Over the past decades in the United States, marijuana has seen a meteoric rise from a nationally prohibited substance, stereotyped by laziness and lack of success, to the forefront of modern politics where its medical and recreational legalization are gaining rapid popular support. The focus of this paper will revolve primarily around positive applications of medical marijuana that can be of great benefit to society. However the government continues to list marijuana among the likes of meth, heroin, and cocaine as a Schedule I substance, which is by definition, “a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse (DEA)”.   Logically speaking, a drug with a Schedule I labeling would not be able to find success in any form of medical application, as the definition suggests. Despite this, an abundance of anecdotal and scientific evidence exists that directly supports marijuana’s medical value. These conflicting reports are the source of confusion among those wanting an honest assessment on whether marijuana has any medical value. Common questions that arise when exploring the possibility of using marijuana as a medication include: Is it an effective treatment for chronic disease symptoms? Will using marijuana adversely affect my health? Is there enough scientific evidence for a doctor to take my inquiries about medical marijuana seriously? Before addressing these questions, let us reference recent history in order to gain a more insightful perspective of medical marijuana’s timeline in the United States. In 1996 California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana, 20 years later, 27 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia have each followed suit as of November, 2016 (DEA). To clarify, from the time California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, an average of nearly 1.5 states have gone on to legalize medical marijuana every year since. The domino effect the nation is witnessing has had much to overcome in the years following the government’s federal prohibition of marijuana in 1941 (DEA). Data from the Pew Research Center indicates that support for the legalization of medical marijuana has risen or remained level since 1993 (Geiger). The increasing awareness that marijuana has produced positive results in various medical applications has been the driving force behind its expanding acceptance, including successful treatments of chemotherapy symptoms, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, insomnia, pain, anorexia, and tremor symptoms onset by Parkinson’s disease (Perlin). In recent years, perhaps the most promising of developments have been sprouting reports that marijuana has successfully been used to mitigate opioid withdrawal symptoms, giving opioid addicts a lifeline out of the infamously severe cravings, anxiety, and pain one must endure when escaping opioid dependency. In the midst of the largest opioid epidemic the nation has ever faced, thousands die annually of opioid overdoses while thousands more put their lives on hold to undergo 6 to 12 month full-time rehab (Casey). Data supports the positive effect marijuana has had against the opioid crisis as states that have legalized medical marijuana experience 25% fewer opioid related deaths than states that have not legalized medical marijuana (Mitchell). Qualified medical professionals such as Board Certified Biofeedback practitioner and social worker Doctor Cindy Perlin, and palliative care physician, biomedical researcher, and tenured professor at the Perelman School of Medicine Doctor David Casarett, have each concluded that in terms of safety, effectiveness, and side effects, marijuana is far superior to opioids (Casarett, Perlin). Once one is fully acquainted with the facts and figures regarding marijuana, it becomes overly apparent that marijuana’s inclusion as a Schedule I drug is nonsensical. The outcome of the research I have conducted expresses a clear and resolute point: marijuana has legitimate medical value and can be used to effectively to treat a variety of symptoms and illnesses. 

