Works Cited

"Annual Causes of Death in the United States." Welcome. Common Sense for Drug Policy, 2009.Web. 21 May 2012.<http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30>.

“Bob Marley - One Love”. Youtube.com. 20 Apr. 2010. Youtube. 23 May 20120. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdB-8eLEW8g&feature=related>.

DeNoon, Daniel J. "Marijuana Smoking Doesn't Kill." WebMD. WebMD, 18 Sept. 2003. Web.16 May 2012.<http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20030918/marijuana-smoking-doesnt-kill>.

"Drug." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 16 May 2012.<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/drug?s=t>.

“Feds To Calif. Marijuana Dispensaries: Shut Down Now”’. Youtube.com. 06 Oct. 2011. Youtube. 23 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqLsLKPCY4A&feature=related>.

"Freeplay Music: Search Production Music Library." Freeplay Music: Search Production Music Library. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://freeplaymusic.com/search/advanced_search_ext.php>.

Hoffman, Diane E., and Ellen Weber. "Medical Marijuana and the Law." The New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society, 22 Apr. 2010. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1000695>.

Map-of-US-state-cannabis-laws. Digital image. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-US-state-cannabis-laws.svg>.

“Medical Benefits Of Marijuana - National Cancer Institute”. Youtube.com. 28 Mar. 2011. Youtube. 23 May 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkMxrS8R_T8>.

Medical-marijuana-sign.jpg. Digital image. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Medical-marijuana-sign.jpg>.

Medicalmarijuana.gif. Digital image. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://www.thelmagazine.com/binary/480d/medicalmarijuana.gif>.
"On the Limits of Supremacy: Medical Marijuana and the States' Overlooked Power to Legalize Federal Crime." By Robert Mikos. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.
<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract-id=1356093>.

Rightnour, Tess. “Medical Marijuana Dispensaries: Every Business? Or federal crime?”. Survey. 12 March 2012.

Seamon, Matthew J., Jennifer A. Fass, Maria Maniscalco-Feichtl, and Nada A. Abu-Shraie. "Medical Marijuana and the Developing Role of the Pharmacist." Memphis.edu. University of Memphis, 15 May 2007. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://axon.psyc.memphis.edu/~charlesblaha/7705/Papers_08/samantha_daniel_medical_marijuana.pdf>.

"Teen Marijuana Use, 1999-2006 - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." Teen Marijuana Use, 1999-2006 - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=001557>.

Documentary

Argumentative Essay

Medical Marijuana; a Natural Alternative

I have always wanted to work with medicine, which is why I want to be a pharmacist. Whenever I heard about going into the “medical field”, I never thought about studying health and the human body. I thought more about the medicine and chemicals needed to help make the sick feel better. However, being around all of those substances can be quite dangerous. One bump on the table or one too many drops of a certain substance, and it could be all over for the patient and for me. I do not want to risk my patient’s life in order to make them feel better; they might as well stay sick. Then it hit me; I could have my own medical marijuana dispensary.

Marijuana does not need to be concocted in a lab, because nature is a science of its own. There is almost nothing that mankind can do with the science that we have today that can even come close to it. Marijuana can be taken care of just like any other plant: with water, sunlight, and time, and there are no health risks or dangers. For those who do not like the harsh taste of the smoke, there are also ways to cook and ingest marijuana with breads, cakes, brownies, tea, and even lip balm. There have been sixteen states, along with Washington DC, that have legalized the use of medical marijuana. It is still illegal in the Federal government’s eyes though, and they will do whatever they can do shut them down because their power prevails over the states. Medical marijuana should be available to those who are able to access it, and they should not be punished, especially if they are following their state laws.

Medical marijuana can help with a number of different conditions and diseases. The states that have legalized the use of it only find the use appropriate for chronic or serious medical conditions, such as pain, decrease of nausea and increase of appetites. It is known to be a mood stabilizer and a saliva reducer. “Furthermore, marijuana is used to reduce anxiety and improve sleep, and has reportedly been used in the treatment on intractable hiccups.” (Seamon et al 1040). There have been two big experiments on the idea that marijuana smoking can kill; the first HMO took place in California with over 65,000 men and women from the age of 15-49. Ten years later, the marijuana users died no sooner than non-marijuana users. The other study was with over 45,000 Swedish army conscripts. They were eighteen to twenty years old when asked about it, and fifteen years later, they are still able to live as long as non-smokers of marijuana. These were both conducted by Stephen Sidney, MD, an associate director for research in Oakland, California in the British Medical Journal.

