Effects of Medicinal Versus Recreational Marijuana Use :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Effects of Medicinal Versus Recreational Marijuana Use Is there a difference in the psychological/healing effects between the use of "recreational" marijuana and medicinal marijuana? Before researching this question, I could not understand what difference medicinal marijuana would have on cancer patients that was not already known through previous studies on the drug. I thought I fully understood marijuana's effects on the brain until the issues of medicinal marijuana arose. Prior to the research on the subject, I assumed that much of what is known now about the drug is due to the extensive research on its affects on Cancer and AIDS patients. If the use of marijuana is controlled for therapeutic purposes, are the effects different if used regular for non-medicinal purposes? This is the question I attempt to answer through extensive web research. In the past 5 years, there has been an increased debate about the use of medicinal marijuana in treating cancer and AIDS patients. Marijuana has been used in alternative medical treatment by doctors around the country and by patients themselves who seek relief from the pain caused by cancer and AIDS. Controlled use of marijuana has been used to treat a number of diseases: "AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by various AIDS medications. Glaucoma. Marijuana can reduce intraocular pressure, thereby alleviating the pain and slowing -- and sometimes stopping -- the progress of the condition. Cancer. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment. Multiple Sclerosis. Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. Epilepsy. Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients. Chronic Pain. Marijuana can alleviate the chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries." (1) Institutions nationally have conducted studies on the use of medicinal marijuana on disease stricken patients. The Institute of Medicine published a journal on the use of marijuana and the effects it as a recreational drug and medicinal drug. Because the substance, when used medicinally, is monitored/controlled, the psychological effects on the patient is slightly different, and its effects also vary depending on the type of the disease the patient is suffering from. A complete report done by the National Academy of Sciences details the psychological effects of recreational and medicinal marijuana. In the 20th century, marijuana has been used more for its euphoric effects than as a medicine.