Doctor Cindy Perlin is a Biofeedback practitioner who runs a private practice outside of Albany, NY. Throughout her career she has written a book, The Truth about Chronic Pain, and has been a strong advocate for the use of medical marijuana over opioid painkillers. In her YouTube video titled, Opioids vs. Marijuana for Pain, Dr. Perlin compares and contrasts the effectiveness, safety, and she identifies the obvious disparity in safety between marijuana and opioids, along with an increasing amount of evidence congruent to her argument. “Mounting evidence indicates that marijuana may be more effective at treating pain than any other available drug, including opioids.  Marijuana is certainly safer—it is not physically addictive and there has never been any documented case of death due to marijuana overdose.  Marijuana users do not build up tolerance to the drug, the way opioid users do (Perlin).” Dr. Perlin does acknowledge however, that much confusion exists over public opinion of both marijuana and opioids. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug among the likes of heroin and meth, while opioids are commonly prescribed by doctors to treat pain. “millions of Americans become addicted to prescription opioids and most of them have been medical patients taking them is directed by their doctor (Perlin)” However, Dr. Perlin explains there exists a sharp discrepancy between the two substances. Marijuana is not physically addictive and there have been no recorded overdoses, while opioids are physically addictive and kill thousands a year. “opioids are highly addictive and taking too many can be fatal (Perlin)” Dr. Perlin additionally reveals that over half of patients prescribed opioids cancelled their prescription due to arduous side effects or lack of effectiveness, “Over 50% of patients prescribed opioids discontinued use because they found the drug ineffective or the side effects intolerable (Perlin)”. After completing her comparison and of the effects of marijuana and opioids, Dr. Perlin shifts focus to the chemical make-up of marijuana. She informs that cannabinoids are compounds naturally produced by our bodies that relieve pain signals, and that marijuana is the only known plant to produce cannabinoids. In fact, cannabinoids are thought to be so crucial to pain relief that Dr. Perlin cites Dr. Ethan Russo, who has had prior experience researching marijuana, in stating, “[Dr. Russo] has proposed fibromyalgia is caused by a cannabinoid deficiency (Perlin)”.When the plant is combusted, heated, or consumed as a butter, cannabinoids are released from the marijuana and enter the brain. There they attach to nerve cells, blocking or dulling the body’s sense of pain, providing relief. “Marijuana is the only known plant that contains compounds called cannabinoids, our bodies naturally make cannabinoids to help relieve pain (Perlin)”. Dr. Perlin concludes her oration by sharing her frustration and confusion as to why doctors still prescribe opioids when there exists a safer and more effective option in marijuana. She states, “the current reference by medical professionals and regulators for use of opioids not only makes no sense, but it is causing unnecessary harm and death (Perlin)”. With the nation in the jaws of the worst opioid epidemic it has ever experienced, Dr. Perlin draws attention to doctors and lawmakers, who ultimately have the power to control and regulate dangerous substances. Despite opioid related deaths rising in the United States for the fifth consecutive year (Geiger), and marijuana maintaining its nonexistent death toll, there appears to be a disturbing lack of action taken when thousands are dying each year from opioid overdoses. The biggest step the government can take at this juncture to maximize marijuana’s impact in the fight against the opioid epidemic is removing marijuana from the Schedule I drug category. The Obama administration considered whether to alter marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug in 2014, but not enough governmental support materialized. “The classification makes it more difficult to obtain funding and approval for medical research. Reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug should help open the floodgates for research, experts say (Graham)”. Securing adequate research funds for such a promising drug is imperative because as of this moment, it might be our only proven answer to curb the opioid epidemic. There remains further evidence of marijuana’s medicinal qualities. In an ever increasing number of cases, opioid addicts used marijuana’s pain fighting abilities to manage the brutal symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

