Dr. Mary Jane: Cannabis and Cancer
Dr. Mary Jane: Cannabis and Cancer
Jonathan Griffith
11/13/10
Dr. Mary Jane: Cannabis and Cancer
About 3,400 people are diagnosed with cancer each day. Would not it be great if there was something that could help the massive number of people that have to suffer with the effects of having cancer? Some doctors recommend that their patients use marijuana to help with the illness. “Medicinal marijuana use has been debated long and hard for years everywhere from state courts all the way to the supreme court,” (Rochelle, 2002). During my research I myself have found articles dating back as far as the year 1970. I believe that Marijuana should be legalized and recommended by doctors to help cancer patients embrace the results. They have to go through a physical and mental toll and by just smoking a little can help them become stabilized and relax. So what if the cure to cancer turned out to be cannabis? Would people still consider marijuana a drug?
According to journalist Mary Rochelle, “The number one reason that patients seek the use of marijuana is pain.” No doubt that there are side effects to using cannabis, but those side effects can be considered “medically useful.” (Rochelle, 2002). The cool thing about using marijuana to relieve pain is that there is not a limit on how many times you can take it like with painkillers. If you are feeling like you are 40 years older than you actually are form all of the chemotherapy instead of only being able to take a certain number of pills, the patient can smoke whenever he feels pain and not have to worry about over dosing on anything.
Within every article that I have researched and read about the subject, every single source has stated somewhere that the use of cannabis relieves nausea and vomiting. The anticancer medicine sometimes prescribed to patients has side effects causing nausea and vomiting “because they irritate the stomach lining and affect the brain parts that control vomiting.” (Fiket, 2010).
Jonathan Griffith
11/13/10
Dr. Mary Jane: Cannabis and Cancer
About 3,400 people are diagnosed with cancer each day. Would not it be great if there was something that could help the massive number of people that have to suffer with the effects of having cancer? Some doctors recommend that their patients use marijuana to help with the illness. “Medicinal marijuana use has been debated long and hard for years everywhere from state courts all the way to the supreme court,” (Rochelle, 2002). During my research I myself have found articles dating back as far as the year 1970. I believe that Marijuana should be legalized and recommended by doctors to help cancer patients embrace the results. They have to go through a physical and mental toll and by just smoking a little can help them become stabilized and relax. So what if the cure to cancer turned out to be cannabis? Would people still consider marijuana a drug?
According to journalist Mary Rochelle, “The number one reason that patients seek the use of marijuana is pain.” No doubt that there are side effects to using cannabis, but those side effects can be considered “medically useful.” (Rochelle, 2002). The cool thing about using marijuana to relieve pain is that there is not a limit on how many times you can take it like with painkillers. If you are feeling like you are 40 years older than you actually are form all of the chemotherapy instead of only being able to take a certain number of pills, the patient can smoke whenever he feels pain and not have to worry about over dosing on anything.
Within every article that I have researched and read about the subject, every single source has stated somewhere that the use of cannabis relieves nausea and vomiting. The anticancer medicine sometimes prescribed to patients has side effects causing nausea and vomiting “because they irritate the stomach lining and affect the brain parts that control vomiting.” (Fiket, 2010).
References: National Cancer Institute Fact Page. (2000, december 12). Retrieved from National Cancer Institute : http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Support/marijuana Fiket, M. (2010, august 25). How does Marijuana Help Cancer Patients. Retrieved from LIVESTRONG: http://www.livestrong.com/article/219707-how-does-marijuana-help-cancer-patients/ King, T. (2008, janary 11). Breakthrough Discovered in Medical Marijuana Cancer Treatment. Retrieved from Salem-news.com: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january112008/cancer_treatment_11008.php Pranger, B. (2010). The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana For Cancer Patients. Retrieved 2010, from www.adatum.com: http://www.articlefeeder.com/Diseases__Conditions_and_Treatments/The_Benefits_Of_Medical_Marijuana_For_Cancer_Patients.html Rochelle, M. (2002, january 7). Cannabis: Passing the Pipe to Cancer Patients. Retrieved from Serendip: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web2/rochelle2.html Treaster, J. B. (1991, may 1). Doctors in Survey Support Marijuana use by cancer patients. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/01/us/doctors-in-survey-support-marijuana-use-by-cancer-patients.html