In 1972, the US Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because they considered it to have “no accepted medical use.”
Since then, 17 of 50 US states and Washington DC have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana.
Proponents of medicinal marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions.
They cite dozens of peer-reviewed studies, prominent medical organizations, major government reports, and the use of marijuana as medicine throughout world history.
Opponents of medical marijuana argue that it is too dangerous to use, lacks FDA-approval, and that various legal drugs make marijuana use unnecessary.
“They” say marijuana is addictive, leads to harder drug use, interferes with fertility, impairs driving ability, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain.
“They” say that medical marijuana is a front for drug legalization and recreational use.
Tell that to the 1 million medical marijuana patients in the USA – many who now live productive, “prescription” drug-free BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR USE WITH PAIN MANAGEMENT!
“They” ALSO fail to discuss the subject in context or expand past the characterization that a “war on drugs” – including pot – is valid. The popular “war” is based upon corporate greed, failed US policy and a distinctly insane rationale based upon “one-sided science”.
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL – Emeritus Professor Calls MMJ a “Wonder Drug”
“The mountain of accumulated anecdotal evidence that pointed the way to the present [marijuana as treatment for HIV neuro-pathic pain] and other clinical studies also strongly suggests there are a number of other devastating disorders and symptoms for which marijuana has been used for centuries; they deserve the same kind of careful, methodologically sound research.”
Lester Grinspoon, MD, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School [See cite below*]
Angels of Change
People like “Brownie Mary” (left) must be remembered with great fondness, gratitude and respect when discussing advocacy of use for medical marijuana – most famous for her passionate patient rights activism and unlimited vision of legalizing the use of medical marijuana for pain and other ailments – she’s also well known for her brownies!
Alice B Toklas and her unwavering belief in the benefits and use of medical marijuana is a story of true grit and an inspiration to us all in our desire to expand acceptance of MMJ! Alice’s Recipe here!
Current Thinking | List of Medicinal Uses of Marijuana:
Patient May See Benefit from or Symptom Relief From the
Use of Medical Marijuana:
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migraine,
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neuropathic pain,
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post-amputation pain,
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neuropathy,
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trigeminal neuralgia,
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rheumatoid arthritis,
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multiple sclerosis,
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nausea of cancer chemotherapy,
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AIDS wasting,
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motion sickness,
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menstrual cramps
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cesstation of smoking
Dec. 17, 2001 –
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted the following symptoms or conditions under Appendix IV of their Nov. 2002 report titled “Descriptions of Allowable Conditions under State Medical Marijuana Laws”:
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* Lester Grinspoon, MD, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, wrote in a Mar. 1, 2007 editorial in theBoston Globe titled “Marijuana as Wonder Drug”:
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Ethan Russo, MD, clinical neurologist, researcher and author, told ProCon.org in a Dec. 17, 2001 email that marijuana might provide relief for the following:
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Tod H. Mikuriya, MD, a psychiatrist and Addiction Medicine Specialist, published on the internet on Feb. 21, 2001 his report titled “International Classification of Diseases 9 – CM 1996, Chronic Conditions Treated With Cannabis, Encountered Between 1990-2001.” (The ICD-9 numbers are the International Classification of Diseases used by all physicians.):
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National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Regulation, IRP, noted on the NIMH website, updated Jan. 25, 2002:
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The UK’s Medicinal Cannabis Research Foundation published on its website in Nov. 2001:
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