Wrote an essay on Medical Marijuana - Looking for comments :)

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG ESSAY!

This is an essay I recently wrote for a Neuroscience class I had this semester. I realize there's a couple grammatical errors but was just looking for comments on what everyone thinks of it and possible areas where I can expand the paper for use in the future. The title of the paper is "Cannabis: Evil Drug or Medicinal Plant?" I hope you enjoy it. =)

note: the numbers at the ends of sentences and paragraphs are for references that I have not listed.


Cannabis Stavia is the scientific name for the plant that most people know as marijuana, mary jane, weed, grass, ganja, reefer, chronic, bud, tree, pot, or any other of the plethora of vernacular referencing this plant. The use of this plant through history is well documented, where cultivation can be traced back 12,000 years in ancient China. The cannabis plant is arguably one of the most useful plants available to man. Cannabis’ practicality is not restricted to medicinal or recreational purposes but can be applied to many different areas of industry. The stalks of certain low-THC producing strains of cannabis called “hemp” are of particular use, capable of being utilized in up to 25,000 different textile products ranging from cloth, paper, rope, and even biofuel1. Interest in cannabis in the realm of science wasn’t popular until the 20th century; with the discovery of the primary psychoactive compound, Δ9-THC, contained within the flower of the plant, coming in 1970 by Raphael Mechoulam2. Between then and now, scientists have expanded research on the cannabis plant as well as THC and other cannabinoids with recent discoveries marking two types of cannabinoid receptors found naturally in the body, the CB1 and CB2 receptors3. The CB1 receptor is primarily found within the central nervous system while the CB2 receptor is mainly expressed in the immune system4. Medical research into the clinical applications of cannabis as a medicine has been ongoing for decades, with hundreds of papers published on the multitude of different ailments and diseases that cannabis has been shown to be effective at treating; with some of the more severe diseases/syndromes including Parkinson’s disease, HIV-wasting syndrome, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer5,6. Although the research on the medicinal uses of the cannabis plant have been advancing, the rate of new research and clinical studies in the past and in the future have and will be restricted in most part due to the US federal government’s legislative standpoint on the plant. According to the US federal government’s Controlled Substances Act, cannabis is classified as a schedule I substance, which means that it is not recognized to have any legitimate medical use. Cannabis shares a schedule I classification with heroin and LSD, and according to the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision"7. Because the US federal government doesn’t recognize cannabis as a medicine, getting funding for research is nearly impossible making only research that is privately funded feasible, which in turn causes the legal dilemma of having the plants for research. The cannabis plant is incredibly useful and has been used for many different purposes throughout history. However within the past century, the plant has been the subject of great debate. Because of the federal government’s illegalization of cannabis in 1937 and continued mass media portrayal of the plant as “an evil drug that induces promiscuity, insanity, and murder”, the interest and availability of scientists to research the plant extensively for the medicinal applications that had already been previously known were significantly delayed. However, within the past half century, scientific research interest in cannabis has gone through a large expansion, resulting in greater public interest in further research, and the final broadcasting of the truth that cannabis is a medicinal plant that can provide people that are sick with an inexpensive, natural, and effective way to treat over 250 different human conditions and diseases without any side effects other than a possible cough8.
The cannabis plant is one of the oldest known crops ever to be cultivated by man after we emerged from being hunters and gatherers. Every part of the crop can be useful in some way. The stalks of the hemp plants farmers grow are used in an astounding number of textile materials, such as paper and cloth. In the early days of the US, the first two copies of the Constitution were made of hemp paper. The seeds of the cannabis plant are also extremely nutritious; containing essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Finally, the flower of the plant has been documented for its medicinal properties since nearly 3000 B.C1. Up to the early 20th century, the practice of smoking cannabis for medicinal purposes was ubiquitously accepted by all human cultures. In fact, Sir William Osler, the founder of modern medicine, wrote in the first textbook of internal medicine expressing his belief that cannabis was by far the most effective treatment for migraine headaches8. Unfortunately, by the 1930’s cannabis was placed under large scrutiny by the US government largely influenced by corporate funding. In 1937 the Marijuana Tax Act effectively made all trade of cannabis illegal in the US and the common