Austin Starnes

Professor Dagher
UWRT 1102
April 6th, 2015
Want is true in the Medical Marijuana controversy?
Medical marijuana is one of the most controversial topics in the United States right now
because there are so many different points of view and a lot of mis skewing of information. A story for
example, a young girl has been diagnosed with severe cluster headaches. An issue that medical
marijuana has been proven to help with (Stucker). Her state of residence has not approved marijuana to
be used for medical purposes, so how was the problem dealt with? Most likely the girl will be
prescribed multiple prescriptions. One day she feels a cluster headache beginning to happen and goes to
the bathroom to take some medicines, she does and feels better for a bit but it doesn't quite fix the
issue. So she takes another pill, her body could not handle the extra amount of medicine in her system
and goes into shock trying to regulate it. Marijuana could have possible allowed this girl to have an
alternate source of medication after the first pill did not work.
I live in NC a state that currently has not legalized medical marijuana, that being said I do not
have any hands on experience with the plant however I have multiple coworker who do or have in the
past used marijuana. I chose this topic because you see a lot of things being said about this drug that are
negative, however there has never been any deaths recorded from it so I think that it an important
aspect of medicine that needs to be explored and utilized in the best way possible. I have heard people
say it is addicting and is a gateway drug, yet only 10% of people who use marijuana experience
withdrawal symptoms when no longer using (Budney), and I know people that the only drug they do is
marijuana and say it has deferred them from trying any other kind of drug.
Any form of medicine is important and serves a valuable purpose, so I would like to explore
into some of the facts that are heard about marijuana and form my opinion on the matter that is free of

bias in hopes that it will help others who are only exposed to one side of the argument. This is an issue
that I believe affects everyone because with the major monopoly that the government and the
healthcare systems have on the ability to control and regulate the prescriptions that are handed out it
would be beneficial to have access to another form of medication that you cant overdose on and is
significantly cheaper than prescription medicine. I believe that having an alternate source of medical
attention would allow for people who have multiple heath concerns to address them without having to
bankrupt themselves with prescriptions. They could use medical marijuana for some of the not as major
issues so they can focus their money on anything that marijuana would not help with. Be able to
provide the population with a cheaper alternative medicine would make a huge difference in a lot of
peoples life especially from a financial stand point. I think that addressing the controversy that
surrounds the issue was the best way to approach it because some of the information present is from
two different points of view.
Now the issue is that there are two extremes that are address on the forefront when talking about
marijuana. The supporters stand behind claims that praise its medical benefits, how it has never been
linked to any deaths, and comparisons to other drugs such as less inhibiting then alcohol and not as
addicting or dangerous as tobacco. The Opposition stands by claims that it is a gateway drug (meaning
the user will tend to move towards using stronger drugs, that long-term use can kill brain cells and hurt
overall IQ levels, and is a highly addicting substance. I would like to address both sides and determine
what I believe are the true facts and determine my point of view. I want to draw from both sides with
positive and negative views to make sure that the view that I form utilizes all information and forms a
TRUE view with a absence of bias.
Now not unlike all medications Marijuana does have its benefits and its risk. One of the primary
risk is that most user choose to self-medicate, typically in the form of inhalation. When Marijuana is
smoked in the form of a cigarette, if compared directly to tobacco users, studies show that smoking
marijuana actually delivers almost four times as much tar into the smokers lungs than tobacco,

however tobacco users also take in about twice as much carbon monoxide (Owens). These are the two
primary factors to diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis,
emphysema, and asthmatic bronchitis. When comparing symptoms of these diseases it is also found
that tobacco and marijuana users share a lot of the same symptoms however marijuana users did not
experience a shortness of breath in the same time period as the tobacco users (Owens). Note that there
was also no link between Marijuana and COPD/Lung disease. Controversy arises when talk of the trues
safest way to medicate using marijuana. Marijuana can be inhaled, eaten, or taken in a pill form.
Safety is the priority when one is taking any form of medication, and certain measures must be
taken prior to use. Based on my findings the most ideal and safest was when choosing to self-medicate
medical marijuana is to use an edible (Newman). Precautions arise when taken an edible, such as
quantity, quality, and how long one wants the desired effect. If one takes to much the high may be too
intense or scary, however there has never been any confirmation of a cannabis based overdose. Another
option that has recently been growing in popularity is that of Vaping. Vaping is the process of heating
the marijuana between two hot plates to exactly the necessary temperature to release THC; while other
chemicals are released some may be controlled when applying this method. Dabbing is another
option in which one applies a wax form of THC to a hot plate and inhales the smoke produced. This
option is less favorable by most due to the over concentration of THC and normally results in a bad
or unsatisfying high.
Another main argument is that Marijuana is addicting. Marijuana is addicting in the form that
users normally have a higher dependency and are highly habitual users, however only 10% of
Marijuana users experience withdrawal symptoms when no longer using Marijuana (Budney). The 10%
who do experience withdrawal feel that the symptoms are very similar to those of tobacco withdrawal.
Being that only 10% experience these symptoms I personally would not say that they are addicting but
due to it having some form of addictive quality it will generally be considered addicting. A close friend
of mine was an active marijuana user for over 10+ years, and due to some recent issues they were

required to stop smoking marijuana. This person says that they feel no symptoms of withdrawal except
for lack of sleep and lack of appetite.
After reviewing this I believe that marijuana is a source that should be used for medicinal
purpose, its ability to treat a multitude of health concerns proves that it should be recognized as a viable
form of medicine. However I cannot say that without addressing the way it is used. I think that if it is
going to be used as medicine the primary focus of the government should be finding a way to distribute
the necessary amount of Marijuana that is necessary to treat certain issues and find a way to provide
that in a way that the patient could use it without inhalation, because even though marijuana will not
kill you, inhaling any kind of hot smoke is not beneficial for ones body and is not the proper way to
self-medicate. I would like to say that I have seen both sides, I know people who smoke every morning
and consistently throughout the day and have the ability to continue to be productive but I have also
seen people who if the use marijuana are no longer functioning at the same speed that they do when not
under the influence of the drug. I believe this is due purely on just the way each individual responds to
the drug which is another factor to take into play when addressing marijuana form a medical
perspective.
Discovering all of the uses for medical marijuana it changes how I view these dispensary and
medical marijuana. I believe that it could be made into one of the most effective forms of medicine if
we just put the time and money into proper research. And I am disappointed that the United States has
not been more active in trying to utilize medical marijuana in an appropriate fashion. I am still curious
to see what all different kinds of things that medical marijuana could help with. I would also like to see
how the overall spread of the use of medical marijuana moves across the states of the US. If I were to
continue to research this topic I would like to address the financial aspect of using this as an alternate
source of medicine.

Stucker, Matthew, and Saundra Young. "Regular Marijuana Habit Changes Your Brain, Study Says CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
Scott, KA, and AG Dalgleish. "DrugFacts: Is Marijuana Medicine?" DrugFacts: Is Marijuana
Medicine? National Institute of Drug Abuse, Apr. 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
Owen, Kelly P, Mark E. Sutter, and Timothy E. Albertson. "Marijuana: Respiratory Tract
Effects." Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology. 46.1 (2014): 65-81. Print.
Newman, Tony. "Safety First: Let's Be Careful with Edible Marijuana." Drug Policy Alliance. Drug
Policy Alliance, 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
Budney, Alan J., Roger Roffman, Robert S. Stephens, and Denise Walker. "Marijuana Dependence and
Its Treatment." Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. National Institute on Drug Abuse, 4 Dec. 2007.
Web. 08 Apr. 2015.