Medical Marijuana; Can Marijuana be an alternative to prescription medications?

 

As of 2013, the FDA has approved over 1,453 drugs. This number does not include the drugs previously on the market before that date. With these drugs comes countless side effects as well as the costs that continue to rise. Medical Marijuana has been introduced on the market as  the cure-all that can conquer where prescription medicines cannot.

People can ingest marijuana in a number of ways to get the medical benefits. It can be smoked or orally ingested. THC is the chemical within the plant that is beneficial medicine. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. The body absorbs THC more slowly when the person eats or drinks it. In that case, they generally feel the effects after 30 minutes to 1 hour” (Abuse, 2018).

CNN reports that the plant would be used to treat medical issues such as AIDS/HIV, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, Chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, and Multiple Sclerosis.

 

Important pro’s and con’s to consider:

Pros

  • Pain Control
  • Safer Alternative
  • Cost effective

 

Cons

  • Accessibility
  • Risk of Abuse
  • Conflicting federal and state regulations.

 

References

Abuse, N. I. (n.d.). Marijuana as Medicine. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine
Christensen, J. (2015, April 16). 10 diseases where medical marijuana could have impact. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/15/health/marijuana-medical-advances/index.html
How Many Drugs has FDA Approved in its Entire History? New Paper Explains | RAPS. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://www.raps.org/regulatory-focus%E2%84%A2/news-articles/2014/10/how-many-drugs-has-fda-approved-in-its-entire-history-new-paper-explains

 

Lawrence, A. (2018, February 06). Pros and Cons of Using Medical Marijuana. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/general-health/pros-and-cons-of-using-medical-marijuana.html