How can marijuana be illegal when alcohol is perfectly endorsed and obviously causes more problems? You can see by this chart, that there have been zero deaths from smoking and overdosing on marijuana. You can also see on this chart, four columns above, that alcohol induced deaths are around twenty-three thousand people, and alcohol is a legal drug! It is considered a drug, because a drug is defined as any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals. Alcohol affects your brain, your liver, and other vital organs in your body, so it is a legal drug. There are also motor vehicle accidents a few columns above alcohol induced deaths, and they are around thirty-six thousand a year. A lot of the time, motor accidents and drunk driving go hand in hand, so it would be no surprise if alcohol would play a big role in a majority of these motor accidents. This graph is self-explanatory showing the fact that marijuana smoking does not kill.  

There are many ways the state rules can get around the federal government rules, and vice versa. Obviously, when the federal law is up against the state law, the former will always prevail. “A 2005 Supreme Court decision (Gonzales v Raich) made clear that regardless of states laws, federal law enforcement has the authority under the CSA to arrest and prosecute physicians who prescribe, or dispense marijuana and patients who possess or cultivate it.”  (The New England Journal of Medicine) This gives the government the right to stomp into any medical marijuana dispensary, and look for whatever they wish as well, because marijuana is still illegal in the federal government’s eyes. However, if the patients are following the state laws, do they really need to be punished for it?

This is a touchy subject in itself, which could be the reason why there are still many questions left to ask, and to answer. It would be hard to find out what would happen if medical marijuana was legal throughout the country, and it is also still hard to understand why the government still disregards the benefits this medicine can have. It can help with all of the major and chronic diseases we have today such as AIDS and cancer, and can even help us financially, with it being the top cash crop in the country because of the dispensaries present in the states. It is almost pointless for the federal government to give the state’s power if they are just going to look over them like an overprotective parent, and be a stickler for detail. We should be more worried about the safety and health of our people, and if medical marijuana is what works for them, then that is what SHOULD work for them.

Annotated Bibliography

Link #1

"On the Limits of Supremacy: Medical Marijuana and the States' Overlooked Power to Legalize Federal Crime." By Robert Mikos. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract-id=1356093>.

This article was written by Robert Mikos, who studied at Vanderbilt Law School. His paper focused on how the government overlooks the fact that the states have the power to legalize conduct Congress bans. State laws use the de facto law in thirteen states. This edict states that these laws cannot be replaced by Congress. Not only are these states legalizing medical marijuana, they are also getting rid of the social, moral and personal discouragement against medical marijuana. Though most say that the drug war is mainly over, so far it has been the States that have conquered this struggle.

Evaluation: The author’s connection to this topic is that the laws that the states make are just as important as federal laws as well. There is some solid evidence because they describe the laws and articles used in the Constitution that the Federal government and Congress cannot override certain rules that the states have made, however, there is some bias shown in the article because he says that commentators say that the drug war for the most is part is over. He also uses conventional wisdom that the states have won the drug war over the federal government.

Link #2

Hoffman, Diane E., and Ellen Weber. "Medical Marijuana and the Law." The New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society, 22 Apr. 2010. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1000695>.

This next article was written by Ellen Weber and Diane Hoffman, who both attended the University Of Maryland School Of Law in Baltimore. This article discusses on what the state laws restrict on medical marijuana. It also slightly talks about how the States lead the medical marijuana movement despite the federal government’s commands. It talks about some of the requirements that might have been left out in some of the state laws, and that some of these laws can put some patients in a cautious position.
Evaluation: the author is saying that the states have led the medical marijuana movement due to the federal lawmakers refuse to sign petitions to prescribe medical marijuana. Although the Federal Law can arrest any physician that prescibes medical marijuana, there was a case where the Department of Justice issued a memoraundum to US attorneys that they should leave patients alone that are following the state laws.

Link #3
Seamon, Matthew J., Jennifer A. Fass, Maria Maniscalco-Feichtl, and Nada A. Abu-Shraie. "Medical Marijuana and the Developing Role of the Pharmacist." Memphis.edu. University of Memphis, 15 May 2007. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://axon.psyc.memphis.edu/~charlesblaha/7705/Papers_08/samantha_daniel_medical_marijuana.pdf>.

This next article was written by four students at the University of Memphis: Matthew, Jennifer, Maria, and Nada. This article shows how chemicals in the marijuana plant flow through the cells and the body every time it is taken in. It also shows the therapeutic effects and the consequences it can have on your body. It shows the diseases that it can help and the diseases that can hurt. It is also read in this article that pharmacists should be very careful when it comes to recommending medical marijuana to patients, because they have to follow every federal rule, and one mess-up could possibly ruin their career. However, pharmacists should also keep a good relationship between them and their patients as well.
Evaluation: This is one of the most unbiased articles I think I have ever came across in my project. This describes the theraputic remedy medical marijuana can give patients that need it, and also the risks and consequences that it can give those who are not careful with it. It describes the cautious and touchy laws they have abuot pharmacists giving the medicine to patients, but it also shows how the pharmacist and the patient can have a good relationship while jumping over hurdles to prescribe medical marijuana.

