English Research Paper/ Research Directed Opinion/ MLA/10pages each/ 2 Research papers/ Only Peer Reveiwed References - 5years old

Medical marijuana in the treatment of Alzheimer disease

Madgalene Imuze

Baltimore City Community College

Professor Quine

English Language (ENG 102-7210)

05/07/2018

Abstract

Today more people are turning to alternative treatment for both degenerative and chronic diseases. Several reasons exist as to why people have chosen to be part of this transition. Conventional medicine has failed to yield the expected results for other reason which have prompted people to look for alternative treatment. For whatever the reasons there is no doubt those natural remedies have become popular and have taken the center stage among consumers especially the ones who are nursing chronic illnesses. Medical marijuana is one of the many natural alternative treatments that people have resorted to in the treatment of many chronic and degenerative diseases. While its use has been controversial particularly for the treatment of Alzheimer, there has been divided opinion among medical practitioners with one group suggesting that indeed this is effective and has been proven to be so yet another group has cautioned against using medical marijuana for treating diseases. They have argued that the long-term medical negative effects have superseded the positive short-term implications. However, proponents have been vocal in support of their view and have suggested that marijuana has some pharmacological and therapeutic significance and thus, it can not be ignored. They have suggested that Marijuana has indeed be proven to be effective in treating the symptoms of a wide range of diseases particularly Alzheimer's diseases. This paper discusses the two viewpoints and draws a conclusion based on a review of literature and scientific evidence that has been collected, compiled and documented. This paper is based on the premise that owing to its medicinal value and pharmacological significance, medical marijuana should indeed be used to treat Alzheimer's. The paper also suggests that the production and processing of medical marijuana should be legalized to help with the supply of the same.

Introduction

A video circulated online recently showed a grandfather who had Alzheimer's disease making use of marijuana, his family and friends around him commented that they had never seen him so happy in recent times. Could it be that medical marijuana actually works, and if it does how sure can one be confident that it does not create more problems than it solves? These and many more questions arise in academic spheres as well as in the general populace regarding the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Even though the disease has been associated with the elderly, it has been confirmed that indeed it is not a normal condition of aging. Some medicines have been found to be able to treat the symptoms of the disease though no cure has been found. Some treatment help to lower the effects of the symptoms yet others help the patients feel less depressed and less worried though they do not completely and directly treat the disease. This paper is based on the premise that due to health benefits, medical marijuana should be used in the treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Background statement of the Problem

Alzheimer’s disease is known for its effects on cognitive functions, memory and the general activities of daily living. The disease has been termed as capable of causing adverse effects on behavior also known as neuropsychiatric symptoms. This, in turn, affects someone's ability to think clearly and remember things. Currently, there is no proven causes of this disease, although it has been mentioned that it majorly affects the elderly more so those who are 60 years and above. This topic is important since it avails critical information that helps to put to rest the confusion and misconceptions that people have with regard to medical marijuana. While cannabis has some negative health effects, it also has positive health significance; therefore this paper brings to light the pharmacological and the therapeutic components of marijuana suggesting that indeed it should be used to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Presentation of Research

Alzheimer’s disease and its Significance

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain illness which causes the brain nerve cells to die (Alzheimer Society, 2018). The disease causes significantly negative effects on the sufferer, by altering the behavior. These are referred to as neuropsychiatric symptoms. Such include stress, depression, and apathy among others which cause undue pressure on the brain of the patient making them feel depressed and behave strangely and can stress the caregiver as well. The patient can be agitated and aggressed making it quite challenging for their caregivers. For many years, lay people, as well as researchers, have wondered about the use of marijuana or cannabinoids for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease owing to its ability to lower the levels of aggression and anxiety in people. Pre-clinical studies on the same have pointed out to the potential effects the disease has on the human body and majorly their anti-inflammatory effects (Cavalet, 2016). Therefore cannabinoids have been termed as one of the very best possible treatments for the condition. However, there has not been much research done on this issue, which then presents very limited evidence to support the fact (Sauer, 2018).

