The Medical Marijuana Industry, Essay Example

Ethical decision-making requires an examination of the issues and challenges that are present throughout society and the continuation of different issues that are likely to impact the industry in different ways. One ethical issue to consider is the use of medical marijuana under some conditions to treat illness, pain and disease, which continues to be an important issue throughout the United States and causes significant conflict on both sides of the argument. Medical marijuana use in the United States has increased, but there are ethical concerns regarding the manufacture, safety, and dispensation of marijuana to clinics and other areas where this product is used for medical reasons (Engel, 2015). There are a number of questions regarding the use of medical marijuana and whether or not physicians are properly prescribing this product under the appropriate conditions, and whether or not there are sufficient ethical standards in place in regards to this practice that physicians may adopt when making decisions in this area (Engel, 2015).

These findings suggest that there must be a greater emphasis on the ability of healthcare providers to use medical marijuana for the appropriate reasons and to exercise the utmost safety in their prescribing practices (Engel, 2015). Under these conditions, an examination of patient medical charts and other related issues must be taken into consideration and must reflect a need to better understand the stigma regarding medical marijuana and how it might be used safely and effectively at all times (Engel, 2015). From an ethical perspective, it is necessary to develop a strategy that will be conducive to making effective decisions and in supporting a desirable framework to promote the use and dispensation of medical marijuana under the appropriate conditions. This will have a lasting impact on the industry and provide guidance regarding the use of these tools in supporting and advancing outcomes for patients to promote health-related improvements.

References

Engel, G. (2015). The medical marijuana industry needs a code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/greg-engel/medical-marijuana-cannabis-ethics_b_7492322.html