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Maccoy Stika

Eric Ratica

Computer Apps

10/4/2018

Marijuana: The Potential Medical Benefits

In recent years there have been heavy debates whether or not the use of marijuana has

any medical benefits to patients. So, the question is begging to be asked, what are the medical

benefits that medical marijuana can offer those that use it? The uses of marijuana have often

been in the area of recreational use. Up until a couple of years ago its use was completely illegal

until it started to become legalized in recent years. The legalization of recreational use of

marijuana began to spin the wheel of the potential medical use of the substance in certain states.

What are the medical benefits of regular marijuana use in patients?

When medicating a patient a usual concern with the medicine is how likely that particular

patient is to become addicted to their medication. When talking about medication addiction I am

referring to painkillers, antidepressants, etc. Addiction is a very serious issue within the United

States at the moment, but, the use of medical marijuana in place of certain drugs could

significantly lower the addiction statistics within our country. In a study done by Hal Arkowitz

and Scott O. Lilienfeld on March 1, 2012, they confirmed that “91% of their 8,000” person

research study did not become addicted to marijuana use after “daily” usage. (Arkowitz)

Following the fact that marijuana has a smaller chance to make the user of the substance

addicted, it also take a significantly larger amount of the substance to have lethal effects.

Medical substances are given and “LD-50” rating. Essentially, this rating tells us at what dosage

of a substance “fifty percent or more of the subjects die from drug induced toxicity” (How Much
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Marijuana Does). It is believed that medical marijuana has a LD-50 of “1:20,000 to 1:40,000”.

Meaning, an individual would have to consume (smoke) about “1,500 pounds” of marijuana

within a “15 minute” span of time in order to have a lethal reaction to the substance. Scientists

have also figured out how to separate the compounds of marijuana to only use “CBD”. The two

major components of marijuana are “THC and CBD”. THC is responsible for the “psychotropic”

properties of marijuana where as CBD is responsible for the pain inhibiting effects. A secondary

effect of CBD is that is “inhibits: the effects that THC has on the body if the components are

separated. Studies show that CBD has shown “no evidence” that it has negative effects on the

body of the user either. (How Much Marijuana Does) (Tokes pg.35) (Mack)

Medical marijuana not only helps control the pain that individuals feel, but it can also

help solve health issues regarding an individual’s weight. As stated in Business Insider, the study

incorporated “4,500” participants. Of that number, “2,579” participants were “frequent/social”

users of cannabis. The study found that those individuals that used the drug were on average

“skinnier” than those who have not smoked before. This is because cannabis makes your body

more “efficient” in the breakdown of sugars that are ingested. By making your body better

enabled to breakdown sugars an individual is able to consume more calories (on average) and

still remain the same size. This can be used to help individuals that suffer from thyroid

complications to lose weight. Adding onto that, it can be used by any individual that suffers from

weight complications to lose weight. (Loria)

The use of medical marijuana has many benefits that it can offer people. It has the ability

to ease pain in patients suffering from constant chronic pains. Marijuana can also aid in lowering

the stats of people who overdose from prescribed medication because it takes an inhuman

amount of the substance to cause a lethal reaction. Obesity in America is another huge issue, use
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of marijuana is able to make your body better adapt to process and breakdown what an individual

ingests. Marijuana would be able to lower the percentage of obese people in the US by, in a way,

reprogramming their body to breakdown sugars, allowing them to lose weight. Marijuana offers

many health benefits if it is used medicinally. However, the question needs to be asked, what are

the other benefits that marijuana can offer if it were to be used medicinally?
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Works Cited

Arkowitz, Hal. “Experts Tell the Truth about Pot.” Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2012,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-pot/.

Loria, Kevin. “23 Health Benefits of Marijuana.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 7 Mar.

2018, www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-

4#marijuana-users-tend-to-be-less-obese-and-have-a-better-response-to-eating-sugar-14.

Mack A, Joy J. Marijuana as Medicine? The Science Beyond the Controversy. Washington

(DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000. 12, MARIJUANA'S MEDICAL FUTURE.

TheWeedBlog. “How Much Marijuana Does It Take For Someone To Overdose?” The Weed

Blog, The Weed Blog, 24 Aug. 2013, www.themaven.net/theweedblog/culture/how-

much-marijuana-does-it-take-for-someone-to-overdose-1C8KxtV02keLgibkKQlqFA/.

Tokes, Ray. The Truth about Cannabidiol. Smashwords , 2016.