Marijuana As Medicine? The Science Beyond the Controversy (2001) / Chapter Skim
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Introduction
Introduction
Pages 1-12
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At times advocates for medical marijuana have appeared to be discussing a different drug than their opponents. Consider the following statements: There are over ten thousand documented studies available that confirm the harmful physical and psychological effects of .
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and the District of Columbine registered their support for the prescription of marijuana by physicians, defying the policies of the federal government and the convictions of many of its leaders. Prior to the 1998 election, former Presidents Ford, Carter, and Bush released a statement urging voters to reject state medical marijuana initiatives because they circumvented the standard process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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In the course of its work, the study team examined research on how marijuana exerts its effects in the body and its ability to treat a wide variety of medical conditions. Team members compared the effectiveness of using marijuana versus approved medicines to treat numerous specific disorders.
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In fact, the IOM researchers found little reason to recommencT crucle marijuana as a medicine, particularly when smoked, but they clicT conclude that active ingredients in marijuana could be clevelopec! into a variety of promising pharmaceuticals.
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Much of the information that is included about the legal status of marijuana did not appear in the IOM report but was added here to place the science of medical marijuana in a broader social context. In addition to providing a critical and up-to-date summary of scientific knowledge that pertains to the medical use of whole marijuana, chemicals derived from the marijuana plant are also discussed, as well as synthetic compounds that represent "improved" versions of marijuana derivatives.
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The FDA has approved Marinol for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and also to counteract weight loss in AIDS patients. Currently classified with controlled substances such as anabolic steroids, Marinol was moved from a more restrictive category, which included cocaine and morphine, in July 1999.
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Aspirin tablets contain a pure measured dose of medicine, so they can be relied on to give consistent and predictable results. By contrast, two identical-Iooking marijuana cigarettes could produce quite different effects, even if smoked by the same per
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People who use marijuana solely as a medication do so in order to relieve specific symptoms of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other debilitating conditions. Some do so under the advice or consent of doctors after conventional treatments have failed to help them.
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By contrast, reports on medical marijuana users indicate that most are over 35, as are typical consumers of herbal medicine and other alternative therapies. Most tend to suffer from chronic illnesses or pain that defy conventional treatments.
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Marijuana smoke, on the other hand, efficiently delivers THC into the bloodstream via the lungs. Inhaled THC takes effect quickly, allowing patients to use just enough to relieve their symptoms; it is not so easy to fine-tune the dose of oral medications.
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