conception by the American people was that cannabis was a deadly drug that causes promiscuity, insanity and murder amongst its users. This false picture of cannabis’ effects is directly portrayed in the 1936 film Reefer Madness9. By the year 1942, cannabis had been removed from the US pharacopea and could no longer be prescribed as a medicine. Because of the illegalization of cannabis, research studies on the plant came to a screeching halt. During the 1960’s with the uprising of the hippy counter-culture, general interest in cannabis spiked, and in 1970, the first paper discussing the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, Δ9-THC, and its structure was published by Raphael Mechoulam2. Other events in the political world continuously changed the rate at which cannabis research advanced. The US federal government however has been continuously conducting its own investigational studies on cannabis, its possibility for abuse, and possible health risks since President Regan’s declaration of the War on Drugs. Every one of the studies within the past 30 years of research by the National Institute of Drug Abuse points to the conclusion that cannabis poses no serious long term health risks or possibilities for abuse, but the federal government’s policy on cannabis has remained the same8.
No matter the US government’s stance on cannabis, research into furthering cannabis’ clinical applications continued to grow. Eventually, there was the discovery of two receptors specific to THC and other cannabinoids, CB1 and CB2. The CB1 receptor is primarily found in the central nervous system while the CB2 receptor primarily acts on the immune system. Both receptors however can be found in various other locations throughout the body. Both the receptors are in the G protein-coupled category and are bound by THC, other cannabinoids, and by natural protein activation10. The CB1 receptor, primarily found in the CNS, can be found in great numbers in various parts of the brain. Areas of the CNS that contain CB1 receptors include: the Hippocampal Formation, Basil Ganglia, cerebellum, neocortex, cerebral cortex, and the spinal cord. Because CB1 receptors are more prevalent in these areas of the brain, a person’s movement, memory, and noicioception are affected. The research that has been published has shown that the signaling pathways that occur after CB receptor activation are more complicated than previously expected and may suggest that cannabinoid receptors may have more roles in physiological control than currently known. The CB1 receptor, in addition to being present in the brain, is showing to be present in the stomach, liver, and heart; where activation plays a role in lipogenesis, blood pressure, and stomach motility. The CB2 receptor is primarily seen in the immune system, however can also be found in the brain within the microglia, the gastrointestinal system, and the peripheral nervous system. Within the immune system, the CB2 receptor has been recorded to produce many physiological effects such as cell migration, induction of cell apoptosis, and immune suppression. Current research points towards CB2 receptor being important in the treatment of inflammation and pain, particularly neuropathic pain11. Cannabinoids have been shown to be effective neuroprotective antioxidants, which with the activation of CB2 receptors in the brain help in the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s disease8.
Before the illegalization of cannabis, it was previously known to have medicinal purposes, especially for treating pain. In fact, cannabis was the third most commonly used medicine in the world and many large pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly, Squibb, Merck, and several others had patented medicine containing cannabis. When brought to the United Kingdom, it was Queen Victoria’s preferred treatment for her menstrual cramps and was revered by Sir William Osler as a migraine godsend. The first modern research that was done on the medicinal use of cannabis was conducted in 1949 demonstrating its effectiveness at treating epilepsy.
The clinical applications of cannabis have been more extensively researched rather than the biochemistry of the protein interactions and the signaling pathways involved. The physiological understanding aspect of cannabis research is important. However, in a way, the focus on the areas of research pertaining to the clinical applications has been of more benefit to the growth of public support for increased research. The results of these types of studies help show concrete evidence of the beneficial effects cannabis provides for people suffering from many different ailments and is inherently easier for people not in the scientific community to connect to with the results are in lamens terms. Clinical application studies also help project the results that cannabis consumption doesn’t cause any significant side effects when used recreationally or as a medication, as well as the lack of any long term health problems associated with smoking of the plant. The results of 30+ years of studies conducted by UCLA’s Dr. Donald Tashkin, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, comparing the possible adverse health effects of cannabis smoking to tobacco showed surprising results. The results of several studies showing comparison between experimental groups of cannabis and tobacco smokers (with a control group of non-smokers) showed that cannabis smokers, regardless of current frequency or past history showed no evidence of long term health problems such as C.O.P.D or lung cancer while the tobacco smoker’s group was recorded to have a drastically increased risk8,12. Dr. Donald Abrams is another well known cannabis scientist that took interest in the use of cannabis in HIV/AIDS patients. There is the common belief by the public that cannabis smoking is detrimental to the immune system. Dr. Abram closely studied AIDS patients taking antiretroviral drugs, people that had the most delicate of immune systems, and “found no evidence of negative effect, and perhaps some evidence of benefit in the immune system in patients smoking [cannabis].8,13”
