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Jackson Warren

Adam Padgett

ENGL 102

14 March 2017

How Marijuana Can Replace Prescription Medication

Inquiry: Can marijuana replace the addictive medicines, such as opioids, that are prescribed by

todays doctors?

Thesis: Addiction to prescription medication is one of the worlds greatest problems and

epidemics. Research has shown that marijuana can be a less addictive and safer alternative to a

lot of these medications.

Abuse, National Institute on Drug. America's Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription

Drug Abuse. NIDA, 14 May 2014, www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-

activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-

drug-abuse.

This source discusses the opioid epidemic that is going on in todays world. This article is

the summarization of the testimony presented by Nora D. Volkow, M.D to Congress during the

Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Volkow goes on to talk about the rising

number of those addicted to opioids, estimated between 26.4 million and 36 million people

worldwide. An estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffered from substance use

disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012, and an estimated 467,000 addicted

to heroin. This article also goes into detail about the connection between prescription opioid
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abuse and heroin addiction, which is an important part of my paper when I talk about my friend

who overdosed on heroin. Other key topics this source brings up are the availability of

prescription pills, how opioids affect the brain and body, and ways to treat opioid addiction.

Although it is somewhat outdated, this will be one of the main sources I use. It is very credible

because it is presented by an expert in the medical field, and by the National Institute on Drug

Abuse. Also, this source gives a lot of statistics and information that is backed by research.

Barr, John. OTL: Painkiller Use in Today's NFL. ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures,

www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110128%2FPainkillersCurrentUse.

This article brings up the very real problem with pro-athletes that is pain killer addiction.

A scientific study conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that

retired NFL players misuse opioid pain medications at a rate more than four times that of the

general population. Through interviews with former NFL players, the author John Barr shows

how accessible it is for pro-athletes to get prescription pain killers. Doctors are very willing to

give players pills to help with their pain, and one interview even talks about times where pills

were just being passed around the bus after an away game. Members of a teams medical staff

give out these pills in states that they are not authorized in, which is a big concern for the DEA.

Rusty Payne, a DEA spokesman, said that only a DEA registrant, or a team physician can

dispense prescription pain medication, and team trainers should never hand out the drugs. Kyle

Turley, a former NFL lineman, said one physician outside the NFL's network of doctors once

offered to sell him a bag of 10,000 Vicodin. The ongoing battle with addiction doesnt end with

retirement as former players still continue to find ways to get the prescription pills by buying

from the black market. Teams in the NFL are creating these addictions for their players, and they

arent helping by continuing to willingly give out these addictive pills. The NFL needs to
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consider offering marijuana to help ease players pain since it is a safer and less addictive

alternative to pain killers. This article will be helpful with proving that pain-killers are too

accessible and addictive, and that marijuana could replace these prescription medicines. It is a

credible source because it is written by ESPN, the world leader in sports news, and the

information presented in the article is backed by research and accounts from former players.

Only problem with source is that it doesnt give an exact date of publication, but the point the

article is trying to prove is always going to be relevant as long as teams continue to prescribe

pain medication.

Geiger, Abigail. Support for Marijuana Legalization Continues to Rise. Pew Research Center,

12 Oct. 2016, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/12/support-for-marijuana-

legalization-continues-to-rise/.

This is a short article on how the views on legalizing marijuana continue to change. The

belief that marijuana should be legal is on the rise, and this source presents statistics with charts

to prove that this is true. This source will be used to show that more and more people support the

legalization of the drug. It is a more recent source than the last Pew Research Center article, and

that is why I chose to use it. The Pew Research Center did research to back up the statistics that

they present, making this article credible.

Join Together Staff. Opioid Addiction Being Treated With Medical Marijuana in

Massachusetts. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 7 Oct. 2015, www.drugfree.org/news-

service/opioid-addiction-treated-medical-marijuana-massachusetts/.

This article discusses how marijuana is being used to help those addicted to opioids fight

their addiction. Marijuana can help those with an addiction ween off the drug they are addicted

to. Dr. Gary Witman, of Canna Care Docs based in Massachusetts, has treated about 80 patients
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who were addicted to opioids, anti-anxiety medication or muscle relaxers with cannabis through

a one-month tapering program, and more than three-quarters of the patients stopped taking the

harder drugs. This is a credible source because experiments back it. This article will be used to

show how marijuana can help fight addiction. If we are using marijuana to help peoples

addiction to prescription opioids since it is less addictive, why not just replace the prescription

medicine with marijuana?

NIDA for Teens. Prescription Pain Medications (Opioids). NIDA for Teens,

teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/prescription-pain-medications-opioids.

This source gives further information about opioids. It explains what an opioid is and

how many different types of opioids there are. It also answers the basic questions that teens may

have about opioids. This source will be used to give information about opioids, and will most

likely be referred to when discussing the different types of opioids. This is a credible source

because it was written by the NIDA, who are experts in drugs. It is also credible because it gives

statistics and information that is backed up by research.

Smith, Samantha. In Debate Over Legalizing Marijuana, Disagreement Over Drug's

Dangers. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 14 Apr. 2015, www.people-

press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-

dangers/.

This source talks about the two viewpoints people have on the legalization of marijuana.

It goes into great detail about the viewpoints, giving statistics on how the viewpoints have

changed and what groups of people have what viewpoints. The article presents several charts

with information that can be used in my paper. This article will be used to show why people

believe in either opposing or legalizing marijuana, and the reasoning behind their belief. This is a
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credible source because it is nonbiased since it gives views from two different viewpoints, and

because the information it presents is backed by research.