Taking Sides
Virginia
The Medical Marijuana Bill was passed in the Virginia Senate in this recent year. The vote was unanimous, making cannabidiol oil legal and doctor recommended for any diagnosed condition. The 2018 session of the Virginia State Senate passed the HB 1251 bill. Simply stated, this bill allows practitioners to prescribe medical marijuana in the form of cannabidiol oil (CBD) or THC-A oil. Currently, practitioners may only prescribe this treatment for epilepsy symptom alleviation. Explicitly stated in the bill, only 30 day or 90 day supplies may be prescribed. Similarly, the bill applies restrictions on the potency of the marijuana, requiring them to diluted to a specific amount (“Legislative,” 2018). A pro that is highlighted …show more content…
Nationwide, medical marijuana is something that is being increasingly explored by patients with a wide variety of disorders. Two diseases currently being tested for potential positives outcomes from marijuana use are seizure disorders and HIV/Aids. It is important to note that an important con to all medical marijuana use is a lack of extensive, long-term data and research. Many studies have proven that the use of cannabidiol is an effective treatment in reducing seizure activity in both adults and children with disorders involving epilepsy. As a whole, most participants in these studies indicate that safe and tolerable use of medical marijuana is possible (Devinsky, Friedman, Theile, & Laux, 2016). Many individuals involved in these studies see a reduction of epileptic episodes. Majority of the cons involving medical marijuana treatment for epilepsy are relatively insignificant. The potential of somnolence and digestive issues are the main side effects specific to this form of treatment (Devinsky et al., 2016). However, there is also a notable risk of uncertainty. Due to the scarcity of research, outcomes of treatment are very unpredictable and need to be closely monitored for each specific case. Marijuana is not yet suggested to fully replace the treatment of seizure disorders. Typically, it is used as an additive to an individual’s current treatment plan. There is a large number of disorders and drug …show more content…
This is a relatively new field of thought, however, some evidence has shown positive results. The Pros that have proven fairly consistent are improved appetite and weight gain, a lessened degree of pain, and an increased quality of life for many patients (Thames, Mahmood, Burggren, Karimian, & Kuhn, 2016). There are also a few pros that have not been fully proven, but there is some evidence supporting them. First, in some cases medical marijuana has appeared to prevent, or at least slow down, the progression of the disease. Second, there is a small argument that medical marijuana may boost the immune system of AIDS patients (Thames et al., 2016). While new research is providing a possibility of hope with medical marijuana, the cons of how marijuana reacts with HIV patients far outweigh the pros. First, memory loss and a lessened ability to learn are both common struggles for individuals living with aids. Marijuana use worsens this, escalating memory loss and further slowing down the learning process. Second, it has be consistently proven in research that medical marijuana lessens the cognitive ability of AIDS patients, an issue that is already prevalent with the disease (Thames et al.,
Virginia
The Medical Marijuana Bill was passed in the Virginia Senate in this recent year. The vote was unanimous, making cannabidiol oil legal and doctor recommended for any diagnosed condition. The 2018 session of the Virginia State Senate passed the HB 1251 bill. Simply stated, this bill allows practitioners to prescribe medical marijuana in the form of cannabidiol oil (CBD) or THC-A oil. Currently, practitioners may only prescribe this treatment for epilepsy symptom alleviation. Explicitly stated in the bill, only 30 day or 90 day supplies may be prescribed. Similarly, the bill applies restrictions on the potency of the marijuana, requiring them to diluted to a specific amount (“Legislative,” 2018). A pro that is highlighted …show more content…
Nationwide, medical marijuana is something that is being increasingly explored by patients with a wide variety of disorders. Two diseases currently being tested for potential positives outcomes from marijuana use are seizure disorders and HIV/Aids. It is important to note that an important con to all medical marijuana use is a lack of extensive, long-term data and research. Many studies have proven that the use of cannabidiol is an effective treatment in reducing seizure activity in both adults and children with disorders involving epilepsy. As a whole, most participants in these studies indicate that safe and tolerable use of medical marijuana is possible (Devinsky, Friedman, Theile, & Laux, 2016). Many individuals involved in these studies see a reduction of epileptic episodes. Majority of the cons involving medical marijuana treatment for epilepsy are relatively insignificant. The potential of somnolence and digestive issues are the main side effects specific to this form of treatment (Devinsky et al., 2016). However, there is also a notable risk of uncertainty. Due to the scarcity of research, outcomes of treatment are very unpredictable and need to be closely monitored for each specific case. Marijuana is not yet suggested to fully replace the treatment of seizure disorders. Typically, it is used as an additive to an individual’s current treatment plan. There is a large number of disorders and drug …show more content…
This is a relatively new field of thought, however, some evidence has shown positive results. The Pros that have proven fairly consistent are improved appetite and weight gain, a lessened degree of pain, and an increased quality of life for many patients (Thames, Mahmood, Burggren, Karimian, & Kuhn, 2016). There are also a few pros that have not been fully proven, but there is some evidence supporting them. First, in some cases medical marijuana has appeared to prevent, or at least slow down, the progression of the disease. Second, there is a small argument that medical marijuana may boost the immune system of AIDS patients (Thames et al., 2016). While new research is providing a possibility of hope with medical marijuana, the cons of how marijuana reacts with HIV patients far outweigh the pros. First, memory loss and a lessened ability to learn are both common struggles for individuals living with aids. Marijuana use worsens this, escalating memory loss and further slowing down the learning process. Second, it has be consistently proven in research that medical marijuana lessens the cognitive ability of AIDS patients, an issue that is already prevalent with the disease (Thames et al.,