Term Paper on "Is the American Education System in Trouble?"

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Peer-reviewed studies testifying to the medical benefits of marijuana abound. Vinciguerra at al (1988) administered marijuana cigarettes to fifty-six cancer patients who had no success with prescription antiemetic drugs in relieving the nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy. Participants suffered from a range of cancerous diseases, including breast cancer, lymphoma, lung cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, sarcoma, acute leukemia, and myeloma. A full 78% of the participants claimed the drug was moderately or very effective in reducing nausea, vomiting, and associated discomforts. The main side-effects associated with the administering of the marijuana included sedation and dry mouth; 13% of the participants reported no side-effects at all. The authors conclude that "inhalation marijuana is active in controlling nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy," (Vinciguerra at al 1988, n/p). Furthermore, the results obtained in the study demonstrate the marked efficacy of inhaled marijuana: although the government has approved some synthetic extracts of THC, Vinciguerra et al. (1988) noted that "only 5-10% of orally administered THC is absorbed, whereas inhaled marijuana has a five-to tenfold greater bioavailability," (n/p).

Relief from nausea is not the only therapeutic application under investigation. Studies on pain relief, migraines, and stroke prevention have yielded preliminary but promising results. The Science of Medical Marijuana website refers to a 1997 study showing that "cannabinoids have a direct effect on pain signals in the central nervous system," but that "unlike the current crop of painkillers based on opiates, cannabinoids are not addictive, nor do they appear to carry the risk that patients may develop tolerance for them and require increasing doses to achieve relief," ("New, Emerging Evidence of Marijuana's Medical Efficacy"). THC and other compounds present in marijuana also act as antioxidants that may protect the brain from toxic chemical reactions such as those that occur with head injuries, strokes, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's disease ("New, Emerging Evidence"). Based on these sundry studies, marijuana should be immediately approved for use as medicine. Marijuana can be used for a number of therapeutic applications; the side-effects of the drug are apparently minimal; and addiction is rare if present at all. The same cannot be said for a number of prescription drugs that are used for some of the same purposes that marijuana might be used for. Furthermore, allowing individuals to grow their own marijuana for personal medical use would alleviate the medical insurance system and reduce overall health care… READ MORE