Medical Information
According to Sircus (2018), marijuana is an effective treatment for cancer patients. He claims that "Medical marijuana is chemotherapy, natural style, for cancer patients." While there is significant evidence associating marijuana with pain relief and sleeping improvement especially in patients with chronic pain as highlighted by the National Academy of Sciences (2017) and Piper et al. (2017), broader and more detailed scientific reviews on marijuana cited by Romero-Sandoval et al (2018) assert a lack of sufficient evidence to assert or refute the effectiveness of cannabinoids for cancer treatment. This makes Sircus’ claim that medical marijuana is natural chemotherapy misinformation with regards to the medical properties of marijuana.
The information is specifically directed towards cancer patients and their health care providers. However, the article itself is targeted towards the general public to assert the medical properties of Marijuana, a substance currently classified on Schedule I of the controlled drug and substances Act making it illegal. A wide range of studies is still being undertaken to ascertain the medical properties of marijuana and assert whether or not it is fit for medical and social use. As such the claim of its healing properties for cancer is a highly relevant aspect of medical research into marijuana.
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When and Where Published
The article was published in a popular medical online source and blog known as 'GreenMedInfo' offering medical information in natural solutions. The article was written and published by Dr. Mark Sircus on Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 at 7:00 AM and is titled The Cannabis Solution for Cancer. The article indicates a view count of 28,041 people but also offers multiple social media sharing options including Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and through Mail indicating a possibility of a much higher number than indicated.
Validity of the Source
One of the major ways of identifying the validity of an information source includes identifying whether or not the article has been properly and effectively referenced and whether the references are scholarly and dependable. According to the Texas Education Agency (2021) evaluating the authors' credentials, reviewing the content of the article while examining the supporting evidence as well as determining if any biases exist within the article also provide effective ways of evaluating information source validity. While articles may meet a wide range of the qualifying factors and features for valid sources, the most significant aspect is the content presented within the article. Whether or not the content is factual, supported by credible authors and timely information with regards to the most recent information realized and published is important in asserting and establishing its validity.
The article on GreenMedInfo effectively achieves numerous of the hallmarks of validity for online information sources. It is fairly recent having been published just three years ago. It is written and published by a doctor and prolific writer and author of astounding health and medical-related books that have been widely cited and referenced by professionals in the medical industry. The article also contains effective referencing of other medical and health articles. However, upon close inspection of the information within and the sources cited the article is found to be significantly lacking in factual information making it to be lesser valid than previously thought. For instance, the claim of the curing properties of Medical Marijuana when a wide range of other credible sources including the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine still claim the lack of existence of sufficient evidence puts in question the validity of the article. In addition, considering the medical properties of medical marijuana are a subject of increased and numerous studies across the world, three years provides significant time for any discoveries thereby making the article not exactly well-timed.
Information Inaccuracy
The information presented in the article asserts that medical marijuana is an effective cancer treatment when in truth; no scientific or medical evidence confirms or denies these claims. A wide range of scientific studies has been carried out into evaluating and investigating the medical properties of marijuana. Studies such as The National Academy of Sciences (2001) and Piper et al. (2017) show a significant connection between cannabinoids found in Marijuana with pain relief and improvement of sleeping schedules. Further, a wide range of other studies including Mastroianni (2019) and Terrie (2020) also attempt to find out whether any chemical properties of marijuana can be linked with cancer treatment. However, Sandoval et al (2018) assert that there is still no evidence to prove or refute the potential of marijuana as a natural cancer treatment option making the information in the article inaccurate.
Negative Effects
The dissemination and Public acceptance of this information could have potentially huge negative impacts on individuals and population health. Firstly, asserting and accepting that Marijuana can treat Cancer and provides a natural treatment option to chemotherapy would influence a majority of Cancer patients to abandon their treatment programs in favor of using marijuana. If afterward it is confirmed that cannabinoids cannot treat cancer then a large number of lives will be potentially at risk due to ineffective health care.
In addition, individuals subscribing to the treatment properties of cannabinoids towards cancer may be driven to consume more marijuana even in social settings with a presumption that it also prevents the possibilities of cancer when in truth, it may be a cause for certain types of cancers and has a wide range of other health problems related to it including brain, bone, heart, and lung health problems. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2021) Marijuana is related to short-term and long-term effects on the brain can cause breathing problems, increased heart rates, and predisposition for strokes as well as problems with child development during and after pregnancy.
Impact on Health Care Industry
Given the increased research into medical marijuana with extensive calls to legalize the substance all across the world, dissemination, and belief of false information implicate the medical and health care industry's credibility. Health care organizations are misinterpreted by the general population when it comes to information dissemination which provides a general danger to population health. While the information may ultimately be proven as true, spread and belief in it before the approval generates complacency in the medical research and development industry, thereby potentially putting lives at risk. Health Care leaders Should therefore carry out effective research with credible processes and methodology and publish credible results to counter such misinformation to ensure credibility and dependency on the critical industry.
References
Mastroianni, B. (2019). Chronic Pain Top Reason for Medical Marijuana Use. Retrieved 11 May 2021, from www.healthline.com/health-news/what-drives-patients-to-use-medical-marijuana-chronic-pain
National Academies of Sciences. (2017). Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Retrieved 11 May 2021, from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425767/#sec_000103
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Marijuana Drug Facts | National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved 11 May 2021, from www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
Piper, B., Beals, M., Abess, A., Nichols, S., Martin, M., Cobb, C., & DeKeuster, R. (2017). Chronic pain patients' perspectives of medical cannabis. Pain , 158 (7), 1373-1379. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000899
Romero-Sandoval, E., Fincham, J., Kolano, A., Sharpe, B., & Alvarado-Vázquez, P. (2018). Cannabis for Chronic Pain: Challenges and Considerations. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology And Drug Therapy , 38 (6), 651-662. doi: 10.1002/phar.2115
Sircus, M. (2018). The Cannabis Solution for Cancer. Retrieved 11 May 2021, from www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cannabis-cure-cancer
Terrie, Y. (2020). Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain. Journal on Paoin Management , 44 (3), 24-28. Retrieved from www.uspharmacist.com/article/medical-cannabis-for-chronic-pain
Texas Education Agency. (2021). Determining Validity and Reliability of Sources (English III Research) | Texas Gateway. Retrieved 11 May 2021, from www.texasgateway.org/resource/determining-validity-and-reliability-sources-english-iii-research