Part of the government’s strategy of propagation against marijuana is broadcasting the “dangers” of smoking it. However, ever since the declaration of the War on Drugs back in the 1980’s, the results of countless studies and recommendations made by various government appointed committees, that marijuana is safe and should be legal, have fallen on deaf ears. The most recognizable example being the recommendation by the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse to President Nixon in 1972, that marijuana use should not be a crime8. Ironically, in 1988 the US Department of Justice approved this statement regarding the potential dangers of marijuana smoking; “Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects. But cannabis is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality. In practical terms, cannabis cannot induce a lethal response as a result of drug-related toxicity.14” Regardless of the unmoving legislative stance of the government, clinical studies have continued through the decades and are still ongoing. Now, it is understood that cannabis has uses in treating symptoms caused by all kinds of human disease. The most notable effect cannabis has is its ability to treat pain. Because THC has natural receptors located in the body, it is especially effective at treating neurogenic pain. This type of pain is caused by the nervous system misbehaving, sending signals of pain for damage that isn’t there. Examples of neurogenic diseases that have been shown to be treated with cannabis are: Reflex Sympathetic Dystophy, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Systemic Lupus8. THC and other cannabinoids have also been identified as neuroprotective agents and help treat or prevent different neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically for Alzheimer’s disease, THC has been shown to be more effective than current medication at preventing the formation of plaques in the brain known to lead to the disease15. Additionally, cannabis has been shown to slow down and possibly even halt the progress of Multiple Sclerosis, and helps with the muscle spasms related to Parkinson’s disease. Cannabis has not only been shown to be helpful in diseases of the body but those of the mind too. Cannabis has long been shown to help improve conditions such as Depression, Bipolar or manic-depressive disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Insomnia, and Attention Deficit Disorder.
The clinical applications for cannabis are extensive, mainly due to the ubiquitous nature of cannabinoid receptors in the body. “Changes in endocannabinoid levels and/or CB2 receptor expressions have been reported in almost all diseases affecting humans, ranging from cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, bone, skin, auto-immune, lung disorders to pain and cancer, and modulating CB2 receptor activity holds tremendous therapeutic potential in these pathologies.16” Over 250 different human diseases and conditions have been reported on some level to have some benefit from cannabis. In addition to the conditions mentioned, just a few of the other conditions that cannabis can benefit include: Alcohol abuse, Psoriasis, Sickle-cell disease, Atherosclerosis, Leukemia, Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, Gliomas, skin tumors, sleep apnea, Anorexia Nervosa, Tourette’s syndrome, Epilepsy, colorectal cancer, MRSA, and believe it or not, Asthma (THC is actually a bronchodilator)8. At least to this writer, the unbelievable practicality of cannabis as a medicine seems to be all but unmatched in the realm of pharmaceuticals and the continued prohibition of the plant seems to be unwarranted strictly based on the large amount of health benefits that this country so desperately is in need of.
Due to the wealth of information about the medicinal use of cannabis available to the general public, America’s opinion about the legality of medical marijuana is beginning to sway. The direction public opinion is moving towards is in favor for medical marijuana use. Medical cannabis use isn’t the only subject in favor of the American people’s opinion; the outright legalization, regulation, and taxation of the plant has large support as well. “Gallup polls indicate that 2011 marked the first time in our nation’s history when the percentage of Americans in favor of legalizing pot (50 percent) was greater than those who favor keeping it illegal (46 percent)17.” The change of public opinion to a pro-pot stance has been drastic within the past decade. From 2005 to when the poll was taken, there was a 14 percentage point increase from 36% to 50%. This may not seem like much, but in comparison to where public opinion was back