Dying To Get High Summary

Dying to Get High, published by Richard J. Webb and Wendy Chapkis, views the subject of medical marijuana through the eyes of a group of individuals who call themselves WAMM (The Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana). The members of WAMM manage people with serious illnesses and use medical marijuana to alleviate their symptoms. The book challenges misconceptions of critics, especially that of the government. Throughout the book, the government is viewed as an antagonist as they refuse to legalize medical marijuana on the ground that is it a threat to society. The governmental actions taken towards marijuana make it harder for those who used it medically to have access. While the government refuses to legalize marijuana, WAMM made it available for those that are medically dependent on it. The book explains the hardships of WAMM throughout the organization’s development, the invasion of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the court cases that affect the medical patients involved. The first chapter of Dying to Get High details the history of marijuana in terms of medical regard and federal law. Chapkins and Webb explain how politicians and medical professionals have differentiated marijuana from conventionally respected medicine and why the term “medical marijuana” is often perceived as a paradoxical. It also presents a timeline of the drug as it has existed in the United States. In the second chapter, a detailed account of Valerie Corral was presented. After being in an awful car accident that left her incapacitated by unmanageable (by traditional pharmaceutical standards) seizures and her subsequent decision to self-medicate with marijuana. Valerie and her husband began offering marijuana informally to their friends and other individuals suffering from “untreatable” ailments. Thus was born WAMM, a nonprofit organization dedicated medical marijuana research and education, as well as controlled distribution of marijuana to patients suffering from chronic ailments. Chapter three discusses how medical marijuana research has been consistently obstructed by the federal government, limiting even obtaining marijuana for research.. It then proceeds to discuss every study that was done thereafter disproved previous conceptions on marijuana and how the federal government did not respond to these studies. Chapter four presents personal narratives involving complications with medical marijuana and WAMM. This chapter specifically discussed the structural organization of WAMM, involving the disorganization at weekly meetings, and the semi-inappropriate role Corral plays as the head of the organization. Chapter five begins with a downplay of the mention of marijuana’s psychoactive effects. However, studies included show no significant harm using marijuana even though it is a Schedule 1 drug. The government also ruled THC was deemed safe with low risk which lowered its schedule. Chapter 5 also includes a narrative which explains people use marijuana for medical benefits only with the “high” being a side effect. Chapter six begins by stating one of the health risks of smoking marijuana is inhaling smoke into your lungs. It discusses the other ways people can benefit from marijuana. These ways also have downfalls, including issues like finding the right dosage. For many individuals, it becomes the issue of weighing the positives and negatives. It also visits the topic of how patients who use medical marijuana are just regular people seeking a way to deal with their painful symptoms. In chapter seven, the remote WAMM garden is discussed. The members of WAMM work in conjunction with each other in the garden to make sure that …show more content…
Through personal narratives, a specific pro-marijuana organization and factual governmental information, the authors created an educational novel that is eye-opening towards physically and mentally ill patients who rely on marijuana as their sole medication. For this reason, we would recommend this book to other pharmacy students. Marijuana is a highly popular drug that is currently in its developmental stages. Research is still being done on this drug while many states are beginning to legalize the drug for both medical and recreational use. Although marijuana is not commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry today, there is high probability that it potentially could in the near future. This book could be a beneficial asset regarding the history of marijuana and the social movements taken towards legalizing the substance. Overall, the book is educational, historically factual, and would be an advantageous resource for up and coming