Does Marijuana have Medical Value?

• “No”

  

  “Marijuana is Not the Answer”

• “Objection”

  

  “Half-Truths, Red Herrings, and Plain Falsehoods”
  

Marijuana is Not the Answer

Drug Free America Foundation

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Recommend (0) Comments (12)

Is there medicinal value to marijuana?

• Yes – there is limited clinical value in its FDA approved form, never in its smoked or raw form

What about for cancer and HIV/AIDS patients?

• The pill form of the active chemical in marijuana can be helpful for the nausea associated with chemotherapy or the wasting disease that appears with AIDS, but even dronabinol is a third tier medicine with unpleasant side effects, including increased susceptibility to depression.

• Many other medicines that have been tested as safe and more effective are preferred by oncologists

• Smoking or ingesting marijuana damages the immune system – an intolerable side effect for an end of life or immune-suppressed patient.

• Inhaling marijuana impairs lung function, increases the risk of bronchitis, causes premalignant cellular changes in the lungs, inflames the lining of the lungs and leaves the patient more vulnerable to bacterial and viral infection.

Evidence

Link

Marinol

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Appellate Brief

2001 WL 30659 (Appellate Brief) Brief of the Institute on Global Drug Policy of the Drug Free America Foundation; National Families in Action; Drug Watch International; Drug-free Kids: America's Challenge, et al., as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioner (Jan. 10, 2001, ), U.S. v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, 121 S.Ct. 1711 (2001)

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The Journal of Immunology

Zhu LX, Sharma S, Stolina M, Gardner B, Roth MD, Tashkin DP, Dubinett SM. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits antitumor immunity by a CB2 Receptor-Mediated, Cytokine-Dependent Pathway. The Journal of Immunology 2000;165:373-380 (Intermittent administration of THC 5mg/kg four times weekly for 4 weeks led to accelerated growth of tumor implants compared to placebo treatment. Tumors used were murine Lewis lung carcinoma and lie 1 alveolar cell carcinoma. Lymphocytes from THC-treated mice transferred the effect to normal non-THC treated mice which accelerated the tumor growth in the normal mice similar that seen in the THC treated mice. Use of an antagonist of the CB2 cannabinoid receptor blocked the effects of THC.)

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Marijuana and Cocaine Severely Limit the Ability of Alveolar...

Cocita-Baldwin G, Tashkin DP, Buckley DM, Park AN, Dubinett SM, Roth MD. Marijuana and cocaine impair alveolar macrophage function and cytokine production. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1997;156:1606-1613. (Marijuana and cocaine severely limit the ability of alveolar macrophages to kill bacteria and tumor cells. Marijuana smokers smoked at least 5/d for 5yrs. Ave 17.9 jts/wk and 54 jt/yrs)

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Medications Preferred By Oncologists

Below is a list of the medications currently available for chemotherapy and for all those who suffer from glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and other ailments.

Serotonin Antagonists
Ondansetron (Zofran)
Granisetron (Kytril)
Tropisetron (Navoban)
Dolasetron
Phenothiazines
Prochlorperazine (Compazine)
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
Thiethylperazine (Torecan)
Perphenazine (Trilafon)
Promethazine (Phenergan)
Corticosteroids
Dexamethasone (Decadron)
Methylprednisolone (Medrol)
Anticholinergics

Scopolamine (Trans Derm Scop)
Butyrophenones
Droperidol (Inapsine)
Haloperidol (Haldol)
Domperidone (Motilium)
Benzodiazepines
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Alprazolam (Xanax)
Substituted Benzamides
Metoclopramide (Reglan)
Trimethobenzamide (Tigan)
Alizapride (Plitican)
Cisapride (Propulsid)
Antihistamines
Diphenhydramine (Benedryl)

Next Argument

"No" Drug Free America

• Marijuana is Not the Answer
  0
• No Relief from M.S., Chronic Pain or Glaucoma
  0
• Smoking is Never a Good Idea
  0
• The Side Effects Aren't Worth It
  0
• Marijuana is Not Prescribed By Medical Professionals
  0

"Yes" Amer Alliance for Med Cannabis

• Marijuana Treats Anxiety Disorders
  17
• Marijuana Treats Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  14
• Marijuana Treats Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  16
• Marijuana Treats Depression
  14

"Yes" Marijuana Policy Project

• Marijuana Relieves Pain When Conventional Drugs Fail
  15
• Marijuana Lets Patients Continue Life-Saving Treatment
  11
• Marijuana is Safer than Many Legal Medicines
  12
• Existing Medicines are not Adequate Substitutes
  10
• Marijuana Has Been Recognized as a Medicine for 5,000 Years
  12

"Yes" ASA

• Cannabis (Marijuana) is a Safe and Effective Medicine
  8
• Marijuana Medicines are Legal in Other Countries: US Trials Ongoing
  8
• Americans Who are Ill Deserve the Most Health Options Possible
  8

Most Objections

• Marijuana is Not Prescribed By Medical Professionals
  0
• Marijuana is Not the Answer
  0
• No Relief from M.S., Chronic Pain or Glaucoma
  0
• Smoking is Never a Good Idea
  0

Is Marijuana a Medicine?

• Yes
• No

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