Marijuana in the Medical Field

Research on marijuana has highlighted some of the notable benefits of the drug in treatment health issues such as cancer, memory loss, and anxiety among others. Multiple states in the United States have legalized the use of medical marijuana with the view that this would help improve on the health of the persons affected. However, this has also exposed a serious challenge associated with persons that do not have such medical conditions using this as an excuse to access marijuana. The greatest challenge that states experience is trying to determine whether an individual is legible for medical marijuana as a way of rooting out persons that are just seeking the drug. The focus of this research study is to examine the problem of people using health as an excuse to access medical marijuana, which they often consume or resell. The study will examine the extent to which this has become an issue in the medical field even as policymakers push for legalization of marijuana.

Literature Review 

The issue of medical marijuana legalization remains as one of the controversial topics of debate in the United States with policymakers arguing that legalization of the drug can be serious unintended consequences. Pacula, Powell, Heaton, & Sevigny (2015) indicate that drugs laws in the United States have prohibited use and distribution of marijuana since 1937. However, recent studies have highlighted the positive medical implications associated with use of marijuana to treat a wide array of health conditions such as cancer among others. California and North Carolina were the first states to decriminalize marijuana setting precedence for other states to consider adoption of legalizations and policies that would allow use of medical marijuana (Pacula, Powell, Heaton, & Sevigny, 2015). Bostwick (2012) defines the policies on legalization of medical marijuana arguing that they only use of marijuana for medicinal purposes under specified conditions to avoid misuse of the drug.

As of January 2016, 25 states had passed medical marijuana laws that regulated use of the drug for medicinal purposes only with a further 4 states legalizing both medicinal and recreational marijuana. Anderson & Rees (2014) examine the complex dynamic policy environment associated with medical marijuana laws arguing that they fail to account for instances where the drug is used for recreational purposes in states that only allow medicinal marijuana. The challenge is that most of the states find it hard trying to determine patients that actually need marijuana to avoid access by persons that may not need the drug. Medical marijuana laws often result in confusions among law enforcement, patients, and caregivers as to what constitute medicinal marijuana use in states that have legalized it for medical purposes (Anderson & Rees, 2014). The confusion serve as a loophole allowing individuals without any health issues to access the drug from the medical marijuana market set up through legal policy structures.

The challenge in dealing with medical marijuana has been curtailing the use of these drug within the specific conditions. Bostwick (2012) supports this position arguing that medical marijuana programs, adopted in different states, are often considered as being thinly veiled on recreational legalization of the drug. The passage of marijuana legalization policies in multiple states has been influenced by the need to make it easier for people to gain access the drug. The issue of contention is that the de facto legalization creates a front through which persons, who may not actually be sick, lie in their medical reports to access the drug for recreational purposes (Roy‐Byrne et al., 2015). People have exploited notable loopholes allowing them to gain access to medical marijuana; thus, highlighting the existing problem in state-level regulations. That has become a widespread issue of concern for policymakers in their bid to enacting policies aimed at legally regulating use of marijuana.

In a study focused on examining the prevalence of medical cannabis use for recreational purposes, Morean & Lederman (2019) indicate that approximately 55% of patients that legally use medical marijuana reported usage of the drug for recreational purposes. That serves as an indication of the fact that dealing with the challenge does not only focus on persons that do not need these drugs. Instead, it is important to focus on those legally entitled to use medical marijuana opting to take advantage of the existing policies. Morean & Lederman (2019) argue that most of the policies on medical marijuana fail to outline guidelines on how states should regulate use of the drug under specified conditions to prevent recreational use. The ultimate consequence of such failures in the policies is that patients often use their health conditions as excuses to buy as much marijuana as possible. That gives them a leeway to use the drug for both medicinal recreational purposes.

A significant number of people believe that doctors across the United States should be given the express authority to prescribe marijuana whenever they find it necessary for patients. Bostwick (2012) argues that giving doctors the authority to prescribe marijuana would create instances where a majority of people are able to access the drug without any cause or reason to explain why they should access for any medical purpose. The researcher goes ahead to highlight the extent to which doctors have contributed to the issue of prescription drug abuse, especially focusing on painkillers. If reports on prescription drug abuse are anything to consider, it becomes evident that allowing for prescription marijuana from doctors would result in express manipulation of the health system leading to an increase in marijuana for recreational purposes (Roy‐Byrne et al., 2015). The expectation is that policymakers may need to come up with an effective framework to ensure that each individual is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The benefits associated with marijuana cannot be ignored with the greatest challenge being trying to determine whether an individual is legally legible for marijuana to avoid access when persons do not suffer from any medical condition. Pacula, Powell, Heaton, & Sevigny (2015) provide a recommendation on the need to rethink the licensing procedures for individuals using medical marijuana as a way of ensuring that a health committee evaluates each patient. The current licensing procedures for medical marijuana make it much easier for individuals without any health conditions, as they only need approval from a quality health professional. Most cases of medical marijuana in the United States focus on pain management and control, which has created a leeway for many people to access the drug without any form of verification (Morean & Lederman, 2019). Therefore, this highlights the need to change the licensing approaches considered for medical marijuana to avoid creating such loopholes that persons manipulate.

