In the United States, marijuana legalization is a highly debated topic. Marijuana has many benefits to the body and the community. It can be used medicinally or recreationally and serves a number of purposes. Marijuana has been proven to treat a number of diseases and conditions, causes a decline in deaths due to overdose from opioid pains, and serves a plethora of additional benefits. I strongly feel that sooner rather than later, marijuana should be federally legalized so that citizens can have access to the benefits of this plant.
Over the past few decades, the use of medical marijuana has been an extremely controversial topic. Medicinal marijuana is legal in 20 states, even though it disputes with current federal drug laws. The main
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There is limited research into the effects of cannabis on opioid use in patients who experience pain, but data implies that medical cannabis treatment may reduce the dose of opioids that one is required to take for necessary pain relief. (National Institute on Drug Abuse) In comparison to the legal and commonly used drug alcohol, marijuana has been repeatedly proven to be safer through research. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 37,000 annual U.S. deaths are attributed to the health effects of alcohol use, including hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths. The CDC does not have a category for deaths caused by marijuana use, and a government-funded study conducted by researchers at Kaiser Permanente and published in the American Journal of Public Health found no association between marijuana use and premature death in otherwise healthy people.” (Marijuana Policy Project) As opposed to alcohol use, which is associated with a vast variation of cancer diagnoses, marijuana usage hasn’t been conclusively linked with any form of cancer. According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, "There is no conclusive evidence that marijuana causes cancer in humans, including cancers usually related to tobacco use." This was solidified again in 2006 by the largest, most comprehensive case-controlled study on the effects
The truths about marijuana are slowly starting to resurface, the government keeps ignoring that cannabis could one day be as powerful for the U.S. Unfortunately, these truths about marijuana are under a lot of criticism because of the stereotype of what people see as a "marijuana or cannabis smoker." There is a great difficulty in this law because marijuana is still recognized as a harmful and dangerous substance in some states. This can cause problems because each state has their different views and opinions on the matter, and have their own rules and how the rules apply towards it. The twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, but California, Massachusetts, and Nevada just passed the law for recreational use. The states that have medical marijuana and recreational legalization are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. The states that only have medical marijuana legal are Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii (Ingraham). However, legalizing marijuana could have some benefits instead of being a drug with some bad reputations. Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, safety reasons, and have some benefits to society.
In the United States, we have enacted numerous bans and restrictions against certain drugs and substances with the purpose of protecting the general public from their negative effects. On this list of illegal drugs are harmful and addictive substances such as cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin. A substance called cannabis, also known as marijuana, is also on this list. As of now, it is illegal to buy, sell, possess, or use marijuana in any shape or form in the state of Louisiana. However, due to the advancement of technology and of human perspective and innovation, it has come to light that marijuana could actually be of benefit to our society through its medicinal uses in treating a range of conditions and diseases as well as its possible social benefits in helping individuals stray from heavier drugs by acting as a substitute. Now that the wheels of time are turning and that medical marijuana is becoming a budding industry, the question remains: should marijuana be legal all across the United States of America? With the benefits it could bring with its medical, social, and economic uses, marijuana could be a profitable asset to our society if it were to be legalized, and I believe that we should strive for that outcome.
For many years, the prohibition of marijuana has led people to believe that marijuana was extremely dangerous, therefore, it could never be legal; but, most dangers spoken about marijuana are myths as it is found less harmful than alcohol, and even tobacco. In 2007, research done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare came to the conclusion that alcohol was a large contributor to death and the cause of more than 3% of the overall disease and injury in Australia, while marijuana was accountable for no deaths and only 0.2% of disease and injury. Despite what many are told to believe, this research poses that marijuana holds way fewer risks than alcohol does, and alcohol is legal. Around 88,000 deaths occur each year due to alcohol consumption, and half of those are due to binge drinking. With this in
Marijuana can be used by the public for many purposes. Medicine is an important part of our lives and marijuana has been tested to cure cancerous cells as well as help people with their epilepsy. Using marijuana for medical purposes is one major aspect that people should take into consideration for legalizing it. Marijuana’s market has also been brought to many people’s attention because it has been poised to grow faster than smart phones. Together, these reasons have been more than enough for people to consider legalizing marijuana.
The medical marijuana debate is an interesting one because there’s such a wide diversity of opinions and views that oppose each other. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug. They consider these drugs to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse and to be some of the most dangerous drugs, because they’re highly addictive and may cause severe psychological or physical dependence. Other Schedule 1 drugs include heroin, LSD, ecstasy and meth. Many who are against marijuana believe the drug is dangerous, harmful and feel it should remain illegal.
