Deitch 1

Professor Doran
ENC 2135
12 October 2016
Annotated Bibliography
Bakker, Bradley. Employers Need to Manage Medical Marijuana Issues. The Missouri
Bar. The Missouri Bar Foundation, July-August 2016. Web. Oct. 6, 2016.

This article examines the new issues that employers will be confronted with as medical
marijuana is legalized. The author suggests employers begin to review their policies related to
drug use now to avoid negligent supervision liability, losing competent employees and having
issues with the state and federal disability laws. He warns employers, current trend to legalize
marijuana will continue and they must be prepared so that they are not caught between
conflicting federal and state laws. He recommends, tailoring their current policies to include
medical marijuana. For now, prohibitions are safe. He references a case in California where the
Supreme Court sided with the employer and determined that the employer did not have to
accommodate an employee taking medical marijuana. In another case he cited similar results.
He informed us that state courts have also ruled in favor of the employers, but warns that as
more states pass medical marijuana laws, issues might arise between state marijuana laws and
the Americans with Disabilities Act because lower courts have found that the federal government
is not constrained by the ADA or state human rights laws. Some protection lies within the fact
that marijuana is still a Schedule I illegal drug. However, several states already have laws in
place to protect the employee from being discriminated against for the sole reason that he/she is a
medical marijuana user. He references New Yorks Compassionate Care Act and Arizonas
Medical Marijuana Act. He also warns employers of difficulty determining impairment and

Deitch 2
proving marijuana-related mistakes and accidents. Drug testing will also impact the role of the
employer and may not accurately reveal an employees status. Safety issues are a big concern.
Certain professions, like pilots will more than likely not allow marijuana, but many will. The
author suggest employers evaluate jobs now and justify certain jobs as safety sensitive, confirm
that substance abuse policies are consistent, and avoid creating a one for all approach. Twotiered substance abuse policies will prove more effective.

This article is from a credible peer-reviewed professional law journal website. The author is an
experienced employment and labor litigator. He defends employers in state and federal courts, as
well as in front of the Equal Opportunity Commission. The fact that it is written by an attorney
gives it credibility. The topic is very interesting and pertinent to my research paper. I will use it
to discuss the life of a medical marijuana patient in the workforce and how it plays in a drug-free
workforce. It surprised me that when litigated, in most instances, the court found favor in the
employers. I anticipate this to change as more states legalize medical marijuana because of issues
with discrimination. The strength of this article is that it is a real problem that will arise as more
states legalize medical marijuana. It is also current and great concern. It interests me because it
not only affects employers and the medical marijuana employee, but also the co-worker and
customers and/or clients. These are issues that I will include in my research paper when I cover
how medical marijuana will affect a community. The article provides more insight to the life of a
patient. It is not overly beneficial to my topic, but will add a new element of discussion. A
weakness is that it is difficult to discuss this topic at length because each state has its own law
regarding medical marijuana and they are handled differently state to state. Basically, the article
is suggesting that employers get drug policies in place quickly as states begin to transition into a

Deitch 3
legal medical marijuana state. I think a weakness to this article is that it does not include real life
stories. It also does not include statistics. Had the article included an actual study or trial, it may
have provided better evidence when arguing my point. Overall, it is a useful resource.

Bostwick, J. Michael. "Blurred boundaries: the therapeutics and politics of medical

marijuana." Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Vol. 87. No. 2. Elsevier, 2012.172-186.

Blurred Boundaries is a lengthy report on the Mayo Clinic Proceedings on medical marijuana.
The author explores many controversies by citing various resources and quoting experts in the
field. His analysis examines medical vs recreational marijuana, benefit vs harm of use, laboratory
research and pharmacologic application vs federal restrictions, and state vs federal law. He
begins with a brief history stating marijuana has been used as medicine and recreationally for
5,000 years globally. Congress s the reason for the limited amount of studies available,
suggesting the 1970 re-classification to a Schedule I drug, halted research activity. The research
into this study is limited to the same botanical form that recreational users use to get high.
Medical users also experience the same euphoric symptoms. Some experience negative
symptoms like dysphoria, anxiety and paranoia. These effects and other symptoms like memory
loss, slow response rate, increased body awareness, reduced coordination, ability to focus and
sleep also interfere with treatment and research studies. The author reports todays strains of
weed produce significantly higher THC levels and subsequent, psychotropic effects than years
ago because of hybridization. The best effects are experienced when the drug is inhaled due to
the rapid response rate, ease of titration, and because ingestion involves digestion that cause
erratic peak levels. It has been proven in many studies that most medical users are also