Marijuana and its effects

Marijuana is a plant whose dried flowering parts and leaves can be taken to invoke the feelings of relaxation, happiness, and sociability. The main component of the plant that is responsible for these effects is called THC which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. Marijuana works by targeting a system of the brain called the endocannabinoid system, which is comprised of Cannabinoid Receptors, CB2 and CB1 respectively. The CB1 receptors occur throughout the brain while the CB2 mainly occur on certain cells called microglia. The brains endocannabinoid system majorly deals with the regulation of appetite, memory, and response to stress. Naturally, the brain produces endocannabinoids that affect the receptor cells. The THC elements of marijuana tend to bond to the CB1 cells, therefore, stimulating its activity. However, it has been found that another element of marijuana can bind with both of the receptor cells dampening their activity in the process. While using cannabis can lead to short-term desirable traits, its long-term use can have adverse health effects (Society, Alzheimer, 2018).

Opponents of Medical Marijuana

Opponents, however, have suggested that marijuana should not be used to treat diseases because it has been associated with many chronic illnesses like respiratory diseases and speculations of cancer (American lung association, 2015). A report published in the Journal of Alzheimer diseases in 2016 revealed that the people who use Cannabis have shown a reduced flow of blood to the brain. This reduced blood flow deprives of the brain enough oxygen needed for its normal functioning. This reduced blood flow affects the parts of the brain that are responsible for memory and learning. Therefore the opponents have suggested that instead of treating the disease, marijuana can be termed as a causative agent and should not be used. Others have argued that almost every part of the human brain is affected by cannabis.

They have pointed out that indeed the use of medical marijuana has adverse effects on the brain and leads to the destruction of brain cells. The team of researchers in as published in the journal suggested that going by a research they had conducted; the users of marijuana had shown reduced blood flow to the lower cerebral part of the brain. Therefore, they concluded that marijuana use damages the human brain making it susceptible to the disease. However, while some researchers have insisted on the importance of marijuana in treatment some have suggested that there does not exist single evidence that cannabis can indeed treat the disease. Even though most of the research from various laboratories across various countries in the world have shown great promise, it is important if the broader picture could be investigated further.

Opponents have suggested that most of the studies that have purported that cannabis has some medicinal value have involved a given component of marijuana in isolation. Therefore if one component of marijuana has been found to be effective in treating a disease, it does not mean that taking marijuana is healthy or rather it would have similar effects. Besides, there exist different strains of the plant and the effects depend on the type of marijuana used. Opponents have also pointed out that the Alzheimer's society has not sponsored any research to be conducted on the medicinal effects of cannabis on the disease.

Besides this, the opponents have suggested that cannabis can have damaging effects on the brain since it impedes the brains activity and disrupts the formation of memory. Some studies have also associated the weak flow of blood to the diseases and therefore anything that impedes the flow of old to the brain can be linked to being a causative agent of the disease. This, therefore, suggests that instead of curing the disease marijuana is indeed one of the causes of the illness according to the opponents of its use.

Proponents of Medical Marijuana

In clinical research that was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's disease, it was suggested that small amounts of THC can indeed inhibit the production of a protein that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. According to the study which was published in 2014, indeed it was confirmed that the component can prevent the growth of cells that cause the disease. Another research in California confirmed that indeed the THC component of marijuana can be used to treat the symptoms of the disease. The researchers confirmed that by exposing the hallmark characteristics associated with the disease-the beta-amyloid cells to certain levels of THC, the cells reduce in number and their growth is inhibited (Susan, 2018).

This indeed confirms that the THC in cannabis has a medicinal value. Even though some medical practitioners have suggested that there is not enough evidence to claim that marijuana is indeed effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the research that has already been done confirms that indeed certain components of marijuana contain medicinal value which has been deemed effective in treating some symptoms of the disease. While all of the components of marijuana can pose serious long-term health effects and while this is also dependent on the way it is used, it is also true that some components of the weed like the THC have been found to be effective in the treatment of the disease.

