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Andrew Drda
Professor Jizi
UWRT 1104
24 March 2017
Annotated Bibliography

1. Reiman, Amanda, and Tamar Todd. "Prescription Painkiller Deaths Fall Almost 25% in

Medical Marijuana States." Drug Policy Alliance. N.p., 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

This article is about a study preformed in 10 states which have legalized medical

marijuana. This study showed that in those states, that they had 25% less opiate (pain killers)

overdoses than the national average. This article showed another study, which took 350 people

who took medical marijuana. They were asked if they used marijuana, instead of prescription

painkillers, in which about 75% of them answered yes. This test has been run multiple times,

with thousands of participants, and the results stay the same.

This article relates to my inquiry, as it shows one of the many upsides of legalizing

medical marijuana. 25% less opiate overdoses due to medical marijuana is just showing what

could be happening nationwide. This helps people with an addictive personality not get addicted,

or even go through withdrawal when their prescription runs out. The second study shows that

75% of medical marijuana use marijuana as a pain killer now, and have cut out the need for

opiates. This is a less addictive substance, that if introduced correctly into society, can have

amazing benefits.

Amanda Reiman has a masters degree in social work, and a PhD in social welfare, and

has put her degrees to work, trying to find a way to make medicine safer with medical marijuana.

She is the manager of marijuana law and policy for the Drug Policy Alliance. The second author,
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Tamar Todd, graduated law school from Georgetown, and has clerked for Emmet Sullivan in the

U.S. district court, in the District of Columbia. She is also the director of marijuana law and

policy for the Drug Policy Alliance.

2. Luthra, Shefali. "After Medical Marijuana Legalized, Medicare Prescriptions Drop For

Many Drugs." NPR. NPR, 06 July 2016. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

This article shows all the treatments of marijuana (depression, anxiety, PTSD, Seizures,

etc..), and what that means for the economy. In legalized states, prescriptions for painkillers, anti-

depressants, and other prescriptions that marijuana can replace dropped by about 1,800 daily

doses prescribed each year, per doctor. This in turn, saved Medicare about $165 million in 2013

alone. Predictions show that this number could go all the way up to approximately $470 million

dollars saved by Medicare if medical marijuana was legalized nationwide.

This relates to my inquiry, as it shows the upsides of legalizing medical marijuana. Filling

more prescriptions with the less addictive substance will not only help the health of many people,

but will make healthcare cheaper for all. Paying for marijuana is much cheaper than paying for

most opiates, and saved Medicare $167 million after just one year. That is more money in the

pockets of Americans, or could be used towards something else depending on how the

government decides to tax medical marijuana.

Shefali Luthra is a respected reporter, covering lots of health and drug articles. Her works

have appeared in NPR, The Washington Post, Kaiser Health News, and other reputable news

sources. She graduated from Brown university with a degree in English, and has been reporting

ever since.
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3. Staff, PBS. "Timeline of Marijuana." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d. Web. 06 Apr.

2017.

This source talks about the timeline of marijuana, and reasons as to why it became illegal.

It was not always illegal, and was used in many forms of medicine, which was sold over the

counter from the 1600s to the early 1890s. Then all products with marijuana were required to

have a label to inform the consumer. The early 1900s to 1920s had lots of Mexican immigrants

coming to America after the Mexican revolution, and they played a big role in introducing

recreational marijuana into America. This led to a very big push back from the government and

many citizens, as they correlated marijuana and crime together. By 1930 marijuana had already

been made illegal in 29 states, and in 1932 the uniform state narcotic act was put out, which

would outlaw marijuana with very harsh repercussions. In 1936, Marijuana was not allowed to

be shown in films, even with prop marijuana.

While many of these policies are no longer in state, this helps provide me with the why

is medical marijuana no legalized?. It provides a back story to help show where marijuana was

first introduced into society and what acts made it become illegal. If we know what grounds it

was made illegal on, it is possible to test them today to get a better understanding of them, and

see if it really is as harmful as they thought it was when it was outlawed.

PBS is a news station that was founded in 1970, based in Arlington, Virginia. They have

been a quality news source, and a good provider of history ever since. While they do not have

very many medical credentials, I am using this source as a historical reference, which PBS

provided very well, and in depth.

4. "Cancer Patient Speaks Out About Medical Marijuana." Interview. Video blog post. Cancer

Patient Speaks Out About Medical Marijuana. ACLU, 26 Sept. 2011. Web. 7 Apr. 2017.

This Article Is an interview of a man who was diagnosed with sinus cancer and was

taking pain killers for it constantly. The tumor had eaten into his bone marrow, and he was

constantly in pain. He said every four hours he was told to take his meds, which ranged from

hydrocodone, to Percocets and Oxycodone. He said not only did he still feel pain, but he was

losing his appetite, and weight. His doctor prescribed him medical marijuana, and Joseph felt

much better. His appetite returned, and he put back on weight, all while feeling much better and

much less pain.

This shows another reason from firsthand experience as to why Medical Marijuana

should become legalized. This man has lived on both sides of the court, on painkillers and

medical marijuana, and he said that he feels like a much better, healthier person when he was

taking medical marijuana rather than painkillers.

Joseph Casias is a credible source because he actually lived through using medical

marijuana. He knows the goods and bads of using painkillers as he was on these before. He is

someone who was effected by medical marijuana and has come forward to tell his story about it.

5. Gray, James P. Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It : A Judicial

Indictment of the War on Drugs. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Philadelphia : Temple U press, 2012. Web. 8 Apr.

17.
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This book talks about drugs and both sides of the view. He spends time giving each sides

argument, and tries to come up with solutions, like to make drugs legal but only at your house or

a certain public location (Like an opium den or a hookah bar), so that way the people who do not

want to be around drugs do not have to be around them, and those who wish to partake may do

so. He talks of legalizing marijuana for legal purposes, but being very strict with it as to keep

everyone happy.

This is relevant to my inquiry, as it provides information as to why medical marijuana is

not legal everywhere, but also gives some ideas as to how to legalize it. It provides a good base

of information to understand why the government has concerns about legalizing it, and how we

can help the government change their views on this.

James Gray is very credible for the legal issues involving marijuana. He graduated from

USC Gould School of Law, and was the presiding member of the superior court of Orange

county California. He is well versed in law, and knows why marijuana is illegal, and gives his

credited professional opinion as to what can be done to compromise.

6. Mack, Alison, and Janet Joy. Marijuana as Medicine?: The science beyond the controversy.

Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 2001. Print.

This book talked about the possibilities of what marijuana could do as a medicine.

Released in 2001, It explored how California was doing 5 years into legalizing medical

marijuana. While it is still dated, it talked about all the possibilities, and early success that

marijuana had yielded with depression, anorexia, PTSD, and pain relief for cancer and AIDS

patients.
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This book Relates to my inquiry, as it shows the science behind how helpful marijuana

can be, and how far it has come since California first legalized medical marijuana. It showed

how it can effect the economy, and some peoples day to day lives.

Alison Mack is an author who has co-wrote numerous books about diseases, and

medicine since the late 90s. Mrs. Joy has a PhD from the university of Toronto and two post

doctorates from the University of Texas, and Northwestern University. She was the study director

for the U.S. Institute of Medicine Report in 1999.