The terrifying power of opioid withdrawal symptoms rarely let go of a user without making them suffer greatly. The worst of the opioid withdrawal symptoms include chronic pain, cravings, intense nausea, and insomnia (Mitchell). The battle to overcome opioid addiction through a traditional rehab program normally lasts anywhere between 6 to 12 months. During the rehabilitation period, an addict’s body is devastated by the constant attack of the withdrawal symptoms. A 90% average relapse rate among opioid addicts puts the severity of the issue into perspective (Graham). Until recently, addicts were left to tough out their opioid addiction, as they struggled to find a common, cheap remedy to assist in alleviating the strain of the withdrawal process. Today, former opioid addicts and doctors have been enamored by marijuana’s ability to lessen the severity of withdrawal symptoms, making them manageable enough to endure the process. To date, this is the most promising aid to beating opioid addiction. Using marijuana to counter opioid withdrawal symptoms during the detox process, Kevin, a middle aged Midwesterner, successfully ended his heroin addiction 20 years ago. He had been trying for 6 years to escape his addition to no avail, failing to fully detox due to the commanding withdrawal symptoms. Tired of folding to the withdrawal symptoms and desperate to break the addiction, Kevin experimented with marijuana as a coping mechanism to counter the onset of withdrawal symptoms, and it worked. Smoking 1 to 3 times a day depending on the severity of the symptoms, Kevin was able to hold his withdrawal symptoms at a tolerable level. “The headaches and body aches seemed lessened. Yes, I was still sick, but it made everything just a little more tolerable, and every little bit helps in that position (Mitchell).” A year removed from the start of his marijuana experiments, Kevin was free of his heroin addiction. Since performing his final detox twenty years ago, he has not touched either drug since (Mitchell). His story is a testament to both the non-habit forming qualities of marijuana, and its medicinal value. Despite widespread documentation of marijuana proving to be effective in easing the withdrawal process, limited research has been conducted by the government. In a study funded by the National Institute for Health, and later published in May’s 2013 American Journal of Addiction, “concluded that those who consume cannabis during opiate withdrawal experience less severe withdrawal symptoms (Mitchell).” In spite of the NIH’s study and Kevin’s triumph over addiction, the government remains stubbornly committed to maintaining marijuana’s federal prohibition. Keeping marijuana as a Schedule I drug limits the progress medical marijuana states can make independently, the state would have to almost entirely self-fund any research, as modest grants from the federal government are highly uncommon. It is not time for politics on the issue of marijuana, it is time for action. “Opioids kill 46 Americans each day (Mitchell).” There are thousands across the country with the same issue Kevin once had. A Combination of increased awareness of marijuana’s ability to assist in breaking opioid addictions, and an increased effort by the government to either remove marijuana from a Schedule I designation or begin to increase funding to medical marijuana research, would undoubtedly save thousands of lives annually.  Marijuana continues to provide evidence of its medical worth, as doctors in Massachusetts find themselves at the center of one of the hardest hit areas of the nation.

The Boston Herald reports that Massachusetts doctors are prescribing medical marijuana to treat opioid addiction’s withdrawal symptoms. Dr. Gary Witman is a member of Canna Care Docs, a unit of doctors who specialize in treating patients with medical marijuana (Partnership). Dr. Witman recognizes the state has an opioid related death epidemic, and he firmly believes medical marijuana is the answer to solving the crisis. “As soon as we can get people off opioids to a non-addicting substance — and medicinal marijuana is non-addicting — I think it would dramatically impact the amount of opioid deaths (Partnership).” A medical professional specializing in applications and treatments using medical marijuana has not only clarified that marijuana is non-addicting, but he is confident enough to assert that he thinks medical marijuana can save the lives of many opioid addicts.  Over Dr. Witman’s career, he has treated 80 patients, addicted to substances such as opioids, anti-anxiety medication, and muscle relaxers (Partnership). Each patient received treatment using medical marijuana through a one month program and experienced great success, reporting over three quarters of patients ended their addiction. Dr. Witman additionally states, “Cannabis can be a safer alternative for managing the symptoms patients had been using opioids to treat, such as chronic pain or anxiety (Partnership).” Massachusetts physician Doctor Harold Altvater has found similar success using medical marijuana as a substitute for prescription pain killers. He has observed that marijuana is a drug that is considerably safer than most prescription painkillers, in particular opioids. “You are basically taking something that can be very harmful for an individual, and substituting it with another chemical, just like you would any other drug, that has a wider safety margin,” In this case, opioids are an example of a drug that poses serious danger to the user, while marijuana The goal of Massachusetts doctors is to slow the rapid rate at which people are overdosing. Doctors are being advised by state officials to be cautious in writing opioid prescriptions, and are encouraged to inform patients about the benefits of using medical marijuana as opposed to prescription pain killers. “So if the goal is to decrease the body count … the goal would be to get them on to a chemical that was safer (Partnership).” That safer chemical is marijuana, and the more people the state can get off opioids and onto medical marijuana, the more lives will be saved. Partnership for Drug Free Kids is an online resource to be used by the public to answer health related questions and provide general, up to date health information. 