Deitch 4
recreational users because new users do not like the side effects of the drug. A relationship with
marijuana and psychosis was discovered in numerous studies.
A less significant relationship with dependency was noted, with new users over 25 years old not
having a impact on addiction. However, when pubertal and teenagers users were examined,
one in eleven 17-18 year olds and one in six 12 year olds had addiction problems. Withdraw
was noted in all groups with symptoms ranging from irritability to weight loss. Several studies
link marijuana use to exacerbating psychosis and/or precipitating onset in vulnerable individuals.
A Dutch study also found that the risk of psychosis increases in psychosis-free individuals
from .8% in non-users of marijuana, to 2.2% in users of marijuana. Another study found that
individuals within the schizophrenic spectrum experience relapse at some point during the yearlong study, from 42% of abusers to 17 %. Heavy users of marijuana (greater than one cigarette
a day) increased to 61% in this study. Peribuberty increases the risk. Additional studies reveal
that users who start before 16 years old experience far more drug abuse problems, physical
injuries, psychosomatic symptoms, academic failure and delinquency. Studies are conflicting as
to whether marijuana is a gateway drug. However, based on this research, benefits of medical
marijuana are unproven and additional randomized controlled trials are needed. Furthermore, the
study supports that marijuana is not a wonder drug and attests that recent legislation is a result
of voters rather than legislation making it legal in in several states. His research identified the
newly discovered endocannabinoid system that is described as a ubiquitous network of
receptors in the nervous system that attach to THC that can be manipulated to benefit treatment
regimes. This system provides scientists with valuable information that can be used to create new
pharmaceuticals that will hopefully be used to treat many of the same diseases that marijuana
treat. The author closes by calling for a reclassification of marijuana to a Schedule II drug to

Deitch 5
make it easier for much needed research to be done and also to allow pharmaceutical companies
to begin working on new synthetic marijuana drugs to help patients with debilitating diseases.
However, but warns physicians that non-conventional drugs should not be used until all
conventional methods have been exacerbated.

This article is very valuable. It provides a wealth of information regarding medical marijuana use
that I will use in my research. It put a lot of theories into perspective, proving some and
disproving others. This source is highly reliable and valid because the author used many different
studies as support of claims. It is also an article from the Mayo Clinic, a highly reputable medical
research institution. The author is a medical doctor and remained unbiased throughout the text.
He used credible sources as references and included more than one study to support his findings.
I was surprised to discover the strong relationship to psychosis among teenagers and adolescents
and to discover its addictive potential, as well as the relationship to psychosis. I will use all three
topics in my research paper. I wished that it had included the benefits to specific conditions such
as pain. I also found it interesting that the author pointed out many medical marijuana patients
experience memory loss and other side effects that may influence many of the studies performed
on them due to them being high. Overall, the article is an excellent source because it references
so many clinical trials and covers so much information. It directly relates to my research topic
and provides many statistics that will be helpful in supporting my argument. The fact that the
article is four years old may be a weakness because legalization of marijuana is moving very
rapidly. Although, much of the information reviewed is not time sensitive.

Chu, Yu-Wei Luke. "The Effects Of Medical Marijuana Laws On Illegal Marijuana Use."

Deitch 6
Journal Of Health Economics 38.(2014): 43-61. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

This article is written by a finance and economics professional for the Journal of Health
Economics. It is one of few articles that interested me that was not written by a physician. The
author uses empirical data to illustrate time-specific city trends that show a 15%-20% increase
in marijuana-related arrests in non-patients after medical marijuana laws were successfully
passed and implemented. Surprisingly, it is the only study that I reviewed that addressed the
impact recent legalization has on law enforcement. The author compared the legal documents of
arrests to the number of visits to a rehab facility and observed the same trends among adult
males.
This article is written by a finance and economics professional for the Journal of Health
Economics. It is published in a peer-reviewed professional journal, making it a credible source.
The credibility of this study is also obvious as it was conducted over a twenty-year period. It was
also written for and published in a peer-reviewed professional journal, adding to its credibility.
The data contained is directly related to the topic of my research and will add validity to my
paper. I will use this information to show how medical marijuana impacts a community. I will
link the material to preliminary information that I gathered that indicated car accidents were
notably higher in Colorado after passing similar laws. This article is helpful and useful in
illustrating my argument and will help me to answer my research question as to whether or not
medical marijuana should be legalized nationally. The length of the study is a strength. No
weaknesses were noted

Deitch 7
Drug-Free Action Alliance and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio.
"The FDA's Opposition to Medical Marijuana Legalization Is Based on Science." Marijuana. Ed.
Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Marijuana
as Medicine." 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.

