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Topic: Viewpoints - Should marijuana be legalized for medical purposes?

Anorexia, Asthma, Nausea, Pain, Peptic Ulcer, Alcoholism Glaucoma, Epilepsy, Depression Migraine, Anxiety, Inflammation Hypertension, Insomnia, Cancer

Interestingly, relief of many of the symptoms marijuana was used for in these illnesses are many of the same symptoms that have been proven in modern research. This should not be surprising unless we want to assume that all of the experience of thousands of years did not have some factual basis.
Indeed, it is stated in the research studies conducted by various states under FDA protocol that the research being conducted was in the final phase of approval by the FDA. When the federal government stopped research on the medical use of marijuana in 1992 the drug had nearly completed the requirements for new drug approval.
There have been many studies which have been published which focus on the medical value of smoked marijuana and cancer therapy. These include:

Vinciguerra et al., Inhalation Marijuana as an Antiemetic for Cancer Chemotherapy," The New York State Journal of Medicine, pgs., 525-527, October 1988 involved 56 patients who had no improvement with standard antiemetics. When treated with marijuana 78 percent demonstrated a positive response. No serious negative side effects were seen.
Chang et al., Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol as an Antiemetic in Cancer Patients Receiving High Dose Methotrexate," Annals of Internal Medicine, Volume 91, Number 6, pg. 819-824, December 1979 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of THC and smoked marijuana which found a 72 percent reduction in nausea and vomiting. The research found that smoked THC (marijuana) was more reliable than oral THC.
Foltin, R.W., Brady, J.V. and Fischman, M.W. 1986. Behavioral analysis of marijuana effects on food intake in humans. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. 25: 577-582 and Foltin, R.W. et al., 1988 Effects of Smoked Marijuana on Food Intake and Body Weight of Humans Living in a Residential Laboratory," Appetite 11:1-14; Greenberg, et al. 1976 Effects of Marijuana use on Body Weight and Caloric Intake in Humans," Psychopharmacology 49: 79-84. All demonstrate that marijuana increases appetite and food intake.

Doblin et al., Marijuana as Antiemetic Medicine: A Survey of Oncologists' Experiences and Attitudes," Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 9, No. 7, July 1991. A random survey of clinical oncologists found that 44 percent of respondents report recommending the (illegal) use of marijuana for the control of emesis and 48 percent would prescribe marijuana to some patients if it were legal.