| At the heart of the medical marijuana
debate lies the crucial issue of whether marijuana should be recognized
and legalized as medicine to be used in the treatment of diseases such
as cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic
migraine headaches and numerous others ranging from depression to alcoholism.
The feature-length screenplay of PRESSURE DROP examines this timely
issue from the perspective of Morris Potashner, a fictional senior citizen
born and raised in New York City, who prior to being diagnosed with
the acute glaucoma that threatens his vision, had never tried smoking
pot.
In clinical studies and according to patients currently using the drug
for medicinal purposes, marijuana has proven effective in:
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stimulating appetite in AIDS patients
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combatting nausea associated with chemotherapy
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relieving pain from arthritis
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easing migraine headaches
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controlling spacticity from multiple sclerosis and
paralysis
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relieving menstrual cramps
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blocking epileptic seizures
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helping overcome insomnia
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opening bronchial tubes to relieve asthma
attacks
There has been great resistance in establishing marijuana as
a legal medical treatment. This would involve reclassifying
marijuana from Schudule I to Schedule II of the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency's Controlled Substance Act, essentially
meaning that physicians in the United States would no longer
violate Federal law by prescribing it to their patients for
legitimate therapeutic purposes. It is important to note
that in the early part of the twentieth century, marijuana
was part of the American Medical Association's official
pharmacopeia. It was removed, however, by the Federal
Government in 1937 in an attempt to curb its use as a
recreational herb.
Like any substance, marijuana has its pros and cons and must
be analyzed and prescribed on a case by case basis, but as
far as natural plants go, this one has shown to be quite an
intriguing and effective one in the treatment of certain
diseases and conditions. This section provides some useful
articles, links and endorsements about medical marijuana to
help give you an idea of its potential as a legitimate
drug.
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