Park, Alice. "Veterans Get the Go-Ahead to Use Medical Marijuana." Time 176.6 (2010): 13.
Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.
Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.
In this article, “Veterans Get the Go-Ahead to Use Medical Marijuana”, written for Time Magazine, author Alice Park informs readers that the United States government’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has approved medical marijuana use for VA patients without jeopardizing their government healthcare. Though this article is very short, it exposes some of the hypocrisy in the Federal government regarding medical marijuana in the United States; approving use for some individuals and allowing state medical marijuana programs to remain intact, yet making no effort toward a comprehensive medical marijuana program in the US. This article is a valuable source for identifying some reasons that the US government should move toward an across-the-board legalization of medical marijuana, but it would be more useful if it were a longer article with more in-depth information.
“Medical Marijuana.” Drugpolicy.org. Drug Policy Alliance. N.p. N.d. Web. 3 Feb 2011.
This article written for the Drug Policy Alliance outlines the Federal government’s refusal to legalize medical marijuana even amid strong public support for it. Citing legal precedents, the author analyzes federal & state law, and takes a look at the US government’s involvement with medical marijuana in the past, citing the Investigational New Drug compassionate access program, in which the United States provided marijuana to patients, 7 of which still receive medical marijuana directly from the US government. This article is highly relevant to the question of a federal law allowing for medical marijuana, as it shows that the US government has previously allowed for it as well as provided it to its citizens.
“Marijuana (Cannabis).” NationalMSSociety.org. National MS Society. N.p. N.d. Web.
3 Feb 2011.
3 Feb 2011.
This article, written for and by the National MS Society, presents the findings of a study on the effects of marijuana on multiple sclerosis and its symptoms. Meant for sufferers of MS, their doctors, or medical researchers, the study shows that marijuana and its active ingredient may have neuroprotective qualities that may slow the progress of the disease, as well as showing success in managing pain and spasticity in MS patients. While this study shows promise for medical marijuana in the treatment of MS, it also states that more research is needed on the subject, which has been previously hindered by illegality and the difficulty in administering a double-blind experiment when subjects get the sensation of feeling “high”, which unblinds the results. This study helps to illustrate some of the medicinal properties of marijuana, even on a disease that the medical world understands very little about.
“US Government Patents Cannabis.” MedicalCannabisInstitute.com. Medical Cannabis Institute.
N.p. N.d. Web. 3 Feb 2011.
N.p. N.d. Web. 3 Feb 2011.
This article from the Medical Cannabis Institute presents a Department of Commerce patent that was granted to the US Government’s Department of Health and Human Services for cannabis in 2003. The patent (#6630507) states that “cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia”. The author presents the hypocrisy in the US government’s long-time denial of marijuana’s medical properties, while operating their own federal marijuana program, yet harassing and incarcerating state medical marijuana patients with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The author implies that the US government is concerned more with the commerce of marijuana (the money to be made from it) than with the health benefits it could offer to its citizens. This is a fantastic source, providing hard evidence that the US government is and has been aware of marijuana’s medical benefits for some time.
Miron, Jeffrey A. “The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition.”
Economics.About.com. About.com, June 2005. Web. 21 Feb 2011
This study, performed by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, examines the effect of marijuana prohibition on government budgets, and assesses the implications of legalizing and taxing marijuana on a federal level. Miron estimates that if marijuana were legalized, $7.7 billion would be saved in law enforcement expenditures, and that were marijuana taxed like other goods, it would bring $2.4 billion annually ($6.2 billion annually if it were taxed like alcohol and tobacco). This is a valuable source for anybody examining the current costs of the enforcement of drug prohibition as well as exploring marijuana’s potential to bring revenue to the government. As Miron states in this study, the desirability of legalizing marijuana depends on many factors, but economic implications should be considered in any rational consideration.
“Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.” The National Academies Press.
Institute of Medicine, 1999. Web. 21 Feb 2011.
Widely regarded as the most comprehensive study of the medical efficacy of marijuana to date, this 1999 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report evaluated the effects of cannabinoids, the risks associated with the medical use of marijuana, and the effects of smoked marijuana. Chartered by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the report found that “nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety… all can be mitigated by marijuana.” Useful for examining the scientific basis of marijuana as a medical treatment, the IOM report found that any risks associated with marijuana were overshadowed by its medical benefit in a variety of applications. This study is highly informative, detailed, and comprehensive, examining all relevant scientific research on marijuana.