This article supports that there is no medical value to marijuana. However, the report states that
there is some research indicates marijuana may help with nausea and vomiting, but research is
limited. The FDA, AMA, ACS, and NIH do not support marijuana as a medicine. The
classification of the drug, as a Schedule I supports that it marijuana is an addictive substance
with no medical benefits. These leading medical organizations state that there are safer and
more effective medical options. However, the article does strongly support that additional
research is needed. The article further states that additional research is needed on identifying the
chemicals within marijuana associated with any benefits. Additional research is needed for
appropriate dosage levels and safe means of administration, should medical benefits exist. The
article further recommends the same logical, rational approach to legalization as any other drug
that has demonstrated to have health and safety benefits. Voter and legislative initiatives do not
meet the necessary standards for medicine approval. In addition, the author states that, there is
currently available sound evidence that marijuana is harmful and the measures used for
legalization are inconsistent with efforts to ensure medications are safe for the public. The FDA
has given synthetic marijuana its approval and stated that it is available in all 50 states. It
addresses a lack of research available regarding the most common medical claims, when
compared to other foods and drugs that the FDA has mandated. Lastly, it discusses how legalized
marijuana may inhibit FDA approved medicines that are legal and have successfully been used

Deitch 8
for years. The information in the article is directly related to my research topic and will
compliment many of the questions that I intend to answer with my research.

This article is written by the FDA and therefore might contain bias because they are opposed to
medical marijuana at this time. The article is pertinent and useful to the topic of my research. I
will use the FDAs claims to support my argument. The strength of the paper is that the FDA is
the governing body as to whether or not medical marijuana is passed on a national level.
Therefore, they should be the experts in the field, making this a credible article. The strength of
the article is that it is a FDA publication and it provides a wealth of information that will be
useful in presenting and supporting my argument. Drug-Free Action Alliance is opposed to
medical marijuana legalization. The information in the article is directly related to my research
topic and will compliment many of the questions that I intend to answer with my research.
Overall, it is a very useful source. However, it is not first-hand information, it is being represented in a concise form.

Freisthler, Bridget. Child Abuse & Neglect: Examining the Relationship between
Marijuana use, Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, and Abusive and Neglectful Parenting. 48 Vol.
Pergamon Press, 10/01/2015. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

This article was designed to examine how marijuana use affects the inability to provide for a
childs basic needs, lack of supervision or harsh parenting. A study of 3023 parents was
performed in several cities across America. There was no relationship found between

Deitch 9
supervisory neglect and marijuana use. Dispensaries and delivery services were linked to
physical abuse of children. Interestingly, the article presents information suggesting that there is
a connection between current marijuana use and the frequency of physical child abuse.

This peer-reviewed article is a credible source because it is current. It was also written for the
Child Abuse and Neglect professional journal by educators in the field of social work and public
affairs at UCLA, a nationally ranked research university. The article provides very beneficial
information regarding some of the problems found in states that recently passed marijuana laws.
This information is very pertinent to my research and very interesting. I think others will be
interested in knowing that an issue that such as this has risen in a community, as a result of
medical marijuana legislation. This information will add a new dimension to my research and
will give a great deal of support to my argument. However, I was very surprised to learn that
marijuana use/location of dispensaries and delivery services influenced physical abuse of
children by parents. The strength of this source is that is it is new information, it is current and it
covers a very interesting topic. The fact that it examined 3023 subjects across a large
geographical area adds credibility and validity. A possible weakness to this research is that it is
only one study. Additional studies having the same results would increase the validity of the
clinical trial. However, the number of subjects examined gives the study a great deal of validity.