If there exists no cure for the disease yet there is a palliative measure for its attendant complications, then this should be explored to the maximum. It was also found that the THC component of marijuana is capable of removing the brain plagues associated with the disease. This, therefore, confirms that there is indeed a therapeutic effect and potential of marijuana to treat the disease as claimed by Dr. David Schubert, a medical practitioner and researcher (Belendiuk et al.,2015). The Alzheimer’s association has indeed found that marijuana is capable of eliminating brain inflammation, which is one major characteristic of the illness. This also calls for extended research to find out if THC could lead to other adverse health effects if used to treat the disease.

Marijuana legalization

In the month of November the year 2012, Washington and Colorado's states became the first two states in the USA to legalize the production, retail and personal possession of medical Marijuana. Regulatory frameworks were however developed by the two states which contained many common requirements, for instance, the minimum purchase age was 21 and there was also a ban on public use of the weed. There were also some key differences, for example, Colorado allows the possession of up to five plants per household while Washington bans personal use. There was also a well established regulated medical mechanism of distribution in Colorado while Washington had no existing mechanism to regulate the supply, the retail sales of the weed begun on July 8, 2014, in Washington State and on January 1, 2014, in Colorado (Bushan, 2015). Oregon had been a center for Marijuana production for ages, till the year 1998 when the weed was legalized and its production became limited to the illegal market since it was associated with massive energy consumption (Kleiman, 2015).

The main objective of the regulatory framework and the safety requirements in the production of medical Marijuana is to ensure that the use of environmental best practices and safety standards in the production of cannabis are encouraged to ensure that these states are the country model for the environmentally friendly medical Marijuana production. In the last few years, articles and reports have been produced to claim that Marijuana production could pose a significant impact on the environment in terms of water, chemical, and energy use. The consumption of energy while producing Marijuana can be quite significant and vary greatly between different techniques of production. Anecdotal information on the operations of producing marijuana has included high energy consumption reports in regions that local utilities hadn't anticipated, leading to challenges in local distribution. The use of water and chemicals can also be significant in the production of Marijuana; this, therefore, calls for regulatory frameworks in the use of chemicals, energy, and water to produce Cannabis. One best way of regulating negative environmental impact in the production of Marijuana is to encourage the legislation of effective use of these critical resources in the cultivation of the weed and setting forward safety standards as follows (Chemerinsky et al.,2014).

1.) Offering technical assistance and educating the producers of the weed to apply best practices and access the incentive programs that are there.

2.) Development of a certification that is voluntary.

3.) Carrying out research regarding environmental best practices as well as other issues that are affected by Marijuana production including safety issues and health.

Boulder County in Colorado in an attempt to stampede the increased rate in carbon emissions from indoor marijuana production set a requirement for an Energy impact offset fund and renewable energy. The production of cannabis must offset directly 100% of energy consumption which includes natural gas, electricity, bio-fuel, liquid fuel through a subscription that is verified in a community solar garden and renewable energy that is generate on site which has to be approved by the pay monthly fee of 2.16 cents per kWh made into the impact energy offset fund. The fund helps in encouraging and educating the use of best practices in Marijuana production. Producers are also given data from monitoring systems they are needed to install that helps them know how to reduce their use of energy.

In Washington, The Public Utility District of Mason County made the decision to classify an electricity rate that is specific for legal production of Marijuana. The rate processors and producers pay are between the large commercial and small commercial energy rates. This move was applied due to the energy amounts used in indoor production and the likelihood of energy uses to increase in future. The clients in this class are not eligible to be funded by the federal conservation program. States have additionally recognized research needs into the production of marijuana. In Oregon State, the energy trust of Oregon has helped to provide aid to the producers who are pursuing to improve the efficiency of energy use in their production process

There has also been the requirement for marijuana producers to acquire certification from third neutral parties that lobby for sustainable development of the environment. For example, in Oregon such third party organizations include the Clean Green, Oregon kind and the resource innovation Institute. Because there has been an increased demand of organically produced products in the USA and the label of certification form a third party stating that the production process was done in a manner that was environmentally sustainable can help the users purchase these products.

The challenge of formulating a whole new framework meant to regulate a substance that was previously illegal cannot be ignored. The Washington and Colorado approaches have some consistencies as well as key differences but the major themes in ensuring safety standards in the production of Marijuana include,

1.) The prevention of commercialization.

