Medical Marijuana Can Help Children With Cancer - Argumentative Essay

Introduction

Medical marijuana has been a controversial topic of discussion in the United States. Medical marijuana is explained as the use of marijuana, whether in a plant or in extracted form, used to treat a certain illness or its symptoms (Heard) pp 630-633. It is said that twenty-nine states and the Columbia district have legalized medical marijuana for the persons who have serious health conditions with eight states among the twenty-nine legalizing the use of recreational marijuana. In a number of jurisdictions, there are considerations of cancer to be a qualified condition and this was inclusive for the children with serious illnesses that threaten their lives.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

A major component of medical marijuana known as Cannabinoids is said to relieve nausea, anorexia as well as neuropathic pains. In serious pediatric care of patients with cancer, physicians use synthetic cannabinoid and they use it routinely so that they are at a position to manage nausea and anorexia, which are major conditions to children. Additionally, Cannabinoids is said to carry an effect called antineoplastic although there are limitations of the evidence to preclinical studies. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, medical marijuana has the capability of supporting children with serious medical illnesses. Factually, the young children diagnosed with cancer have experiences of primary signs which cause suffering and therefore, medical marijuana plays an important role in caring for them.

On the opposite, medical marijuana is not yet adopted by the pediatrics. Firstly, many people have raised concerns for the adverse psychiatric and cognitive effects that develop in children while they are growing up (Joan) pp 109-122. Secondly, the true formulations of the doses are not well known by the physicians. On the third note, the critics of medical marijuana say that accessing it could lead to illegal use of the drug or lead to toxic ingestion. Lastly, marijuana is considered as a schedule one controlled substance and this shows that there is no currently acceptance of medicinal indications and thus it carries a great chance of being abused. The substances classified in class 1 designates the procuring of the drug, it uses or recommendations of medical marijuana as being a federal offense.

Various policies by the state concerning medical marijuana have influenced ontological practices, particularly for the children who show signs of conventional therapies being exhausted. In the previous studies, the researchers found that medical marijuana had differing attitudes of adult oncology together with the provider's palliative care. As a point to note, more than half of older oncologists brought out favorable attitudes towards the use of medical marijuana even at the time medical marijuana were not legally availed. Moreover, the opinions of the larger public have shifted their view having more than 70% of the Americans being supporters of adult medical marijuana use if there is a recommendation by a physician.

Arguably, there are guidelines by a number of academics who recognize cannabis being an option of debilitating conditions that include seizures from epilepsy conditions. However, the authors of the guidelines have warned that the use of drugs in pediatric cases have to be judicious due to the possible effects of psychoactivity. The naturally extracted cannabis which is the actual components of the marijuana plant that includes the flowers and the leaves that are typically vaporized and also smoked. When it is vaporized, the chemical tends to have other components and potency depending on the strain. Medical marijuana is useful in children after there is supervision and appropriate dosage in its use is ensured. All the states in America with a medical marijuana program need a go-ahead from an authorized physician so that they can give the kids access to medical marijuana. With the recommendations of many states that the guardians should control the dosage and the frequency use, thus it means that children should be treated with medical marijuana. Nevertheless, some states do not support guardian interventions. To make it more significant, there is a safeguard on some states requiring people two have two physicians signing off so that a minor can use medical marijuana.

A number of studies over the past ten years have made it clear that the physicians are apprehensive about the adults using medical marijuana. The explained reluctance appears to be steered by a certain potential of side effects and thus giving a scattered high-quality data. Secondly, there are unclear guidelines which are different from other therapeutic and supportive care drugs. Such types of concerns are made to look larger the time pediatric clinicians make considerations of medical marijuana use by children and adolescents. In particular, there is habitual use of marijuana which has an association with dependence as well as poor achievements in academics of the children using medical marijuana.

Various studies support that the interdisciplinary providers including the ones not legally authorized for recommending medical marijuana, also perceive its use by patients (Nugent) pp 131-138. As a matter of facts, various states enable advanced practice by the providers so that they can certify medical marijuana. Suggested literature ascertains that the degree to which providers endorse medical marijuana depends on its legality for certification instead of a particular discipline. As the researchers consistently followed the findings, the drug providers made reports on more permissive attitudes towards using medical marijuana being used by children with cancer. Specifically, the drug providers became more likely to come up with approved pediatric uses by patients who used medical marijuana in smoked or else oral formulations. They patients could use the method as cancer formulated therapy or they could use it for treatment of symptoms, despite their limited evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana.

A big number of people who work in health care centers are tasked with caring for children with cancer and are willing to help those children acquire medical marijuana. However, they are less enthusiastic in case there are cases they are considered among the medication providers with the eligibility to provide medical marijuana (Prasanna et al). A number totaling to almost 85% of the oncologists are already certified to offer medical marijuana and they are much willing to help the children diagnosed with cancer to have access to medical marijuana.

Conclusion

In conclusion, random clinical testing for medical marijuana using formulations for its support in caring for children with cancer is required. This is necessary for a better understanding of the therapeutic potential and good health of the children.

Work Cited

Wang, George Sam, Genie Roosevelt, and Kennon Heard. "Pediatric marijuana exposures in a medical marijuana state." Jama Pediatrics 167.7 (2013): 630-633.

Kramer, Joan L. "Medical marijuana for cancer." CA: a cancer journal for clinicians 65.2 (2015): 109-122.

Ananth, Prasanna, et al. "Provider Perspectives on Use of Medical Marijuana in Children With Cancer." Pediatrics 141.1 (2018).

Friedrichsdorf, Stefan J., and Andrea Postier Nugent. "Management of neuropathic pain in children with cancer." Current opinion in supportive and palliative care 7.2 (2013): 131-138.