For the past few years, I’ve questioned why pharmaceutical companies haven’t cashed in on the all-natural marijuana plant. Clearly, it has done wonders for those who have struggled with glaucoma. But it has other worthwhile medicinal aspects which could prove that the most overrated illegal drug just happens to be the most under-prescribed healing drug. In all seriousness, allowing medicinal marijuana to be legalized is a step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned. With the economy the way it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if marijuana is legalized altogether. Let’s face it ... if the drug were legalized, police departments wouldn’t have to deal with as many drug lords, the jails wouldn’t be as full and courts wouldn’t have to spend so much money sentencing growers, dealers and users. In essence, that also means less taxpayer dollars will need to be spent on arresting, prosecuting and housing these lawbreakers. But that’s quite a ways off yet; and regardless of how I think the national economy could benefit from the legalization of marijuana, that’s a topic for another day.
When you look at it from a pain patient’s perspective, it seems ridiculous that they cannot legally get rid of that pain without the possibility of being thrown in jail. Instead of receiving prescriptions for an addictive herbal drug, they are prescribed morphine, OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet or other addictive narcotics ... kind of makes me question which is worse? So, for starters, let’s break down the side effects, shall we?
Morphine: lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, euphoria, mood swings, loss of balance, seizures, slow heart rate, confusion, low blood pressure, severe constipation, difficulty urinating and addiction ... and those are merely just the most common side effects.
OxyContin: dizziness, weakness, nausea mood swings, loss of balance, confusion, difficulty urinating, severe constipation, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, irregular breathing, seizures, severe drowsiness and addiction.
Vicodin: lightheadedness, dizziness, anxiety, nausea, irregular breathing, slow heart rate, severe drowsiness, confusion, low blood pressure, difficulty urinating, severe constipation, liver damage and - if you watch “House,” you already know this last one - addiction.
Percocet: dizziness, lightheadedness, euphoria, dysphoria, nausea, severe constipation, liver damage, severe drowsiness, irregular breathing, difficulty urinating, anxiety, confusion and, of course, addiction.
I could name more drugs used to treat pain, but the side effects of most of them are the same as those I’ve already mentioned. And most of them are addictive drugs as well. And, oddly enough, some of the side effects of smoking marijuana are fairly similar: severe drowsiness, confusion, anxiety, increased heart rate, nausea, weakness and lightheadedness. Other side effects caused by marijuana use are increased appetite, hallucinations, aggressiveness, cognitive difficulties, infertility, impaired memory and comprehension, enhanced cancer risk, increased risk of heart disease and addiction. As I look over those side effects, I’m not sure which ones I would rather deal with: increased heart rate or slowed heart rate; increased appetite or severe constipation; liver damage or increased risk of cancer ... chances are doctors would be more able to supply treatment for cancer than to find a matching donor for a liver transplant. And, funny thing about that liver ... it’s one of those “can’t live without” organs.
Jennie Oemig,
Editor
Arcadia News-Leader
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