Michelle Ham, a native of Maine, battled a yearlong addiction to painkillers prescribed for her neck and back (Casey). While routinely using these prescription painkillers she was “feeling like a zombie (Casey)”, so she decided to discontinue use but was shortly after stricken by withdrawal symptoms. A friend of hers recommended medical marijuana as a substitute, and since trying it in 2013, she has never gone back to using prescription pain killers. Ham describes life on painkillers compared to how she felt using medical marijuana daily, "Before [using prescription pain killers], I couldn't even function. I couldn't get anything done. Now [using medical marijuana], I actually organize volunteers, and we have a donations center to help the needy (Casey).” Michelle Ham would have had considerable difficulty performing charitable work had she remained on her prescription painkillers. Medical marijuana has made her a more productive person, as evidence of her showing community service involvement once she began using marijuana to treat her chronic pain. “A study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association found cannabis can be effective in treating chronic pain and other ailments (Casey).” Ham is an exemplary individual who should serve as a model for those finding themselves trapped in an addiction. 

Doctor David Casarett’s book, Stoned: A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana, examines the case of Caleb, a cancer patient of Dr. Casarett’s who is in hospice care. “My goal with this book is to shift the national discussion, and to bring these questions about [medical marijuana’s] effectiveness and safety to the forefront (Casarett).” Dr. Casarett witnessed the medicinal power of marijuana when his cancer patient, Caleb, reveals that smoking marijuana was a superior treatment for his chemo symptoms than the pain pills he was prescribed. “Caleb turned to marijuana to avoid drugs like morphine. Not only is he convinced marijuana is helpful [for treating his chemo symptoms], he’s convinced that it’s better than the legal drugs he can get for free (Casarett).” Caleb is not the first hospice patient to reveal that he only uses marijuana to treat his pain. Dr. Casarett identified a common theme, the patients who used marijuana never complained of pain or any negative side effects. In fact, each has explained that they find marijuana superior to whatever prescription pain medication they previously had. Unlike most prescription pain killers which upset the stomach and offset appetite, marijuana’s cannabinoid compound lessens pain signals to the brain, while tetrahydrocannabinol stimulates an appetite, making it an ideal remedy for chemo patients who often report loss of appetite resulting in weight loss, pain, and nausea as chemo symptoms. “Some patients I’ve taken care of in my work as a hospice and palliative care doctor have admitted to me that they use marijuana for symptoms like pain or nausea (Casarett).” Dr. Casarett’s examination of Caleb’s use of marijuana to treat his chemo symptoms, and the lack of negative side effects to go with it, led him to conclude that marijuana should be at least legalized for medical use. “Marijuana is the only thing that’s helped Caleb. This is a guy who is letting $100 worth of morphine and other interesting drugs sit in his closet. (Casarett).” As a doctor, Dr. Casarett vouches for the legitimacy, safety, and effectiveness of the drug. He has witnessed marijuana’s medicinal ability for himself, and commends the medical legalization of Washington D.C, Puerto Rico, Guam, and 28 of the 50 states. Dr. Casarett knowns the medical value marijuana has, and wants to bring the same relief Caleb experienced to those suffering from symptoms of their prescription painkillers. Stoned begins in London in the year 1834, where Doctor John Clendinning is a practicing physician with terrible insomnia. Dr. Clendinning tested an array of sleep inducing substances on himself, the obvious winner was marijuana, allowing him a good night’s sleep without any of opium’s harsh side effects. 

