My View On The Benefits Of Legalizing Of Medical Marijuana
Elyse Johnson was two years old when her family was told that she would have about three months to live. She had been diagnosed with a rare but aggressive brain tumor called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. Elyse’s mother, Casey Johnson, said they decided against radiation because it “only takes the symptoms away for a limited amount of time and the tumor begins to grow again within months.”
They began to research alternative methods, and applied to start the drugs Sativex, and later, Tilray, both forms of medical cannabis, hoping for a miracle. She is now getting ready to ready to celebrate her fifth birthday. Her tumor is showing a reduction in size and doctors are amazed. Unfortunately, Sativex is only legal in 30 countries, and Tilray is marketed in only 10. Neither are legal in the United States. With the possibility of helping people like Elyse, we must push for increased research of marijuana so that we may better understand the drug and the benefits it can have on thousands of sick patients.
I, like many here in Utah, grew up in a Christian home, specifically as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Most of my life I lived in the great state of Texas (I’ve got a Texas flag hanging in my dorm), a strong conservative state. That said, I also went to High School, where typical high schoolers do typical things. I had a number of friends, and even more acquaintances, who “smoked the devil’s lettuce.” I was pretty against marijuana, but I came to realize that I was against the recreational use of it. As I matured, and my knowledge of medicine grew, I realized the positive possibilities that marijuana could have.
The topic of legalizing the use of medical marijuana has been a heated debate for decades, but more so in recent years. As a member of the LDS faith, we believe that “all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man” (Doctrine and Covenants 89:10). Marijuana is illegal federally, however, thirty states have passed laws attempting to decriminalize the use thereof. Utah Proposition 2, a piece of legislature aimed at legalizing medical marijuana in the state of Utah, led to the LDS church issuing a statement that included the following: “We would like to get a solution that will help alleviate pain and suffering for the residents of our state.” The statement also called upon “the Utah legislature to legalize medical marijuana.” I stand by the Church that all plants are here for our use and benefit. However, they can be misused and abused.
One of the biggest examples of an abused drug I can think of is tobacco, which can be used as a pesticide as well as beneficial to the skin. When it is smoked, it is dangerous and harmful. Does that mean that tobacco is of no use? No, it simply means that it must be used carefully and correctly. Even smoking marijuana has shown to be harmful. In the statement, the Church clarified that they want to reach a “good solution that doesn’t bring the negative effects that will come if Prop 2 passes”, meaning the recreational use of marijuana. Hence why it must be researched, tested, and controlled so that we can find out exactly what it is capable of. The US federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, which essentially means that it is seen as too addictive with too little medical benefit.
Many people argue that studies have proven little to nothing and that the legalization would only benefit those looking to use the drug for recreational use. However, this claim is largely due to a lack of research here in the US. Take the drug Sativex, for example. According to Herb.com, a website aimed to educate natural and alternative medicines, Sativex is a “pharmaceutical drug that contains real cannabis-derived compounds.” It was developed in the UK as a treatment for spasticity from Multiple Sclerosis. It brings a standardized dose and it is quality controlled. It also does not produce the “high” of hallucinating and altering brain function. This drug has undergone nearly a decade of study for it to be researched, developed, and released to the general public. As stated in the story of Elyse, it is now legal in 30 countries, but not the US.
The limited research in the US is largely due to the federal laws, which require all those who plan to research to obtain a license from both the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In fact, only the University of Mississippi has permission from the DEA to grow the plant for study through a contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Previously the University was only allowed to grow 21 kilograms. This has since been bumped to 650 kilograms, but research is still difficult to get approval and most trials will take years to complete. The lack of evidence claim is more due to the lack of trials and research than the lack of proof.
With 30 countries legalizing a type of medical marijuana, wouldn’t it be worth it to study it, and find a lack of evidence, then to not study it and let thousands to millions suffer each year? I say that it is worth the risk, even if just used as a painkiller. Most cancer patients receive drugs such as codeine and morphine for their pain. Both these drugs are extremely addictive, and yet, they are approved to be administered. To me it seems that is because those drugs are extremely controlled. Limited only to those suffering extreme pain, and with prescription from specialty doctors. I believe that that is what would have to be done for the use of marijuana medically. We would need restrictions; laws enforcing the production of and consequences for the abuse thereof.
Too often I have heard of the abuse of marijuana being covered up by the “my back hurts and nothing else is working” claim. Strict control and consequences would help protect people from the negative side effects that come with overuse and abuse. I believe that marijuana has healing capabilities that are largely unknown to the general public because they associate it with the negative connotations of drug trafficking and “lazy potheads.” I do not believe that marijuana should be used for recreation, but I am a believer in the idea that all plants and animals here on Earth were created by a God who intended them to be used.
The Proposition 2 vote this fall is too flawed to be the answer, allowing for too much leeway. This cannot be an all or nothing scheme, where either there is no marijuana at all or that it becomes completely legal, both of these would lead to negative outcomes. We must control the drug and not let the drug control us. Like the story of Elyse exemplifies, there are possible and potential benefits to this drug that we cannot overlook. The possibilities to help alleviate the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, appetite loss and anorexia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and who knows how many more diseases. We need to allow for more research to be done on this condemned drug so that we may crawl out from the ignorance that binds us. Anything to help our fellow man.
Works Cited:
- Johnson, Casey. “DIPG, Elyse Defying the Odds.” Medical Cannabis Awareness New Zealand, 19 June 2018, mcawarenessnz.org/2018/06/19/dipg-elyse-defying-odds/.
- The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2013).
- Davidson, Lee. “LDS Church Calls on Legislature to Legalize Medical Pot This Year - a Move That Some Suspect Is Aimed at Defeating Ballot Measure.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sept. 2018, www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/09/17/lds-church-calls/.
- Herb. What Is Sativex? 30 Mar. 2015, herb.co/marijuana/news/what-is-sativex/.