Hall, Wayne, and Michael Lynskey. "Evaluating The Public Health Impacts Of Legalizing
Recreational Cannabis Use In The United States." Addiction 111.10 (2016): 1764-1773.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

Deitch 10

This comprehensive article examines the effects on adolescent cannabis use, adult cannabis use
and cannabis-related harm when examining states with new medical marijuana laws.
Comparisons of adolescent cannabis use in household and school-based surveys have not found
differences between the states with and without medical marijuana laws. However, comparisons
of adult cannabis use have increased among users over 21 years of age. Evaluations of the
effects of medical marijuana laws and cannabis-related motor vehicle accidents have been mixed.
However, the most comprehensive study performed in Colorado over many years found an
increase in cannabis positive fatalities when compared to 34 other states. However, lower rates
of opioid overdose deaths were observed.

Incidentally, more binge drinking and more

concurrent use of alcohol and cannabis were noted in adults over 21 years of age. The author
says

more

evidence

is

needed

to

indicate

cause

and

effect

relationship.

.
This article is a credible source because it is published in a professional medical journal.
Information about the authors professions is unknown and may be considered a weakness of this
article by some. The statistics from the study are very beneficial and considered a strength of the
article. The extensive amount of information the article provides is very valuable and pertinent to
my research topic. I will use the research gathered in support of my argument. I discovered a lot
of information that I was unaware of and expect it to be indirectly useful when writing my paper.
One example is that I did not know the age limit was the same as alcohol, having to be 21 years
old to purchase in places like Colorado. I was also surprised to learn about how the taxing system
is similar to cigarettes, as well as the enforced limits on personal cultivation. I believe this source
will give me a better insight to the overall marijuana controversy and add significant information

Deitch 11
to my research. Overall, this article will be very helpful in writing my research paper.

King, Steven A. "Medical Marijuana For Pain: What The Evidence Shows." Psychiatric
Times 32.8 (2015): 4-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

Psychiatric Times is a peer-reviewed journal suggesting this article is a credible source. It is also
current, written within the last year by a medical doctor, adding to its credibility. The article
examines two separate studies on the effectiveness of marijuana when treating pain in various
diseases and diagnoses. The first review examined the effectiveness of cannabinoids in treating
marijuana in 28 separate studies. A 30% reduction in pain was noted. The most successful
method was smoking THC. The second review examined 5 controlled studies. All but one noted
a decrease in pain. Both studies also determined cannabinoids were not beneficial for treating
chemo associated nausea/vomiting, glaucoma or the ability to stimulate appetite with HIV and
AIDS. The study also couldnt rule out medical marijuana legalization as being a potential
backdoor approach to attaining legalization.
This article is directly related to my research and provides some very beneficial information that
will help support my argument. Both studies had a potential for bias or other validity concern
ranging from the inability to distinguish between chronic and acute pain. The lack of data for
more than 3 or 4 months may be considered a weakness of both studies. The results of both
studies determined cannabinoids were not beneficial for treating chemotherapy-associated
nausea/vomiting. Overall, the information will prove beneficial, but the potential for bias is of
importance and considered a weakness to the study.

Deitch 12

Maa, Edward, and Paige Figi. "The Case For Medical Marijuana In Epilepsy." Epilepsia
(Series 4) 55.6 (2014): 783-786. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

This article is about a study conducted on a little girl named Charlotte who was featured on a
CNN documentary, hosted by Sanja Gupta. She had a very rare disease that caused her to have
more than 100 severe seizures per week. After administering a special pharmaceutical grade of
marijuana, containing higher amounts of CBD and a much THC, the two active ingredients in
marijuana, she showed drastic improvements. The article includes information about how her
family found the drug in Colorado after the state had legalized marijuana for recreational use. As
a last resort, after all conventional medicines and therapies were tried unsuccessfully the family
traveled to Colorado, to meet with a group of men that had cultivated this strand by
crossbreeding marijuana with industrial hemp. As a result, it had much lower levels of the
psychotropic THC compound and a higher concentration of CDC. This hybrid plant does not
cause euphoria because of the low concentration of THC, but showed remarkable improvements
in Charlotte. However, his study lacks enough evidence to support its safety and effectiveness.
The family initially experienced finding a physician to prescribe the marijuana for her because of
her being five years old, but later was successful. Charlotte showed alarming results with her
seizures decreasing to one a week. Unfortunately, there is limited research in terms of marijuana
and epilepsy. Parents are not willing to give them the drug and epilepsy is most often a childhood
disease that children tend to outgrow.

