Imagine you are suffering from a chronic or terminal illness. Struggling day in and day out with symptoms that are debilitating and diminishing your quality of life. Nothing your doctor has prescribed takes the edge off these excruciating symptoms. You’re exhausted, in pain and desperate for any relief. You’re willing to try anything just to experience the slightest reprieve. In a last ditch effort you decide to give marijuana a try and are surprised at the relief from the symptoms you are experiencing. Now imagine being told that the one thing that is helping you manage your chronic or terminal illness is not prescribable medication and as a result, you are unable to legally access to it. Although marijuana is not recognized or approved for
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Fletcher’s (2013) biggest argument is that marijuana does not qualify as prescription medicine solely because it does not meet his predefined criteria. In his opinion, in order for marijuana to be classified as prescription medication, the potency of the active ingredient must be known, we must have a thorough understanding of how the drug interacts within the body and how the body responds to the drug, it needs to be safe and consistently replicated, and the benefits have to be greater than any negative effects the drug might have (Fletcher, 2013). Many in opposition of legalizing marijuana agree with Fletcher. Arguing that since marijuana does not meet the criteria of prescription medication it should not be legalized. What Fletcher and those opposing the legalization of marijuana fail to realize, is that marijuana does meet this outlined …show more content…
However, when it comes to relieving symptoms, marijuana does work like other prescriptions drugs. “Cannabinoids [the active ingredient within the marijuana plant] affect the user by interacting with specific receptors, located within different parts of the central nervous system (National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, 2008).” These receptors are known as CB1 and CB2 (National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, 2008). Depending on the part of the brain the cannabinoids interact determines the effect they will have on the individual, with effects ranging from cognition to pain perception (National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre,
Fletcher’s (2013) biggest argument is that marijuana does not qualify as prescription medicine solely because it does not meet his predefined criteria. In his opinion, in order for marijuana to be classified as prescription medication, the potency of the active ingredient must be known, we must have a thorough understanding of how the drug interacts within the body and how the body responds to the drug, it needs to be safe and consistently replicated, and the benefits have to be greater than any negative effects the drug might have (Fletcher, 2013). Many in opposition of legalizing marijuana agree with Fletcher. Arguing that since marijuana does not meet the criteria of prescription medication it should not be legalized. What Fletcher and those opposing the legalization of marijuana fail to realize, is that marijuana does meet this outlined …show more content…
However, when it comes to relieving symptoms, marijuana does work like other prescriptions drugs. “Cannabinoids [the active ingredient within the marijuana plant] affect the user by interacting with specific receptors, located within different parts of the central nervous system (National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, 2008).” These receptors are known as CB1 and CB2 (National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, 2008). Depending on the part of the brain the cannabinoids interact determines the effect they will have on the individual, with effects ranging from cognition to pain perception (National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre,