What do Barrack Obama and Paul Ryan have in common (other than their United States issued birth certificates)? They both support the States controlling the use of medical marijuana. The Justice Department, under the Obama administration, agreed to continue the policy of allowing each state to mandate the use of medical marijuana back on October 19, 2009. Currently, 13 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, and Paul Ryan agrees that’s exactly where the line should be drawn between the federal and state governments jurisdiction.
So what’s the big deal with the use of medical marijuana? Is it the image it casts (Cheech and Chong come to mind)? Or is it the influence it has over our culture, possibly sending a teetering message to society that it’s an “ok” recreational drug? Perhaps, it’s a little of both. Maybe, if we could better understand the origin of this drug for medicinal purposes, we might feel a little less apprehensive about its purpose.
History
Dating back to 2737 BC, the mystical Emperor Shen Neng of China became the first known public figure to endorse the use of medical Marijuana for everything from gout to poor memory (now that’s an oxymoron). Once this medicinal treatment caught on, cultures from Asia to Africa incorporated it into their medical regiment. Eventually, the use of marijuana spread beyond medicinal use as it was incorporated into various Hindu sects in India.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, marijuana began making its way into the American culture, eventually becoming the drug of choice over other drugs like opium and morphine. By 1906, the “Pure Food and Drug Act”, issued by the FDA, finally set the first real drug control policies in place to protect the public. By 1914, the Harrison Act became the first law to define “drug use” as a crime, tiptoeing around State laws by implying a heavy sanction on certain legal drug products (like Opium) to be taxed so heavily that it would not make sense consuming it.
By 1937, almost half the United States had adopted state laws, outlawing marijuana for two primary reasons: Stop it from becoming the next drug of choice and to shut down the Mexican Cartel crossing the border (even back then) while profiting from their homegrown product. Sounds like a lot of the decisions around marijuana’s legalization stem more from who profits financially than the pro’s and con’s of its use (?).
Is medical marijuana a natural solution or just another “high”?
In my opinion anything you “smoke” and/or contains THC can’t be healthy for you. But then again, any drug for pain isn’t necessarily “healthy” for you either. What can’t be ignored is the need for having a balanced discussion on how it’s controlled, issued, the addictive qualities it possesses and the lasting side effects.
Speed fast forward and you’ll find the drug is commonly prescribed to remedy the after effects of everything from cancer treatment to general pain management. If this drug is so effective in managing pain then why is it so misunderstood? Perhaps, it’s the misunderstanding of what it’s primarily meant to benefit (medical pain) and that it has been declared illegal to possess outside of that purpose.
The primary control over its issuance is realistically another issue all together: Commerce. Wouldn’t it realistically make more “cents” collecting a tax on a drug that has been a medically approved method for treatment than not legalizing its use under certain conditions? Certainly, there are other equally addictive and concerning drugs issued to people every day (Demerol, Oxycodone, Percocet, etc.), that have just as many side effects and are proved to be equally addictive.
I’m not for recreational drug use; but, I am for common sense. If medical marijuana is a less harmful choice of pain management medication then it should accessible when prescribed and control should remain within each state.
Quick Tips for Wellness: Know the potential side effects of any drug you consume before you decide upon the drug of choice.
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