Importance or Implications to Biological Psychology 

The research problem, which focuses on unintended consequences of medical marijuana laws, is likely to have several notable implications to biological psychology. Firstly, increased cases where persons without any medical issues access medical marijuana may result in increased cases of anxiety disorders or clinical depression. Although medical marijuana is of great importance in dealing with a wide array of health issues affecting the human body, it has also created concern from a psychological point of view. Persons that engage in regular use of marijuana are much more likely to experience negative psychological effects arising from the chemical composition of the drug. In some cases, patients are likely to experience worsening of their symptoms, especially in cases where the drug was used as part of treatment of a mental disorder. The challenge in dealing with the drug is that most health practitioners are not in a position to determine the extent to which medical marijuana may affect one’s health is taken consistently.

Medical marijuana can be considered as a viable option attributed to the positive impacts that it is having for patients across the United States, especially in areas such as pain management. However, the drug must also be evaluated based on the fact that it is likely to contribute to issues such as increased heartrate, hallucinations, and low blood pressure. When used for both medical and recreational purposes, marijuana exposes individuals to high risks of developing lifelong health care issues. From this perspective, it is clear that persons with no health issues are much more likely to experience these issues, as the drug is taken specifically for recreational purposes. Consequently, this means that such individuals may not regulate the amount of the drug that they consume at any given period compared to those using it for medicinal purposes.

Another implication that medical marijuana laws are likely to have on biological psychology is that they are likely to contribute to an increase in cases where patients experience distortion in their sense of time. When marijuana is consumed for both medical or recreational purposes, it creates a sense of being ‘high’ characterized by stimulation in the brain by the main psychoactive ingredient in the drug, Tetrahydrocannabinol (TCH). Regular use of marijuana affects the way persons perceive time, as it results in cases where loses touch with reality. That is one of the most notable issue considered when dealing with the extensive use of medical marijuana, which is likely to affect the way individuals perceive their immediate environments. The main contributor to the debate on whether to legalize marijuana is the need to protect many more people from exposure to such side effects associated with the drug.

Hypothesis Verification 

The following hypothesis will guide this research study:

H 0 : Ineffective policies and laws on the use of medical marijuana have created loopholes that persons with no known health issue are able to take advantage leading to their access to marijuana, which they use for recreational purposes.

From the hypothesis, the main contributor to the research problem being discussed is the failure on the part of policies and laws put in place within the states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. The laxity in the laws has created notable loopholes that individuals use to their advantage when accessing medical marijuana irrespective of the expectation that this drug would be used under specified conditions. The hypothesis advances the notion that policymakers may need to change their approach as one of the ways through which to ensure that medical marijuana is well regulated.

The following are the two main research questions that will govern the manner in which the study is undertake:

What are the main factors contributing to unregulated access to medical marijuana for persons that claim to have specific medical issues? 

What are some of the strategies state governments may consider to help prevent unregulated/illegal access to medical marijuana? 

The research study will examine the extent to which medical marijuana is being used for recreational purposes across multiple states with the aim of trying to understand some of the factors contributing to the issue. Additionally, the study will outline some of the strategies that state governments may consider in preventing unregulated access to medical marijuana with the focus being on persons that do not have any medical conditions. The strategies would help minimize the number of cases where medical marijuana is used for recreational purposes, which goes against the laid out laws and policies.

Method 

The research method used for this research will focus on obtaining information that relates to the primary issue where people who claim to have a health problem have access to marijuana. The implementation of appropriate research methods will help to obtain crucial information that will address the problem of access to the drug among individuals that have not health issues. Obtaining the information will help in creating an understanding on the uses of drug in the society. The selection of appropriate research methods is important considering that a research method used can ensure that the population selected provided adequate and relevant information without bias. The research will incorporate two research methods, which will focus on obtaining a wide range of information concerning how people accesses marijuana even without health problem. The methods used will provide a comprehensive analysis regarding factors that contribute to the use of the drug without health issues.

The first research method to implement in the research will involve the use of a case study, which will focus on a group of people that uses marijuana. The objective of the research method is to evaluate the use of the drug and the processes used to access the drugs. The case study will involve an investigation on the lives of people that uses marijuana and assess the processes they undergo to obtain the drug. The cases study will focus on understanding the health conditions of the selected participants and identify the specific factors that contribute to the need of using marijuana. Although the study method will focus on individuals that use marijuana, the participants will be selected randomly. The participants will engage in their day to day activities and the process of acquiring the drug. Other specific aspects that will be addressed will include identifying reasons for using marijuana other than for medical purposes.

