Procon.org, 2021).  

Moreover, medical research for marijuana use has grown over the last decade. People living with chronic pain have found maintenance relief and the ability to do their day-to-day tasks without side effects (Carr and Schatman, 2019). Those dealing with trembles from Parkinson’s Disease also found relief from the plant. Veterans returning from combat have expressed marijuana has allowed them to manage their PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Under doctor’s supervision, short-term studies have shown that marijuana usage has helped patients in their day-to-day life with less side effects than their pharmaceutical prescriptions.

Cons

Arguments exist against the use of marijuana and its impact on personal health and lifestyle. Met by opposition, viewpoints on the illegal use of the drug are slowly changing (www.samsha.gov, 2021). The marijuana market is escalating and the formulation of the cannabis plant into an edible or smokable form has changed from the development of a harmless product for a quick high, to a product that sometimes is immersed with external chemicals (Caulkins, 2018). This poses a risk to users who are attempting to remedy chronic pain or intake the drug socially. Remanufacturing the potency of marijuana by adding other compounds could increase the addiction rate, while diminishing the medicinal effects. 

Examples of negative effects of marijuana include brain function, mental health, performance, personal health, and addiction (Moore, 2021; Carr & Schatman, 2019). Table A depicts the proposed negative impact of marijuana use. For those taking CBD, there may be complications or/and side effects users may not be aware of. In varying circumstances, people may experience nausea, fatigue, or irritability while others may experience more extreme side effects such as blood thinning, or an abnormal read of liver enzymes.

Regulation of CBD and low-grade THC also plays a factor in the effects of those wanting a temporary relief. With an escalation of marijuana stores, cannabis fields, and personal home harvesting of the drug, making marijuana sales a fast-growing industry, with online sales becoming an alternative method to sell the drug nationally and internationally, it is easy to buy a product that may be considered “junk” since it is not regulated by the FDA. Currently, CBD is sold as a supplement versus a medication, which leaves the responsibility to the consumer to research where they are purchasing CBD and marijuana products from, in hopes that companies are true to their word at the time of purchase.

Conclusion

Medical marijuana will remain a hot button topic for decades to come. Supporters of legalization of the drug express that marijuana is the answer to their prayers. However, others argue that marijuana is the cause of the downfall of our society. While marijuana, like most drugs, can lead to addiction and unpleasant side effects, there is also growing research that patients using marijuana as treatment for pain, insomnia, and certain behavioral disorders are finding relief that could not be found in their previous pharmaceutical prescriptions. As a supporter of legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, it is mandatory for individuals to understand both the pros and cons of marijuana use. If science stays at the center of research, the bias of marijuana can fade into the shadows as discoveries of benefits can be fairly compared to the harms that have been circulated. Instead of looking at marijuana usage like the plot of Refer Madness, we can think of Charlotte Figi, whose life was prolonged because of cannabis.

1 Charlotte Figi passed away from complications due to COVID-19, April 7, 2020.