| The Cannabis Commotion An Argumentative Essay, by Hillary Nadeau Freshman Comp Wed. Nites 10/29 Dr. John R. Christopher wrote about the positive effects of menstrual pains and marijuana in his book entitled, School of Natural Healing. In this book he quotes the following: “Cannabis, or Marijuana is part of a family of herbs that are female correctives to the reproductive organs which stimulate and promote a normal menstrual function, flow and discharge.” Marijuana may be a taboo subject, with so many people abusing it and so many people against it; it’s difficult to think that this small, natural leaf reaps any benefits. Marijuana can’t cure all of our illnesses after all many illnesses can’t be cured by an assortment of prescription drugs. But something has been plaguing the women of our time and before. This sickness isn't well documented since throughout most of history, any sort of "women’s troubles" were largely dismissed or considered taboo. The sickness I am referring to is PMS, Pre- Menstrual Syndrome, and of all the medicines out there and all the half baked ideas about it, most people don't know the first thing about why it happens or how to treat it. As far back as 2800 BC, A Chinese Emperor and Physician named, Shin- Nung recommended a hemp elixir for the treatment of beriberi, constipation, malaria, rheumatism, menstrual cramps, post partum depression and the gout. Can Marijuana plants help with all these health problems? It may have been a placebo effect for several of those ailments, but throughout history there have been many uses of marijuana plants for PMS. The problem with studies Nowadays is that there haven’t been many controlled studies on Marijuana use and PMS. Either it is too controversial or treatment or not enough people know about the supposed benefits. It’s very sad that we don’t have documented proof that Marijuana will help women sufferings since back in the time of royalty even Queen Victoria used Marijuana tea and frequently smoked marijuana cigarettes to ease her cramps One of the biggest uses of cannabis in the early 19th century was for the treatment of menstrual cramps and for easing labor pains! Even in 1913 among swirls of controversy and boycotting Sir William Osler recommended it not only for PMS but also as THE most satisfactory remedy for a migraine. Just seven short years later, women were told that the symptoms they were experiencing around the time of their periods were due to innate physical problems and subsequently had their reproductive organs removed! Women were told that these pains were not normal and apparently not treatable. They were told that the pain they felt would not go away until they had a hysterectomy, which then became a common, albeit, frightening way to rid someone of PMS. Now Women are being told PMS is psychological and are given prescriptions from strong anti-depressant pills like Paxil, Valium, Zoloft and Xanax along with an assortment of random tranquilizers. Those drugs take up to two weeks to even start producing any sort of neurological effect and start relieving the pain! When you take into consideration that the women’s menstrual cycle typically lasts three to five days many women feel it’s relatively pointless to keep taking a pill that could reek havoc on your immune system and destroy your sex drive, especially since by the time it starts working you pain is long gone anyway. Many women who are occasional pot smokers usually admit that if they are going through their cycle, they light up once and a while to ease the pain. “I swear to god it works.” One woman testified for me. Another stated, “I have used it for years for premenstrual cramps and my irritability- PMS. It helps me to mellow out and also to tolerate the intense lower pain that I get once a month for about three days.” These are statements from real women about what “medicinal” marijuana has done for them. Dr. Lester Grinspoon is the associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medial School. He states that Marijuana works better and is less addictive than standard painkillers! Another argument for this plant comes from a book excerpt from Robert Randall and Alice Leary entitled, Marijuana RX. The excerpt concludes that if you separate the smoking of cannabis to the intrinsic uses, you see smoking it isn’t nearly as helpful and intrinsic, which is prime for pain relief. It basically asks, why just get a high off it when your can sooth your aches and pains. It also talks about the analgesic and anti-emetic effects of cannabis, which show at least potential in solving the pain women experience with PMS. Medicinal Marijuana is a beautiful thing. It stops the pain and clams you down. It's perfectly legal and prescribed to you. Why then, do just glaucoma patients get to reap it benefits? Why not cancer patients and people with constant pain or terminal illnesses? Let us start small though and consider the use of medicinal marijuana for PMS sufferers! It would be a step in the right direction for all women kind. It would be the American Medical Association actually recognizing that PMS is real and it needs to be treated with the utmost seriousness. It would show that PMS is not just an excuse to be irritable and it's not a label. PMS sufferers need to be treated and if pot is a cure for it, just like PMS it needs to be recognized in a serious light too. |