Is There a Need for Medical Marijuana in the Field of Veterinary Medicine?

Is There a Need for Medical Marijuana in the Field of Veterinary Medicine?

This article was originally posted in Nutricula Magazine, on August 12th, 2013

-by Al Plechner, DVM

There are many indications that medical marijuana definitely has a place in the field of veterinary medicine. I believe the various medical findings justify the importance for the use of this natural medicinal drug that has been recognized and used for many centuries for humans and is now becoming important for the medical/veterinary treatment of animals.

Many of the major veterinary associations are beginning to realize that medical marijuana does have a place in veterinary medicine even though our Federal Government has categorized all marijuana as illegal and used for illegal recreational purposes only!

One of our major veterinary associations, referred to as the American Veterinary Medical Association, on June 15, 2013, released the following statement in their journal, the JAVMA, “With pet owners already using the drug as a medicine, veterinarians need to join the debate”. One pet owner’s thoughts appearing in this same release, stated, “People need to understand that this isn’t about getting my dog high, it’s about improving his quality of life”.

Another pet owner turned to the use of medical marijuana to make it much less painful while her dog was dying from cancer.

Thankfully many of us have not been exposed to our pet dying from a painful disease that “standard” pain medication can’t help, so why wouldn’t you want to use medical marijuana to lessen your pet’s suffering?

Do you honestly believe that the Federal Government has the right to tell you to let your dog die a painful, miserable death, because they have deemed medical marijuana to be illegal? This makes as much sense as the Federal Government thinking it has the right to tell your family and your pets to eat genetically modified foods! Unfortunately our Federal Government is “politically impaired” and is no longer “for the people by the people” because the majority of people no longer rule!

This JAVMA news release also recognizes the fact that many states have been looking at the use of medical marijuana since 1996, at about the same time that California passed a referendum that allowed patients that needed the drug for health reasons to possess and grow marijuana legally. Since that time, 19 states, including the District of Columbia, have also passed similar referendums.

In 2012, the states of Colorado and Washington legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes.

Even though many states have decided to allow the use of medical marijuana, the Federal Government still deems its use as highly illegal!

Of interest, is that researchers have apparently identified and isolated 60 different chemicals from the marijuana plant, referred to as cannabinoids. Of further interest, cannabinoid drugs are available with medical prescriptions, even though the Federal Government claims they are of absolutely no benefit for patients using medical marijuana. Yet…these prescription cannabinoids are used to help stop vomiting and pain and have been approved for use with patients with AIDS, who suffer from anorexia and weight loss.

The time has come to separate medical marijuana from recreational marijuana…but only for the time being. Both uses of marijuana, either for medical or recreational purposes, seem to be moving in the right direction as the various states endorse the use of marijuana as an everyday legal event…and various significant medical organizations are urging the Federal Government to allow for more legal research to be done on the use of medical marijuana.

There have been so many many success stories involving heath-challenged human and animal patients and the use of medical marijuana, that the Federal Government really has no right to stop its use anymore!

For further information on this subject, please Google “The use of medical marijuana in animals”. This will help you realize why new legalization allowing for the use medical marijuana is so vital for those people and animals that are suffering from catastrophic illnesses that cannot be helped with standard medical therapy.

THE HAND WRITING IS ON THE WALL!