in 1979, there was a larger percentage increase in the span from 2005-2011 than from 1979-2005. Additional polls tell that “more Americans of every age, political persuasion, and region of the country back legalizing weed today than they did just six years ago17.” Although this information is directed towards the outright legalization of cannabis, it can be inferred that the trends for this can be proportional to the support of legalization of cannabis for medicinal use, which currently has larger support than the total legalization effort. Currently, sixteen states including the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws allowing the use for patients. In addition, twelve more states have pending legislation to legalize medical cannabis this year18. Even with the growing number of states that have laws legalizing cannabis for medicinal use and the trending public support, government efforts to enforce federal laws regarding cannabis as a Schedule I drug have been on the rise. Even the IRS has been cracking down on the medical marijuana industry, denying tax-paying dispensaries in legal states standard business tax deductions, and auditing many existing dispensaries, demanding millions of dollars in alleged unpaid taxes17.
With the fog caused by the political controversy surrounding cannabis as a whole, it can be difficult to see where the future of research lies for it. Potential scientists with legitimate interests seeking to attain funding from the government face a very rocky road. With the federal government so adamant at enforcing laws to keep the plant illegal, handing out tax money that can be spend elsewhere is obviously of little concern. In addition to this superficial problem, the restrictions put in place to get funding concerning cannabis makes the number of research possibilities for scientists very narrow. This is because the government strictly hands out funding to studies pertaining to the abuse or dangers of the plant and dismisses any proposals to research it as a medicine. However, there are loopholes in the restrictions. The results of the studies by Dr. Donald Abrams and Dr. Donald Tashkin mentioned previously were all funded by the government. With the political winds gusting in the direction of legal medical use of cannabis, it’s feasible that federal government restrictions involving its research and even use for medicinal purposes can change within the near future; with the complete legalization potential on the horizon.
The use of cannabis has been well documented. The cultivation of it can be dated back nearly 12,000 years in ancient China. The use for medical purposes can be dated back over 3000 years as well1. Cannabis is one of the most useful plants available to man and can be cultivated in nearly any climate. Research for the plant in the realm of science didn’t spark until the 20th century, with the discovery of the structure of the main psychoactive compound, Δ9-THC2. Further research has been ongoing, though slow, mainly due to its illegality. However the speed of further research has been gradually increasing mainly due to the consistent findings that the plant is of very little harm and of great medicinal value. Because of these continued findings, economical and moral arguments, overall public support for laws allowing for the medical use and even the outright legalization of the plant are at an all time high and are still growing17. With public opinion creeping into the majority status for these types of laws, and the increasing number of states enacting laws allowing medical marijuana, the pressure on the federal government to pass legislation in favor of cannabis in any way is drastically increasing. Even with these apparent signs, the federal government remains stubborn about changing its message that marijuana is a dangerous, abusive drug. However, it seems as if it’s only a matter of time before the truth about cannabis infects the minds of enough Americans to illicit legislation passed by the federal government. The only question that remains is: how long do we have to wait?

ok...I've only skimmed it so far...near the end you write something along the lines of the federal government considering it a dangerous abusive drug. are you aware that nowhere in the scheduling language does the government even attempt to define what abuse is? it's just one more thing the feds do that really shows they haven't a clue nor care about the truth. just thought you might be able to expand on that point. hope this helps

Pharmafree: Thanks for the point about the definition of abuse.

Mazarxnl: This is a rough draft, and yes, I saw and a couple of my friends also pointed out the couple points of repeating, though they all seemed to like it. If you get a chance to read it all what could be improved on as far as organization?

Dude this is a great start but sounds like you copied stuff off the internet you need to personalize it a little more i would go over the legal the medical the publics perception and then at the end tie it together with a personal observation from your own life.Great start keep it up dude

Alrighty, thanks a lot for the structure advice. I am taking this advice for future revisions to it though. The structure is a little screwy because I had to write this paper for my Neuroscience class, so I couldn't exactly discuss for too long anything that wasn't within the realm of AP&P of the brain/body.