Critiquing Marijuana Legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Critiquing Marijuana Legislation - Essay Example The author of the essay "Is there any Justice: Marijuana as Medicine - the Case for Legalization" begins with that the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is viewed by many as one of the worst things that we could do. There are many reasons that people feel that marijuana should not be legalized for medical uses. Marijuana is an illegal substance and until that is changed; prescribing it is against the law. Dr. Jerome Kassirer wrote that, "Attorney General Janet Reno announced that physicians in any state who prescribe the drug could lose the privilege of writing prescriptions, be excluded from medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and even be prosecuted for a federal crime". Government officials are not the only ones to object to the legalization of marijuana. Another objection to the legalization of marijuana is shown in "Marijuana for the Sick", where it is pointed out that many parents object to the legalization of marijuana for medical uses. Their objections come fr om a reasonable concern that there has been an increase in the use of marijuana by teenagers. Their concern is expanded since the marijuana of today is much more potent than the marijuana of a few decades ago. Another concern regarding the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is that there is strong evidence that shows that regular use of marijuana for long periods of time could cause severe lung damage. If the use of marijuana could damage a patient's lungs, then the risk could outweigh the benefit. The strongest point that many make opposing the legalization of marijuana is that there just is no clear evidence that smoking marijuana can help an individual who is ill (Abrams, Child & Mitchell, 2005). History of Marijuana and its use in medical field The history of the beneficial use of marijuana is a long one. Marijuana is one of the oldest drugs known to man, the use of which has been documented as far back as 2700 B.C. in a Chinese manuscript (Bakalar & Grinspoon, 2007) Although no actual studies were performed at the time, the simple fact that marijuana had been used for such an extensive period of time, shows that it can be used as a beneficial substance in helping those who are ailing. There has been research done in more recent times on the effectiveness of marijuana. Many reports are in favor of utilizing medical marijuana. In 1839, a respected member of the Royal Academy of Science, Dr. W. B. O'Shaugnessy, was one of the first in the medical profession, who presented positive facts dealing with marijuana and medicine (Bakalar & Grinspoon, 2007). In one Journal of American Medical Association article, "Marijuana as Medicine, a Plea for Reconsideration" stated that from 1840 to 1900, more than one hundred articles by Ameri can and European medical journals were published that showed the therapeutic uses of marijuana. Now recall the first criteria for a drug to be considered a controlled

Health Information Exchange - Answer both questions Essay

Health Information Exchange - Answer both questions - Essay Example involved, who is leading the initiative, whether it is a consolidated of federal model, whether personal health records play a role, and a description of how records are transferred between providers. NY State "Has made adoption of HIT and HIE a top priority through the Healthcare Efficiency and Affordable Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) Capital Grant Program" (Kern and Kaushul, 2007, p.S18). This program is mandated to implore funding to finance implementation of EHRs, electronic prescribing, and formulation and execution of pervasive clinical data exchanges within NY State (Kern and Kaushul, 2007). In facilitating implementation of HIE, Kern and Kaushul (2007) asserts that it is a prerequisite for the initiative to engage all stakeholders in the healthcare sector. In this regard, other parties involved other than the NY State government and grantees include hospitals, physicians, and payers (Kern and Kaushul, 2007). As further outlined by Kern and Kaushul, (2007), there are also efforts to ensure that grantees contribute funds equivalent to the funds donated by the State government to support HIE, and other efforts require subsequent evaluations of the initiative in an effort to assess the impact of the initiative on the quality, cost, and safety of health care. Assessing the impact of HIE on quality, cost, and safety of care validates the fact that personal health records play a fundamental role in the initiative. In essence, health records serves as a source of evaluation data. In facilitating the implementation of HIE, HITEC (Health Information Technology Evaluation Collaborative) was also established as an effort to bring together researchers and experts in all science related fields (Kern and Kaushul, 2007). Implementation of the HIE in NY State is a consolidated effort as it involves the NY State government, grantees and stakeholders. When a patient presents himself to a physician in need of a specialized care or assessment, the physician is obligated to