The second study method that will be used in the research will involve the use of surveys. The surveys will include different questions designed to provide adequate information concerning the research problem. The participants in this case will be selected through randomization to ensure a proper representation of the entire population. The objective of the research methods involves focusing on the reasons why different people use marijuana. Additionally, the study will focus on understanding the requirements for obtaining the drug in the society. The questions used on the surveys to act as a guide towards obtaining relevant information from the selected participants. The questions will be designed on a way that they address the research issue, which is an important aspect that helps in enhancing success in the study. Information obtained from the study will provide an understanding of the issues that relate to the use of marijuana.

Validity 

Several key approaches and techniques will be considered as a way of ensuring the information as part of the research is valid and accurate. Firstly, the focus will be on the use of an evidence-based approach to data collection used as part of the study. Evidence-based approaches in research focus on ensuring that data can be supported using evidence from multiple sources. In this study, the researcher will embark on a process of gathering multiple studies conducted on the topical area of focus. The expectation is that the information from the studies will be of value in supporting different areas of the study being undertaken. Using the studies gathered, it will be much easier to establish validity of the information used as part of the study. Ultimately, this will help improve validity of the conclusions reached as part of the research study in its entirety.

Secondly, evaluation of consistency will also be considered as a valid technique to help in establishing validity of the study. Information consistency is one of the key areas that researchers often consider when determining whether indeed a research study is valid or accurate. For this study, the researcher will evaluate data and information used as part of the study to determine the extent of consistency. In the event that the data is not consistent, that would mean that the study lacks validity. Lastly, validity will also be established based on the research methods selected. As has been noted in the previous section, this research study intends to use a case study and survey as the two main research methods. The selection of participant will be through randomized selection, which would mean that the data collected would represent data from the population of focus. That would serve as one of the ways through which the validity of the study will be guaranteed.

Ethical Criteria 

The study will also be conducted in a safe and ethical manner based on the ethical criterial that will be put in place. Firstly, the researcher intends to ensure fair subject selection. For a study to be considered as being ethical, it is expected that all subjects are given an equal opportunity for selection as part of the sample used to gather information. For this study, the researcher will put in place strategic measures to ensure that all subjects are given an equal platform for selection. The expected outcome is that this would help guarantee that the study is conducted in an ethical manner. Secondly, the researcher will provide patients with an informed consent form that they are expected to sign as part of their participation in the study and only those that will have signed will be considered.

Potential participants involved in a study should be allowed to make their own decisions on whether to participate. Participants that may be willing to be part of the study will be allowed to sign an informed consent that outlines what is expected of them as part of the study. The researcher intends to use that each of the participants understands all information in the informed consent before signing the document. Thirdly, the privacy and confidentiality of the participants will also be respected as another important area of consideration towards ensuring that the study is undertaken in an ethical manner. The researcher will keep private information confidential to avoid possible instances where some of the private information is used as part of the study. Additionally, this will also mean that the researcher will respect the right for the participants to change their minds on whether to engage in the study, which is an important aspect to consider in respecting the position of the participants.

Summary and Conclusion 

Medical marijuana remains as one of the notable issues of contention within the United States with some of the states not have passed legislations that would help in legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes. By January 2016, 25 states had passed medical marijuana laws with a further 4 states legalizing both medicinal and recreational marijuana. However, this has also created a major problem regarding instances where persons with no health issue take advantage of ineffective policy structures to access medical marijuana for recreational purposes. The objective of the research study will be examining some of the factors that have allowed the use of medical marijuana for recreational purposes. Additionally, the study will outline strategies on how states may improve on their capacities to dealing with such cases affecting the use of medical marijuana for medicinal purposes only.

References 

Anderson, D. M., & Rees, D. I. (2014). The legalization of recreational marijuana: how likely is the worst-case scenario?  Journal of Policy Analysis and Management , 221-232.

Bostwick, J. M. (2012, February). Blurred boundaries: the therapeutics and politics of medical marijuana. In  Mayo Clinic Proceedings  (Vol. 87, No. 2, pp. 172-186). Elsevier.

Morean, M. E., & Lederman, I. R. (2019). Prevalence and correlates of medical cannabis patients' use of cannabis for recreational purposes.  Addictive behaviors ,  93 , 233-239.

Pacula, R. L., Powell, D., Heaton, P., & Sevigny, E. L. (2015). Assessing the effects of medical marijuana laws on marijuana use: the devil is in the details.  Journal of Policy Analysis and Management ,  34 (1), 7-31.

Roy‐Byrne, P., Maynard, C., Bumgardner, K., Krupski, A., Dunn, C., West, I. I. ... & Ries, R. (2015). Are medical marijuana users different from recreational users? The view from primary care.  The American journal on addictions ,  24 (7), 599-606.