The benefits of medical marijuana use are many, however political opponents of the legalization of marijuana as a medicine have routinely said that there is no scientific basis for claims that the drug is useful. The long awaited "U.S. Government-Funded Institute of Medicine (IOM) Study" which was commissioned by the White House and Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey is in. Ironically the executive summary of the report stands in contradiction to Mr. McCaffrey's own claims and concludes,

Now, many years after making irresponsible claims regarding the benefits of medical marijuana use, Mr. McCaffrey has done an about face. On October 22, 2009 in an interview on CNN Mr. McCaffrey stated, "If we were talking about medical use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoids," Clinton administration drug czar Barry McCaffrey said on CNN..., "I'd be 100 percent for it."

Current events

When this website launched in 2009 There were 14 states that had legalized the use of medical marijuana. Today there are 20 states that have legalized the use of medical marijuana. And two states, Colorado and Washington have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. As of June of 2012 seven states have placed initiatives on the balled to legalize medical marijuana, Illinois, Missouri, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. In 2013 Massachusetts made medical marijuana legal.

A safe alternative

Not only is medical marijuana a proven safe alternative to prescription drugs, it is a proven safe alternative to alcohol use. Indeed alcohol use is linked to 75,000 deaths each year. On the other hand, there have been no deaths attributed to overdosing on Marijuana. Simply put there is no lethal does of marijuana. Compare this to the fact that 50,000 people a year die of alcohol poisoning and an additional 10,000 people a year die of alcohol related driving deaths. But perhaps the biggest argument for the benefits of medical marijuana is its alternative to prescription drugs. Many sources put the figure of death by prescription overdose, side effects or drug misuse at 100,000 people a year.

The sad fact is that prescription drugs kill more people than all other illegal drugs combined. Given this truth, the benefits of medical marijuana use is clearly worth considering.

Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a former national administrator of the U.S. government's marijuana research programs, appeared in a film about the business of marijuana prohibition shortly before his 2007 death called "The Union." "After dealing with about 10,000 patents in the last 15 years, I'd say about 200 different medical conditions respond favorably to marijuana," Mikuriya said.

Unlike medical marijuana, there is no single prescription drug that claims to cover even a fraction of these medical condition. The state of California recognizes over 27 medical conditions for which the use of medical marijuana is sanctioned. For the full list check out our medical conditions page. Some of the conditions include, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, hepatitis C, morning sickness and Cancer, HIV/AIDS chemotherapy. Given this fact some may ask why haven't drug companies endorsed or used marijuana?

Silence from the drug industry

Since no company can patent a plant, pharmaceutical industries have no incentive to weigh in on the side of legalizing or endorsing the benefits of medical marijuana use. Of course there are many prescription drugs that help us with all kinds of illnesses that would be in-appropriate for medical marijuana.

But the fact is prescription drugs continue kill tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. While legal, many are experimental, dangerous and often toxic while having serious side effects. These side effects may be fatal and at the very least often cause a serious degradation in a patients quality of life. Also there is a serious bio hazard issue posed by the development and production of pharmaceuticals. And many prescription drugs are banned from the garbage and land fills because of the potential environmental impact.

Sadly each year our water and land is contaminated by prescription drugs which are disposed of down the sink or flushed down the toilet. Closer to home, many pets and children are poisoned by prescription drugs which they find and ingest.

A sane conclusion

We believe that there are real benefits of medical marijuana use. We believe that every American should have access to medical marijuana should they need it to make their lives healthier, happier and more productive. And we believe in a safe and healthy environment for ourselves and our biosphere. This belief guides us and directs everything our staff, and physicians do at Greenleaf Care.