This move is taken to avoid negative health and environmental impact as a result of large-scale production of Marijuana. Approaches put forward to help in this move includes a tightly restricted state distribution channel and strict regulation on promotion and advertisement.

2.) The prevention of use by the youth.

3.) The control of product concentration and formats.

4.) Enforcement of strict practices with regard to environmental use and sustainability.

These moves have helped to ensure the enforcement of best practice in the industry of marijuana

Discussion

There seems to a strong argument from both sides regarding the legalization as well as the effects of medical marijuana on Alzheimer’s disease. However, there cannot be an argument against the validated findings of medial marijuana’s effects on the improvement of the mood and behaviours of sufferers who have used it. Pain is such a subjective condition where its sufferers cannot put in words, one can only imagine the aggravation of the negative conditions that Alzheimer’s disease brings along with age in patients. On recognition of its palliative tendencies, the moral arguments of its legalization win. There is not too much

Conclusion and Recommendation

There exists evidence that backs up the claim that certain elements of marijuana contain some therapeutic features which are capable of treating Alzheimer. However currently there is not much evidence to suggest the quantities that should be taken and how it should be taken to avoid any negative side effects. Since it a single element of marijuana, the THC that has this medicinal value, it would be prudent if this element was extracted and transformed into other forms for example tablet form so that it can be used to treat the disease. Owing to the extensive literature that points out to the negative effects due to the use of marijuana compared to the research that supports it's pharmacological as well as its therapeutic importance, there is a need for urgent research. The isolated cannabinoids should also be researched since most of the users of medical marijuana take through smoking. Furthermore, objective, as well as improved measurement of the clinical trials and tests, should be implemented so that treatment efficacy can be determined. Appropriate prescriptions should be put in place to help curb the issue of addiction. The production and processing of medical marijuana should be legalized like it has been in California though strict regulations should be put in place to control the activity.

References

American Lung Association (2015)."Marijuana And Lung Health". American Lung Association, 2015, http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/marijuana-and-lung-health.html. Accessed 30 Apr 2018 .

Belendiuk, Katherine A., Lisa L. Baldini, and Marcel O. Bonn-Miller (2015) "Narrative review of the safety and efficacy of marijuana for the treatment of commonly state-approved medical and psychiatric disorders." Addiction science & clinical practice 10.1 10.

Bushan, A. (2015). An evaluation of the effects of the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington from an international law perspective. Can.-ALJ, 39, 187.

Cavalet, J. V. (2016) "The highs and lows of medical marijuana." Clinician Reviews, Oct. 2016, p. 40+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A470867199/AONE?u=bccc_main&sid=AONE&xid=018d0a91. Accessed 20 Apr. 2018.   .

Chemerinsky, E., Forman, J., Hopper, A., & Kamin, S. (2014). Cooperative federalism and marijuana regulation.\

Kleiman, M. (2015). Legal Commercial Cannabis Sales in Colorado and Washington: What Can We Learn?. Journal of Drug Policy Analysis

 Mintz, Clifford S., et al. (2018) "Cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals." Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, vol. 21, no. 3, 2015, p. 16+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A478824279/AONE?u=bccc_main&sid=AONE&xid=95c078af. Accessed 20 Apr. 2018.

Sauer, Alissa. "The Effects Of Medical Marijuana On Alzheimer’S Treatment". Alzheimers.Net, 2018, https://www.alzheimers.net/6-15-15-effects-of-medical-marijuana-on-alzheimers. Accessed 30 Apr 2018 .

Society, Alzheimer'. "Cannabis For The Treatment Or Prevention Of Dementia - Alzheimer's Society". Alzheimer's Society, 2018, https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20074/alternative_therapies/488/cannabis_for_the_treatment_or_prevention_of_dementia. Accessed 30 Apr 2018 .

Susan Scutti, CNN. "Could Medical Marijuana Treat Alzheimer's?". CNN, 2018, https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/alzheimers-medical-marijuana/index.html. Accessed 30 Apr 2018 .