Chart Supporting my Topic

I feel like this chart is pretty self-explanatory to the fact that marijuana smoking, in fact, does NOT kill. This chart was actually made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which was the same program that has emphasized over and over again that this sort of topic needs more research, despite of what information that scientists have given to them. If you look a few cells above marijuana, alcohol has 23,199 deaths total that year, and that drug is LEGAL. Yes, alcohol is considered a drug, because a drug is defined as any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals. Alcohol affects your brain, your liver, and other vital organs, so it is considered a legal drug. Motor accidents are also shown on here, with the death toll being 36,284. Most accidents are due to drunk driving, so alcohol can also have a big play in that as well. How can this be acceptable when marijuana is not? If it doesn’t kill, can give people medical benefits, AND it is the fastest growing cash crop in the United States, then what’s the problem officer?

Research Memo

Research Memo

Hypothesis: Marijuana is the top cash crop in the United States. It has been proven by the FDA in 2009 that marijuana smoking does not kill people. It has also been proven to help increase appetite, relieve pain, decrease nausea and relax muscles, which can help with conditions such as cancer, HIV, anorexia and bulimia. There have been sixteen out of fifty states in the United States that have legalized the medical use of marijuana. Even though these patients are following their state requirements, the federal government still insists on tracking down the dispensaries’ every move, and even getting to the point of shutting them down. The question, however, is why? The states are doing perfectly fine with their conditions. Eight of the ten states that had legalized medical marijuana as of 2006 had a lower percentage of teen use in 2006. This clearly shows that the government completely disregards the medical use of marijuana multiple times. What will it take for the government to realize that a medicine so natural should not be labeled as life-threatening? My hypothesis is that people agree that medical marijuana is looked down upon, and that these businesses are doing just fine without the government’s interference.

Context: I have conducted a survey to get the target’s opinions on the medical benefits of marijuana. My main targets were adults over the age of twenty-one. I chose people over the age of twenty-one because that is the age you have to be to get a “gold card” in the medical marijuana states, and it is also the age as to where you can legally buy alcohol all over the country. Also, I must have not have specified my questions correctly, because some of the people did not answer the question accurately, or at all. One person did not even take the survey right. He did not rate the items correctly from least dangerous to most dangerous. Also, when the last question was to explain your reasoning, he only put “yes” as his answer. After sorting out all of the wrong and right surveys, I only had six surveys that had people answer every question correctly. This gave me the initiative to write a new survey with new questions, while keeping my same target.

Results:

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being really dangerous, how bad would you rate marijuana as a bad drug (compared to alcohol and other illegal drugs)?	Boy Average on numbers: 8.5	Girl Average Number: 5
True/False, There have been no deaths by using marijuana.	Boy True: 2 out of 4 False: 2 out of 4	Girl True: 0 out of 2 False: 2 out of 2
Medical marijuana can be more helpful as medicine than most prescription drugs.	Boy Agree: 2 out of 4 Disagree: 1 out of 4 It Depends: 0 out of 4	Girl Agree: 0 out of 2 Disagree: 0 out of 2 It Depends: 2 out of 2
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very helpful, how much do you think marijuana can help medically with certain conditions	Boy Average on numbers: 8	Girl Average number: 6
Which conditions do you think medical marijuana could help? Check all that apply. (answers are listed from most to least)	Boy Depression, Anorexia, AIDS, Social Anxiety, Cancer	Girl Anorexia, Cancer, and AIDS
True/False: Having Medical Marijuana be legal can lower the crime rates	Boy True: 1 out of 4 False: 1 out of 4 It Depends: 2 out of 4	Girl True: 0 out of 2 False: 0 out of 2 It Depends: 2 out of 2
Having more dispensaries open can create more job opportunities.	Boy Agree: 4 out of 4 Disagree: 0 out of 4 It Depends: 0 out of 4	Girl Agree: 2 out of 2 Disagree: 0 out of 2 It Depends: 0 out of 2
Having medical marijuana legal and dispensaries open can raise the tourism in that particular state.	Boy Agree: 1 out of 4 Disagree: 3 out of 4	Girl Agree: 1 out of 2 Disagree: 1 out of 2
Rate on a scale of 1 to 5, which of these main things are the most dangerous?	Boy Alcohol: 6 Marijuana: 3.5 Prescription Drugs: 7 Cigarettes: 5.5 Other Illegal Drugs: 8	Girl Alcohol: 1.5 Marijuana: 1.5 Prescription Drugs: 2.5 Cigarettes: 3.5 Other Illegal Drugs: 5
(open-ended) Why do you think the government disregards the medical benefits of medical marijuana?	Boy“It’s been illegal for so long” “government can’t tax it with all the drug dealers selling.” “it messes people up, and plummets a person’s IQ”	Girl“it’s always been placed in a negative light culturally” “they think that those who want it legalized are only a bunch of marijuana addicts”

