Pubdate: Sun, 29 Jun 2014
Source: Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)
Copyright: 2014 The Plain Dealer
Contact: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/letter-to-editor/
Website: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/342
Note: priority given to local letter writers
Author: Brian Adams
Note: Guest columnist Brian Adams is president of the Cleveland 
chapter of NORML, part of a national organization whose mission is to 
advocate for the legal and responsible use of marijuana.

OHIO SHOULD FINALLY APPROVE USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA

There are currently twenty-three states (plus the District of 
Columbia) that have legalized marijuana for a wide range of medicinal 
purposes and many other states have put together legislation for some 
form of legalization over the years.

Throughout history the marijuana or cannabis plant has been such a 
highly controversial topic; we tend to only think of one particular 
action involving its use, that being smoking.

This thought process, along with a great deal of propaganda and 
anti-drug campaigns, has taught us to think of mostly negative 
connotations with regard to use of the plant.

However, once we understand the plant's many applications, we will 
discover that uses can range from paper products to food. Is 
marijuana safe? Can it be used to heal and treat the sick? Should it 
be further researched? I will answer these questions and more.

It is my humble opinion that if it is in our government's best 
interest to protect the people of the United States of America, there 
should be better education on the benefits of medical marijuana. 
There have been zero deaths associated with marijuana use. Marijuana 
is one of the safest, non-addictive plants and does not warrant many 
of the side effects caused by prescription drugs.

The reason marijuana responds to our bodies better than pills is 
because of our endocannabinoid system; a group of lipids and 
receptors in the brain that regulate physiological processes which 
include memory, pain, appetite and mood. It has been discovered that 
cannabinoids are found in human breast milk and are needed to help 
develop brain growth in the early stages of life. Will taking 
marijuana as medicine get me high? That depends.

What most people don't know is that the cannabis plant contains many 
different types of cannabinoids or classes of unique chemical compounds.

THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is by far the most popular cannabinoid 
because of its psychoactive effects, while CBD or Cannabidiol is 
non-psychoactive and is useful in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Current research implies that cannabis is extremely effective in the 
treatment of many ailments including but not limited to: glaucoma, 
pain relief, nausea, epilepsy and cancer.

The plant can stimulate appetite for AIDS patients, offers pain 
relief for those undergoing chemotherapy and has received health 
endorsements from organizations like the AIDS Action Council, Kaiser 
Permanente and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Even 
popular TV doctors like Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Oz support positive 
opinions on medical cannabis. However, under the Controlled 
Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, 
lumped into a category with drugs such as heroin and LSD. As a result 
of this classification, marijuana has been deemed to have no 
medicinal value regardless of almost half of the country's ability to 
prescribe it for medical reasons.

The benefits of marijuana go beyond medical use. In order to properly 
determine the plant's potential, we must perform further research. 
This starts by ultimately rescheduling it as a useful plant rather 
than a harmful drug.

It can be disadvantageous to someone being prescribed several over 
the counter drugs that treat various symptoms, when marijuana can be 
used to treat many of those same symptoms by itself.

There is much support in favor of marijuana legalization in all of 
its forms and many Americans have admitted to trying it at least once 
at some point.

Do your own research and you may find that everything you thought you 
knew about marijuana is outdated and non factual.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom