Medical Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Medical Marijuana Essay Introduction: â€Å"Cannabis isn’t for everybody, but patients are entitled to pick and choose their own medicine.† Michelle Rainey (VanMusic, 2010, Pg. 1) Thesis: The prescription drug companies dispense medicines that are harmful and that is what I am here to change your minds about today. This will explore what Medical Marijuana can be used for, the lies you’ve been told about Marijuana and how corrupt the Pharmaceutical drug companies are. Body: I. Why is Marijuana medicine? 1) What THC does in our bodies (Wikipedia Cannabinoid Receptor, n. d., Pg.1) * Cannabinoid receptors are activated by 3 major groups of: Ligands, Endocannabinoids (found in the mammalian body) and Plant Cannabinoids (found in THC in plants). 2) What can Marijuana treat? (Wikipedia Medical Cannabis, n.d., Pg. 3) * Crones Disease, Glaucoma, Anorexia Nervosa, Huntington’s Disease, Arthritis, Epilepsy, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Distoria, A.I.D.S., H.I.V., Menstrual Cramps, Digestive Diseases, Cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Appetite Stimulant, Anxiety, P.M.S., Pruritus, Leukemia, Methicillin- Resistant Disease, Tourette Syndrome, Multiple Syntosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Bi- Polar Disorder, Tics, Insomnia, Psoriasis, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Hepatitis C, Painkiller, Parkinson’s Disease, Depression, Asthma, Nausea. 3) How do you consume it? * Vaporizers * Bongs * Joints * Pipes * Bubblers * Food II. The lies around Marijuana use. 4) The Gateway Theory (Harvey B. -The Union, 2007, Documentary) * Harry Anslinger’s â€Å"Stepping Stone Theory† * â€Å"If you step on this stone Marijuana, then you are bound and determined to go onto the next stone, which would be one of the so called hard drugs.† * For every 104 Marijuana users, 1 uses Cocaine and less than 1 use Heroin. 5) Marijuana Kills Brain Cells (Harvey B. -The Union, 2007, Documentary) * The 1947 Dr. Heath/ Tulane Study * Monkeys were administered 30 Columbian strength Marijuana cigarettes everyday for 1 year. Brain damage was determined by counting the brain cells of the monkeys that were given the Marijuana and ones that has not. 6) Marijuana will kill you (Harvey B. -The Union, 2007, Documentary) * There has never been one recorded death that was directly attributed to Marijuana use. III. How Corrupt is the Pharmaceutical Companies? 7) Marinol (DEAsucks.com, n.d. Pg. 1)(Morrow A., 2009, Pg.1) * THC that has been synthetically reproduced as a prescription drug. * Nauseated or vomiting people cannot swallow pills. * Less dosage control/ Longer to release into system. * Costs $600-$1000 US per month. 8) Pharmaceutical Domination (Goldacre B., 2007, Pg.1)(Mercola, 2010, Pg.1) * In the UK the pharmaceutical trade is the third most profitable activity after finance. * In 2002, 10 US companies on the Fortune 500 list had combined international sales of $217 Billion. * GlaxoSmithKline sued the South African government for trying to supply A.I.D.S. victims with affordable medicines. * Johnson Johnson recently pleaded guilty to illegally promoting it’s epilepsy drug Topamax for psychiatric purposes. Conclusion: Now that you know the truth about how corrupt the pharmaceutical companies are, the lies you’ve been told about Marijuana and how it can be used medically. Next time you have an ache or pain consider smoking a joint before heading out to see the doc. References DEAsucks.com. (n.d.). DEAsucks.com Medical Marijuana Myths vs Facts. DEAsucks.com The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sucks!. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://deasucks.com/essays/marimyths.htm Mercola. (2010, November 18). The Top 6 Drug Companies Thugs of the Medical World. Natural Health Articles Latest and Current Health News and Information by Dr. Mercola. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/18/drug-companies-are-ranked-in-the-top-100-corporate-criminals-of-the-1990s.aspx Goldacre, B. (2007, August 4). Evil ways of the drug companies | Science | The Guardian . Latest US news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | guardiannews.com | The Guardian . Retrieved March 5, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/04/sciencenews Morrow, A. (2009, April 6). Marinol vs Marijuana Marijuana and Marinol. About Palliative Care Hospice and Palliative Care. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://dying.about.com/od/symptommanagement/f/marinol_vs_MJ.htm Harvey, B. (Director). (2007). The Union The Business Behind Getting High [Documentary]. Canada: Eagle Entertainment. VanMusic. (2010, October 21). Pot Activist Dies After A Brave Battle With Cancer. VanMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://www.vanmusic.ca/news/michelle-rainey-dies-of-cancer Wikipedia. (n.d.). Medical cannabis Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis Wikipedia. (n.d.). Cannabinoid receptor Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoid_receptor