In 2007, Dr. Ethan Russo led a team in conducting an experiment to test the effect of a pill made from naturally occurring cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant. The medication was tested on 2000 patients suffering from insomnia. The results were a success, with “50% achieving ‘very good sleep quality’ (Russo)” The connection between cannabinoids and sleep is that when cannabinoids are present in the brain, an increase in cholinergic neurons’ activity results, beginning the sleep cycle (Ware). In addition to the experiment succeeding, a four year extension trial was carried out, determining that no tolerance was built to the medication, meaning there would be no need to increase dosage over an extended period of time (Russo). Marijuana being processed into a pill or capsule form for medical use is an important step towards losing its outdated stigma, and recognizing it as a legitimate medical treatment. An appearance mimicking other mainstream medications will give medical marijuana a ‘professional’ look of sorts. “Sulak, the Falmouth doctor, said he believes there will be more acceptance in the medical community when marijuana can be manufactured into a widely available pill form with controlled dosage levels that can be used for many conditions (Graham).” 

Advocates against to the legalization of medical marijuana would likely contest my argument with counterarguments of their own. The gateway drug argument is sure to be near the top of such a list. The gateway argument in itself is entirely flawed because it would be both incorrect to assume and completely illogical to think that marijuana is the only drug capable of carrying the ‘gateway drug’ moniker. Any given person has the ability and choice to move on from this drug to that drug, or not do drugs at all. Thinking that, there is a beaten path to hard drugs that crosses through marijuana, that a person is less likely to do hard drugs because they have not done marijuana, or that marijuana users are at a significantly higher risk of trying hard drugs, are all inaccurate assumptions that cannot be applied to every individual. Pertaining to anti-legalization’s worry that the medicinal marijuana given in order to ween a patient of a harder drug will result in the patient just doing both drugs excessively. Anil Kumar echoes this concern, “It might be an exit drug for some, or an entry drug for others. If you don’t have a way of monitoring this patient who is saying ‘give me marijuana and I will stop taking narcotics,’ they may do both (Partnership).” I recognize this is a fair point, and I believe regulations must be put in place to minimize freeloading. I propose drug testing using hair as a way of being able to see if a patient is weening themselves off their addictive substance, or if they are still doing it regularly. Hair drug testing allows for the tester to accurately view when exactly a certain drug was used. However, there must be a contractual agreement signed between patient and doctor agreeing that the patient will follow the doctor’s instruction on when, and how much to take of the drug they are trying to wean themselves off. This ensures that the patient both follows instructions and attains their personal best possible result. Compliance ensures that even if one cannot break their addiction while following the doctor’s instructions, treatment will be provided for another period, until the patient either breaks their addiction or relapses. For those who relapse, or have tested to been using both drugs excessively, information should be provided for other options such as full time rehabilitation programs. Lastly, proponents against the legalization of marijuana may argue that medical marijuana incapacitates the user and does not allow them the ability to work or perform tasks. Retired Army veteran John Cayford has been using medical marijuana every day since he discontinued his opioid medication after injuring his knee in service, and has expressed no issues functioning on medical marijuana or any negative side effects. Cayford said in an interview “I never felt a head high that would prevent me from working and going to school (Graham).” Each person functions slightly different when using marijuana, so a simple evaluation system testing basic functionality and motor skills could be an insightful way to get medical marijuana to those who respond positively to it. For those who respond poorly or struggle to function normally, dosage adjustments can be made in order to accommodate what an individual can handle.  

Marijuana is a substance proven to be effective in mitigating the conditions, symptoms, and illnesses of chemo therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, anxiety, chronic pain, anorexia, and tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease. Perhaps of greatest value to society, is marijuana’s documented ability to wean an individual off opioid addiction. Cannabinoids found in marijuana dull pain receptors in the brain, providing the relief needed to endure opioid withdrawal. Medical marijuana has the potential to ease the suffering of millions across the country, as not only patients and addicts suffer, but also their family and friends. Why the federal government must prolong the suffering of millions over a ‘lack of evidence,’ is a source of frustration. Marijuana has the power to save lives, and prevent unnecessary suffering and death. The sooner medical marijuana can become accepted, the sooner those in need can find relief.
