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The article discusses the story of glaucoma patient Robert C. Randall's successful fight to get marijuana legally from the U.S. federal government to treat his disease. Randall was diagnosed by an ophthalmologist of having glaucoma in 1972. In 1975, he was charged by the government for cultivating marijuana in his apartment in Washington, D.C. He used the research of Robert Hepler about clinical trials on marijuana and glaucoma in his defense. In November 1976, Randall received his first supplies of marijuana from the government. INSET: THE PHARMACIST'S CHALLENGE.

The article presents the author's views on the increased drug abuse cases in the U.S. Various topics discussed include report on marijuana legalization at the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area website, increased use of marijuana between 2013-2014, economic aspects of legalization and drug naloxone.

The article discusses the use of medical marijuana for long-term illnesses and an emerging trend towards its legalization. It cites the states that have allowed its distribution to patients upon a physician's recommendation such as Alaska, Colorado and New Jersey as the 14th state to pass medical marijuana legislation. It indicates the reluctance of the federal government to legalize the use of medical marijuana. It points to the pharmacists who can help counteract marijuana's negative stigma.

In the article, the author discusses the effects of the legalization of marijuana use in the medical sector. He claims that the laws in various U.S. states that legalize marijuana use are being exploited. He cites as examples the cases in California and Montana, in which marijuana are legally trafficked, resulting in the more than 1,000% increase in marijuana abuse by drivers in Montana. He suggests that marijuana should be produced to the same standards as pharmaceuticals.