“Deaths from Marijuana v. 17 FDA-Approved Drugs.” Medical Marijuana. ProCon.org,
08 July 2009. Web. 21 Feb 2011.
Based on a Freedom of Information Act request from the FDA, this source examines the deaths caused directly and indirectly by 17 FDA-approved drugs with those caused by marijuana between 1997 and 2005. Though it can be argued that a far greater number of individuals are prescribed the 17 FDA drugs than marijuana, the numbers show that marijuana is far less harmful than these drugs in terms of the number of deaths it has been found to be a contributing factor in. Marijuana was a primary suspect of death in 0 cases, and secondary suspect in 279 cases, for a total of 279 cases of death in the 8-year span. The 17 FDA-approved drugs together were the primary suspect in 10,008 deaths and the secondary suspect in 1,679. The results show that marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose, in comparison with alcohol, aspirin, or acetaminophen. This is a valuable source in considering the FDA’s drug approval process and examining some reasons why marijuana should be looked into as a medical treatment, as it is a safer alternative than many current options.
“70 Peer-Reviewed Studies on Marijuana.” Medical Marijuana. ProCon.org, 30 July 2010.
Web. 21 Feb 2011.
A comprehensive compilation of 70 peer-reviewed studies on marijuana and cannabis extracts performed between 1990 and 2011, this source presents a brief description of the studies and their findings, as well as showing whether the study found to be in support of medical marijuana, against it, or not clearly for or against it. The studies included herein vary widely in their scope and purpose, examining marijuana’s effects on HIV patients, pain, spasticity in MS patients, intraocular pressure, cancer related anorexia-cachexia syndrome, and more. This source has compiled nearly all scientific studies on marijuana performed in the past 21 years, making them available to be read in full as well as providing an abstract of sorts. Highly valuable in assessing the medical effectiveness, uses, and risks of marijuana, these studies should be looked into by anyone researching medical marijuana.
"Marijuana Use in Supportive Care for Cancer Patients." National Cancer
"15 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC." Medical Marijuana.
ProCon.org, 23 March 2011. Web. 31 Mar 2011.
An overview of the states that have legalized marijuana, this webpage presents valuable information regarding medical marijuana laws, penalties, and stipulations. Compiled by ProCon.org, it contains specific details behind the respective bills that allowed for medical marijuana in each state, a simplified code as to what each allows for, when they were passed, and what, if any, type of program has been put in place. This is a highly valuable source for evaluating the state-level legality of medical marijuana and examining the accepted uses and the amounts that can be legally possessed in each of these states.
ElSohly, Mahmoud. Marijuana and the Cannabinoids. Totowa, NJ:
Compiled specifically to present a comprehensive analysis of all existing research on cannabinoids and marijuana, this book is an expansive source of knowledge covering a huge array of subjects. Presenting chapters written by experts on pharmacology, medicine, the endocannabinoid system, pharmacokinetics, effects of marijuana on health, and the effects of marijuana abuse, this book contains detailed, reliable information on almost every facet of marijuana as a medicine. Though it is long, it is highly informative and is broken up in such a way that readers can jump right to a section that interests them. This is a great source in explaining how, medically, marijuana works to cure symptoms and diseases, as well as looking at some of the drawbacks of it.
Humana Press, 2007. eBook.
Compiled specifically to present a comprehensive analysis of all existing research on cannabinoids and marijuana, this book is an expansive source of knowledge covering a huge array of subjects. Presenting chapters written by experts on pharmacology, medicine, the endocannabinoid system, pharmacokinetics, effects of marijuana on health, and the effects of marijuana abuse, this book contains detailed, reliable information on almost every facet of marijuana as a medicine. Though it is long, it is highly informative and is broken up in such a way that readers can jump right to a section that interests them. This is a great source in explaining how, medically, marijuana works to cure symptoms and diseases, as well as looking at some of the drawbacks of it.