Data Anaylysis:
I had thought that people would agree would me that marijuana can be helpful medical-wise, but my data proves otherwise. It seems that more boys than girls think it is dangerous compared to alcohol and other illegal drugs. Only two people answered the question correctly about having no recorded deaths by overdosing on marijuana, which is true. Even though boys said that marijuana is a dangerous drug, it could be used as a helpful medicine rather than a recreational product, and it is certainly not as dangerous as other illegal drugs. Girls say that it depends on the condition being treated when used for a medical purpose. The majority of the group said that medical marijuana can help treat AIDS, cancer, and anorexia.  The majority of the group thought that legalizing medical marijuana can lower crime rate. Everyone also agreed that opening more medical marijuana dispensaries can create more job opportunities. On the rating the scale question about comparing drugs, boys thought that marijuana was the least dangerous, followed by cigarettes, alcohol, prescription drugs and other illegal drugs. Girls said that marijuana was tied with alcohol for dangerous.

Follow-Up: Even though most of the people in my survey think that it is dangerous, they also believe that it can be used in a medical way. It is not a medicine that should be used recreationally. I want to research some more conditions that medical marijuana can help with since there are obviously more than five. Also, since this is a very touchy topic that most people do not feel comfortable talking about, I will approach people with respect and modesty with my newly written survey. If I were to do this again, I would make the survey more specific and with clearer details.

Survey

1. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most dangerous, how dangerous do you think marijuana is as a drug (compared to alcohol and other illegal drugs)?

    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

2. True/False: There have been no recorded deaths by using marijuana.

    True
    False

3. Medical marijuana can be more helpful than most prescription drugs

    True
    False

4. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most helpful, how much do you think medical marijuana can help with certain conditions?

     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

5. Which conditions do you thiknk medical marijuana can help with the most? Check all that apply.
    
    [ ] Anorexia
    [ ] AIDS
    [ ] Depression
    [ ] Social Anxiety
    [ ] Cancer

6. True/False: Having medical marijuana be legal can lower the crime rates.

     True
     False

7. Having more dispensaries open can create more job opportunities

    Agree
    Disagree
    It Depends

8. Legalizing medical marijuana and opening more dispensaries can increase the tourism in that particular state.

   Agree
   Disagree

9. Rate on a scale of one to five, which of these items are the most dangerous?

    __ Alcohol
    __ Marijuana
    __ Cigarettes
    __ Prescription Drugs
    __ Other Illegal Drugs


10. (open-ended) Why do you think the government disregards the medical benefits of marijuana?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Essential Questions

I have many questions about this topic, but I feel that these main five summed up my curiosity, along with my main question "Should marijuana be a medical option for those who are able to access it?". I have always wanted to learn about this subject, but was never able to look it up on my free time. However, I feel that this project is the perfect opportunity to learn something new for me, while being able to put my foot down on my point of view on this topic. This topic may look bad on society, but at the same time, it should, and needs, to be talked about.

Five Essential Questions
1. Which conditions would medical marijuana help with the most?
2. Should marijuana be a medical option for those who are able to access it?
3. Why does the government refuse to accept the benefits of marijuana and insist to shut down dispensaries?
4. What if medical marijuana was legal all over the country?
5. How is marijuana illegal, when alcohol is perfectly legal and obviously causes more problems?

Why I Chose This Topic.

 I have always wanted to be a pharmacist. Whenever I thought about going into the "medical" field, I never thought about health or anatomy of  the human body. I thought about the medicine and chemicals needed to make the people feel better. I was always able to imagine myself in a science lab surrounded by bubbling chemicals and substances. However, it can also be really dangerous. One little mess-up, and it can be the end, for the patient and for me, so i do not want to risk my patient's life. Then it hit me; I could open up my own medical marijuana dispensary. Marijuana does not need to be concocted in a lab. Nature is a science of its own. There is nothing that man kind can do, even with all of the technology that we have today, that can come close to it. All you do is plant it like any other plant: water, sunshine, and time. There have been sixteen states (and Washtington DC) that have legalized medcal marijuana, but it is still illegal in the Federal government's eyes. When the Federal government is over the state government, that gives them the excuse to go through any medical marijuana dispensary they want, and shut down whatever they want, because they prevail. However, they almost have no moral reason to. Smoking medical marijuana does not kill, it  has many theraputic benefits, and it is known to be the top cash crop of the United States. How many patient's lifes are going to be on the line for the government to realize that this is not as bad as it seems?