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Thursday, 7 February 2013

The Controversial Medical Marijuana Pharmacy

By Terrie Joyner


Few issues are as polarizing as the controversy over establishment of the medical marijuana pharmacy. Intelligent arguments have been made on all sides of this very polarizing issue, not just from those who use cannabis, but from doctors, scientists, and lawmakers. What side of this fence one sits on often derives from personal experience with the use of it, not only as medicine but for recreation.

There is some evidence that cannabis is useful in the treatment of several conditions. It has been used to help patients with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and MS. Those patients who have experienced benefits certainly swear by the treatment, and their doctors accept what they have to say about it. Many in the scientific community do believe that further testing and study is warranted.

A huge aspect of the controversy is the use of cannabis to treat gastrointestinal problems that result from chemotherapy. Even more inflammatory, there have been claims made that hemp oil can cure many forms of cancer. In fact, the individuals responsible for administering hemp oil are now in prison, much to the outrage of many people who believe further study is called for.

There are even senators and congresspeople who believe that the laws regarding cannabis should be changed, or even repealed entirely. The other end of the argument claims that it is a dangerous gateway drug. Some users refute that argument as absurd, while lawmakers claim that legalization would only encourage the abuse of the substance to the detriment of society.

The issue is extremely polarizing both socially and politically. The potential for it to be a real hot-bed issue of state rights versus Federal regulation exists. There are states who have legalized it for medicinal use and manufacture, and Federal law enforcement has usurped those states and raided the dispensaries, often incarcerating those who were lawfully engaged in the business.

Hemp was made illegal in the early twentieth century after the release of propaganda films funded by pharmaceutical companies. This was done in spite of the fact that hemp had always been a huge cash crop both in North and South America, and had at times been the largest export. Hemp had been used previously not only as medicine, but it was used in the manufacture of paper and fibers for clothing, and to this day many people accuse these pharmaceutical giants of issuing propaganda for their own financial benefit.

For the past twenty plus years there has been a costly war on drugs which many in government believe has been a waste of time, resources, and money. There are some who believe that it criminalizes average citizens, and actually encourages the dangerous black market trade in cannabis. This becomes an even more inflammatory issue when those who are arrested are patients who receive their cannabis legally by a prescription.

The controversy regarding the medical marijuana pharmacy is not likely to end soon. There is no doubt that the parallels between prohibition and the war on drugs are clear. As with prohibition, there are those who claim that legalizing drugs is dangerous to society, and there are those who believe cannabis is preferable to many pharmaceuticals.




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