Deitch 13
This article is a valid and credible study because it is published in a professional epilepsy
medical journal. It is also credible because Charlotte has captured the attention of many doctors
and is being followed by experts in the field. The author appears unbiased and sticks to the facts,
adding to its credibility. This case has been seen by many people around the world on a CNN
special documentary, entitled Weed. This article directly relates to my research and I will
include the information in my paper. This information will add a sense of controversy to my
paper because the authors claims are not supported in additional research. The strength of the
article is that many people will be able to put a face with a name because the child is known
nationally and also because she is a child. The weakness of this study is because it is an
anecdotal health claim and the same results have not been seen in additional studies. There is
limited research involving marijuana and epilepsy because not many parents are willing to give
their child marijuana and epilepsy is a common childhood disease and a child often outgrows
epilepsy. The study is also limited in that she is the only patient that is examined in full detail. An
additional study of more participants would offer greater value. I will use this study to illustrate
that this treatment has worked for some, but not necessarily all. I was surprised to see this study
in a publication because I was familiar with her from a previous pop culture and marijuana
assignment. I find her condition and her progress associated with marijuana very interesting.

Metts, Julius, et al. "Medical Marijuana: A Treatment Worth Trying?." Journal Of Family
Practice 65.3 (2016): 178-185. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

Deitch 14
This article is intended to be a guideline for physicians to follow before prescribing medical
marijuana to patients. The author states that only a few claims are backed up by evidence
regarding the benefits of medical marijuana. He references a study that showed moderate
evidence in treating pain and low quality evidence to support medical marijuana for
chemotherapy induced nausea, weight gain in patients with HIV and to treat Tourette syndrome.
He calls for more research needed in this area. He examines both botanical and synthetic
marijuana. He recommends, benefits outweigh risks before prescribing marijuana because it
has adverse health effects. Important factors to consider include: diagnosis to include one of the
above, have conventional methods of treatment been exacerbated, and what are the risks to the
patient (adverse side effects). He further recommends, consulting with a pain management
specialist to determine the correct strain and amount needed, obtain an informed consent and
apply for state administered certificate. He further encourages, scheduling follow-up
appointments and drug screen during treatment. Often when non-medical marijuana users have
access to medical marijuana, it may indicate patients sell their weed to others. He further
recommends, certain individuals not be treated, to include: patients under 25 years old, history
of addiction, a high risk for cannabis use disorder, pregnant, safety-sensitive job, respiratory,
cardiac or vascular disease, concurrent opioid use, and/or tobacco use. The article examines 79
different studies and found a 30% reduction in pain of medical marijuana patients.

This article is a credible source because it is currently published in a professional journal. The
author is a physician, adding to the credibility. The fact that it is easy to read and understand is
also a strength of the article. The size of the study including 79 trials makes the article more
reliable, valid and credible. The article is directly related to medical marijuana and includes a lot

Deitch 15
of information pertinent to my topic. I will use the recommendations and guidelines as part of
my research to support my argument. It is interesting to discover how these physicians feel about
medical marijuana based on the research they have done. It is also surprising how much extra
documentation is required to initiate marijuana therapy. Overall, this is a very informative and
helpful piece of information and I did not discover any weaknesses. However, this article is not
consistent with some of my other research.

Schwartz, Richard N., et al. "Medical Marijuana: A Survey Of Teenagers And Their
Parents." Clinical Pediatrics 42.6 (2003): 547. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

This article gives the results of a survey given to parents and their teenagers. The survey is
conducted in Ohio and Virginia. The survey is conducted in Ohio and Virginia. The results to
the study indicate that more teenagers than parents believe that medical marijuana laws passed
within a state will cause teenagers to smoke more marijuana.

This article is published in a peer-reviewed professional journal giving it much credibility and
validity. The fact that the information is current also adds credibility. This information is critical
to my research, as I had proposed to include the effect of medical marijuana on teenagers
behavior. It is very pertinent to my topic and I will use it to help answer my research question
and argue my case. The information is limited and only provides the results to one study,
although a very valuable piece of information. The data provided is a strength. However, I found
the results astonishing because I would not have thought the students would admit to medical

Deitch 16
marijuana influencing them. I also found it interesting that more students than parents thought
that it would impact them.