"Marijuana Use in Supportive Care for Cancer Patients." National Cancer
Institute. US National Institutes of Health, 12 Dec 2000. Web. 31
Mar 2011.
An article by the National Cancer Institute outlining the benefits of marijuana in combating the side effects of chemotherapy, this source outlines some of the many medical uses for marijuana. Explaining how marijuana can help to alleviate nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and cachexia in chemotherapy patients, this source shows that marijuana is an effective antiemetic and that it can, in many patients, alleviate pain and discomfort. While this article notes that the side effect of feeling “high” is uncomfortable for some patients, it does also state that marijuana, often a last resort for patients who see no results with other drugs, is often highly effective in treating all four of these highly prevalent side effects of chemotherapy. This source is valuable for demonstrating some medical uses for marijuana as well as assessing its effectiveness.
"Should marijuana be a medical option?." Medical Marijuana.
ProCon.org, 31 Aug 2009. Web. 31 Mar 2011.
A compilation of quotes illustrating the stances of many high-level politicians, physicians, public office-holders, celebrities, and public figures, this source helps to demonstrate where support for medical marijuana comes from, as well as opposition. This source shows that not all physicians or legislators agree with the current illegality of marijuana and that many of them support its medicinal use. Highly valuable in pinpointing where people, political parties, and organizations stand on the legality or efficacy of medical marijuana, this source is an interesting read for anyone currently engaged in the issue.
Stack, Patrick. “A Brief History of Medical Marijuana.” Time Magazine 21 Oct 2009: n. pag. Web. 21 Apr. 2011
“A Brief History of Medical Marijuana,” a short article on Time Magazine online, offers a short overview of the medical marijuana policies in the United States. This article gives some background into the beginnings of the War on Drugs, historical uses for marijuana and hemp products, and brief insight into changes in public opinion. This article is valuable in gaining a basic understanding of the history of the legality of medical marijuana and should be read by anyone attempting to understand the current legislation regarding marijuana in the US.
“NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana.” National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nov 2010. Web. 21 Apr 2011.
A fact sheet produced by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this webpage provides some insight into how the federal government views marijuana. Note that many of the assertions included in this fact sheet come to direct odds with other research that has been presented in Medicine Gone Green’s blog, such as the idea that marijuana does not cause physical dependence, is not damaging to the lungs, does not lead to mental illness, etc. It is important to see the difference between some of the medically-sound research that has been conducted on marijuana and the stance of the government. However, this fact sheet does admit that marijuana has medicinal properties such as the ability to relieve pain, control nausea, stimulate appetite, and relieve ocular pressure. To gain an understanding of the government’s opinions and motivations, this fact sheet should be read by anyone examining the inequities between medical research and federal law regarding medical marijuana.
“Facts on Cannabis and Alcohol.” Alcohol vs. Marijuana. SaferChoice.org, n.d. Web. 21 Apr 2011.
While not directly related to medical marijuana specifically, the compilation of facts produced for Saferchoice.com, “Facts on Cannabis and Alcohol,” relates the minimal dangers of marijuana to the extremely high dangers posed by alcohol. These dangers include risks to society, risks to individual health, and the potential for addiction, violence, assault, crime, and abuse. The findings and statistics show that alcohol is far more dangerous than marijuana in all of these categories, yet is easily and legally attainable in most parts of the US, as well as under federal law. This fact sheet forces us to consider some of the politics behind the prohibition of marijuana versus the legality of alcohol and to wonder why politicians and legislators ignore the dangers and deaths that alcohol contributes to. Valuable in exposing some of the hypocrisy in statements of marijuana’s dangers, this source should be reviewed by those examining marijuana’s risks or the thought processes behind its prohibition, while alcohol is and remains legal.
“Marijuana.” Drug Facts. Drug Policy Alliance, n.d. Web. 21 Apr 2011.
“Marijuana” is a fact sheet produced by the Drug Policy Alliance meant to educate readers on what marijuana is, as well as to dispel some widely held misconceptions regarding its use and effects. Based on research and statistics, this webpage presents facts about marijuana and then delves deeper into an explanation of those facts. Valuable in dispelling unfounded negative sentiments regarding marijuana, this fact sheet helps to show that some of the notions people hold regarding marijuana are absolutely untrue.
