Medicinal marijuana legalization

Cannabis sativa, one of the oldest plants farmed by man, has been known for its medicinal properties for at least four millennia (Peters, 1999). The psychoactive-euphoric effects of this plant, as well as its facile and wide climatic range of cultivation, have rendered it a very popular recreational drug. Today, cannabis, or marijuana, is still the focus of strong social, legal, and medical controversy over its therapeutic utility. 

The criminalization of marijuana proceeded swiftly By 1939 there were no longer any legal medicines containing marijuana, and in 1941 marijuana was removed from the U.S. Pharmacopeia and the U.S. National Formulary, the two definitive sources for medical legitimacy of drugs. 

Mack, Alison, and Janet Joy. Marijuana as Medicine The Science Beyond the Controversy. Washington, D.C. National Academy Press, 2001. Recent findings from a National Institute of Medicine study are explained in lay terms, assessing the value of marijuana for treating various illnesses and types of pain. The book also discusses possible negative effects. Alternative forms of marijuana (such as Marinol) are also considered, and the current legal situation is explained. 

The decriminalization and legalization of marijuana are intricately woven into the medical marijuana movement. Essentially, it is a debate over the value of marijuana s medicinal properties compared with the risks posed by its use. NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, has been in the forefront of this 30-year controversy since they first petitioned in 1972 to move marijuana to a Schedule II category. NORML and other proponents of medical marijuana maintain that when compared with drugs such as heroin and cocaine, marijuana is not only safe but holds great potential as a prescription drug. 

Many terminally ill patients find relief from pain and nausea by using marijuana. Proponents of marijuana s legalization or reclassification as a Schedule II drug, like this protester in Florida, believe its benefits as a potential medicine outweigh its risks. 

Devotees of marijuana like to argue its merits, trying to persuade others that it is really a beneficial drug. In fact, cannabis was used in medicine in tlie past, and some doctors today fed that It is still a valuable remedy for some ailments. Current federal laws prohibit all uses of marijuana hut synthetic THC is available for research, and many statc.s have now legalized marijuana for specific therapeutic uses. 

The past two decades have witnessed sustained efforts to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes. Much of this effort has been spurred by an increased use of... 

The debate over legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes is not likely to be resolved in the near future. In the meantime, there arc several disorders—especially nausea and cachexia—for which cannabis is prescribed in synthetic form, and we describe these briefly in the following sections. 

In 1997 the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), General Barry McCaffrey, faced a big public relations problem. Even though McCaffrey, several former presidents, and many others lobbied against medical marijuana initiatives in California and Arizona, the citizens of those states voted to legalize medical marijuana. McCaffrey stuck to his conviction that marijuana was not medicine and vowed that the federal government would prosecute patients and doctors who broke federal marijuana laws. 

In this book, all of the components of the War on Drugs will be examined. The strategies, initiatives, and activities that have been implemented will be critiqued by looking at the outcomes of these efforts. The results of all of our work to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the United States will be reviewed. Research results will be utilized to determine if our efforts in prevention and treatment have been wise. Controversial alternatives to our current policies (e.g., decriminalization, legalization, harm reduction, medicinal use of marijuana) that have always been rejected by federal officials will be critically explored. 

ONDCP has also opposed medical marijuana initiatives. In a March 24, 2003, Press Release regarding proposed legislation in Maryland, Drug Czar Walters said, Research has not demonstrated that smoked marijuana is safe and effective medicine. Legalizing smoked marijuana under the guise of medicine is scientifically irresponsible and contradictory to our high standards for approval of medications. In a June 6, 2005, Press Release issued after a Supreme Court decision on medical marijuana, Walters stated ... 

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