In 1996, Proposition 215 was voted into law by a majority of California voters. This proposition, along with bill SB420m, which was enacted in 2003, legalized the use of medical marijuana for medical purposes. Though the cultivation and possession of marijuana remains illegal under Federal Law, it can legally be grown, possessed and used under California law. The use of medical cannabis has been controversial since the bill was passed and remains a hot button political issue today.
To qualify for medical marijuana benefits, a patient must obtain a doctor’s recommendation or a Medical Marijuana card. The patient must be diagnosed with one of several approved treatments. Prop 215 states that patients have the right to obtain and use medical marijuana for medical reasons when it has been deemed appropriate by a licensed physician. Prop 215 lists the a variety of approved medical conditions. These conditions include cancer, anorexia, chronic pain, AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine headaches, persistent muscle spasms, seizures, and any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.
Those last few words ("any other illness") leaves the door open to a variety of additional conditions for which patients may legally use marijuana. Physicians in California have found marijuana to be efficacious for a variety of other symptoms and conditions. These include but are not limited to depression, nausea and vomiting, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia, mental illness, and many other conditions. Over 250 diseases and conditions have reportedly been helped by medical marijuana. Valid scientific research on the medical benefits of marijuana continues to expand. There are now over 17,000 published papers in scientific literature analyzing the various components and ingredients in marijuana and their effect on a variety of diseases and symptoms. Research concerning medical cannabis used to be mostly on its effects on the symptoms of a disease, but it is now being done on marijuana’s ability to modify, cure, or halt the progression of a disease. New research is being done on patients with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Estimates by Cal NORMAL place the number of medical marijuana users in California at over 300,000. Thousand of people are finding relief by using medical cannabis. The list of approved conditions will continue to expand as more clinical research is done with medical marijuana. For all patients who are considering the use of medical marijuana, it is important to check the literature to see what conditions will be helped by using medical cannabis. It is also essential to keep up with any changes in the law to stay legally compliant and to comprehend fully the legal issues surrounding medical marijuana.
Fred Phillips - I am a small business owner, husband and father. My business does court research, business verifications, asset verifications, and more. I ...
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