The Drug Of Medical Marijuana - 983 Words

The FDA has an obvious bias against medical marijuana. The agency would relinquish a tremendous amount of bureaucratic power if it acknowledged the medicinal benefits of marijuana. Simply put, a plant can’t be patented, but the isolated compounds within it can be. Likewise, drug companies would obviously prefer a system in which consumers face potential jail time for marijuana and forced to pay sky high prices from prescription drugs which synthesize marijuana’s chemicals. There is also revolving door between employees of drug companies and the FDA, another obvious conflict of interest. However, there are larger systematic conflicts of interest within the FDA. In 1992, Congress passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act allowing drug companies to pay â€Å"user fees† to the FDA in order to speed up the approval process. In 2006 alone, those fees added up to $300 million. In essence, that puts the FDA on the payroll of drug companies. As a result, the negative side effects from various drugs are frequently repressed from the public, even after they have been on the market. Pharmacy retailers once sued Pfizer for allegedly conspiring with generic drug manufacturers to delay the launch of their cheaper generic drugs. However, the FDA’s â€Å"user fees† systematically generated similar results. Consumers were punished routinely with higher priced prescription drugs because generic drug companies couldn’t pay â€Å"user fees† until 2012. Consequently, the approval process generally tookShow MoreRelatedMedical Efficacy Of Marijuana And Drugs2885 Words   |  12 Pagesuse of Marijuana to Treat Epileptic Patients By Brian Kenny and Stephanie Visek One of the most controversial topics in modern times has been the medical efficacy of Cannabis. Cannabis is a plant that is used medically and recreationally and is classified as an herb, noticeable by its five spiked leaf structure (Merriam-Webster 2014). Cannabis contains multiple active ingredients that display a variety of psychological and neurological effects on humans and animals. Cannabis is the medical terminologyRead MoreMedical Marijuana Is A Drug Misunderstood By Many Nation Wide1507 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana is a drug misunderstood by many nation wide however, most people do not consider it s legitimate medicinal application. Medical marijuana defined by Drugfacts refers to the use of the whole unprocessed plant to treat a disease or illness. The Drug Enforcement Administration has listed it under the schedule I classification which is the same classification that heroin, LSD, ecstasy and many other drugs are under. The classification identifies the drug as a dang erous substance that hasRead MoreThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana And Cbd Oil Blurring Employers Drug Policies870 Words   |  4 PagesLegalization of Medical Marijuana and CBD Oil Blurring Employers’ Drug Policies? How Should Your Company Respond? In 1996, Brandon Coats was a normal sixteen-year-old boy whose life changed when he was a passenger in a vehicle that struck a tree. Coats’ spine was irreparably damaged. The accident paralyzed over 80 percent of his body, and he has suffered from severe involuntary muscle spasms and seizures for the past twenty years. Brandon Coats also now has a prescription for medical marijuana to combatRead MoreDrug Use Among Medical Marijuana Laws Get Their Pot From Other People s Prescriptions1039 Words   |  5 PagesIn 2013, more high school seniors regularly used marijuana than cigarettes as 22.7 percent smoked pot in the last month, compared to 16.3 percent who smoked cigarettes. Sixty percent of seniors don t see regular marijuana use as harmful, but THC (the active ingredient in the drug that causes addiction) is nearly five times stronger than it was 20 years ago. One-third of teenagers who live in States with medical marijuana laws get their pot from other people s prescriptio ns. The United States representsRead MoreMedical Marijuana Should Not Be Illegal1040 Words   |  5 PagesFive millennia Cannabis sativa (more commonly known today as marijuana) has been used throughout the world medically, recreationally, and spiritually. (Bostwick, 2012) The growing availability of medical marijuana in the United States today is helping many people’s lives as alternatives to traditional pharmaceuticals, when traditional medications do not alleviate their medical issues. Unfortunately, the full potential of medical marijuana will not come to fruition because at the federal level, whichRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1727 Words   |  7 PagesThe consumption of marijuana has long been outlawed around the world. A taboo in most countries, cannabis is now considered a dangerous drug that can lead to disastrous side effects on the human body. This misconception has led to prohibition on marijuana, thus penalizing its consumption and further spreading th e misconceptions around the drug. The controversy here lies in the fact that most negative effects attributed to marijuana are sourced from misconceptions, which are in turn hurting the prospectRead MoreMarijuana Should Be Banned Marijuana1449 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana has been used throughout history since before the 1600s and the timeline has continue to today. But it did not become an issue until the 1900s through 1920s after the Mexican Revolution. During this time many Mexicans immigrants arrived in overwhelming amounts into the United States introducing marijuana as a recreational drug to Americans and its culture. As a result, many Mexican immigrants became associated with marijuana and the terror and preconception that they all used marijuanaRead MoreMarijuana Should Not Be Banned Marijuana1282 Words   |  6 PagesCannabis, also known as marijuana, is largely known for its use as a psychoactive drug and medicine. It’s become a controversial issue as many peo ple are against legalizing it because they believe it is a gateway drug (a drug that isn’t necessarily addictive, but can lead the user to use more addictive drugs) or for other reasons. Others, such as Daniel J. Pfeifer, support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal use. As a law student, Pfeifer argues the federal government’sRead MoreMedical Marijana Essay1201 Words   |  5 PagesMedical Marijana The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is an extremely controversial subject. There are many supporters, as well as many that are in opposition to the use of marijuana in any situation. Parties on both sides of the issue are regularly bringing forth new information to endorse their case. Marijuana, made from an Indian hemp plant that bears the name cannabis sativa, is a mixture of stems, leaves, and flowering tops. The flowering tops are smoked for the tetrahydrocannabinolRead MoreWhos in Charge of the Store? Essay1449 Words   |  6 PagesWho should be regulating medical marijuana? Majority leader of the California State Assembly, Alberto Torrico asserts that marijuana, used for medicinal purposes, should be legal and regulated to ensure safe, pesticide free, organic cannabis. However, Torrico maintains non-medical marijuana should remain illegal for all California citizens who do not have a physician diagnosed medical need, such as AIDS or cancer. He contents that advancing the cause of legalizing marijuana to provide additional tax