Over the past years, States have been pushing to legalize medical marijuana and some states have accomplished that. More than 20 states in the United States have legalized medical marijuana where citizens can buy weed freely with a licenses to purchase it with certain
There is often a great deal of controversy around Medical Marijuana. One reason for this might be due to the fact that many people do not understand the rules and regulations that surround it. One way to gain a greater understanding of it and its use is to read a Medical Marijuana Blog such as the one found at Blog420.com. Reading these blogs, such as Blog 420 will help everyone understand more about using marijuana for medical purposes.
“For me, the medical marijuana was a miracle drug, a life saver. I wish I had used it from the beginning because it was so helpful, and according to our current law, I should go to jail for it”, said Jeanette Bokland a nurse, dealing with cancer. Jeannette said she tried everything, then she got ahold of medical marijuana, and ate it because, “I do not want to smoke anything”. She is so happy she got ahold of medical marijuana, it took away my nausea, restlessness, anxiety said Jeanette Bokland. Our nation estimates 2,434,192 medical marijuana smokers; (Number of Legal) like Jeanette medical marijuana does help some patients dealing with cancer. It did not get her “high” it made her feel halfway normal. Jeanette was helped tremendously by
They also report that in laboratory testing on animals and controlled testing on humans, that cannabinoids are often effective as analgesics and helpful in relieving post operative pain on the same level as codeine, as well as relieving nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and can reduce muscle spasms and pain related to MS as well as “abnormal skeletal movements related to Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome” (690-691). While medical marijuana has its benefits, it is not without side effects. Like many other medications that are in use for relief of similar symptoms, marijuana can reduce motor skills, making driving and operating equipment dangerous. Marijuana has also been linked to panic attack, depression and anxiety with prolonged use, but remains a viable and preferred method of treatment by its supporters (Hall & Degenhardt 691).
If your loved one was dying of a chronic disease, and the only way to obtain relieve is through medicinal marijuana. Would you not want marijuana to be legal? How will you cope if your loved one died simply because marijuana use is against the law? Marijuana should be legalized in every state because it provides many benefits for people who are terminally ill, it reduces crime rates in cities, and eliminates the power of drug dealers who are making massive amount of money.
The information that has been collected however has proved several things. First of all we need to address whether the medical use of marijuana is dangerous. Many are concerned that the drug has addictive components that can lead to major health problems for chronic users, “Marijuana and cannabinoids have a generally excellent safety profile. Unlike many medicines, acute lethal overdoses of marijuana have not been reported, and research has not documented increased mortality attributable to chronic use.” (Merino 36) The book goes on to explain, “Marijuana has an extremely wide acute margin of safety for use under physician supervision and cannot cause lethal reactions…greater harm is caused by the legal consequences of its prohibition than possible risks of medicinal use” and “compared to most other drugs…dependence among marijuana users is relatively rare” (Marijuana policy project
Marijuana is known to be a very controversial topic, are you a part of the majority of citizens who believe legalizing this drug is the best option for this country? 60% of Americans agree that in all 50 states, the recreational use of marijuana needs to be available for all. Legalizing marijuana can financially support the United States, which would be favorable for this country. The crime rate can be reduced if this narcotic was legalized, the medical use of marijuana is proven to affect the body in advantageous ways and the use and desire for weed has significantly escalated since 1960, when only 16% of the population wanted cannabis accepted. Marijuana, without a doubt must be legalized.
With the proper use , Marijuana can have several benefits, as an alternative medicine to prescriptions. Marijuana has been thought of as a harmful plant that can hurt people's lives and is imagined to be nothing more than another problem in today’s society. However, based on its enlargement value and medical benefits, cannabis has proven to exceed its negatives with several other positives.The history of marijuana goes all the way back to 2700 BC., usually used for pleasure, ceremonies, and medicine.
The legalization of marijuana is very beneficial to a person’s health. As previously stated, medical marijuana has been legalized in 29 states. Marijuana can help the following health problems: Epileptic Seizures, Glaucoma, Dravet’s Syndrome, Anxiety, It can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, it also helps multiple sclerosis, PTSD and it can protect the brain from concussions and trauma. It serves as an appetite stimulant and helps patients going through chemo with their nausea and vomiting. Marijuana is actually safer to consume than alcohol and tobacco. Many people die from the use of alcohol, the CDC reported that more than 30,000 death occur due to the health effects of alcohol, and they do not have a category for deaths caused by marijuana which, shows that marijuana is not a drug that causes deaths. Alcohol use has damaging effects on the brain while on the other hand, marijuana actually has neuroprotective properties. Alcohol leads
Medical marijuana is very a big and controversial issue in today's society, currently the community is divided on the issue. Questions are always being thrown around such as "how does marijuana affect the body?" and "what good does’ marijuana do for a person?" Researchers have tried to answer these questions with multiple studies and they have shown some of the positives of medical marijuana. If something is able to help someone who is in dire need why not use it on those people to find a better solution for them. I myself am on the supportive side of the issue of medical marijuana. I don't think it should be legal to just anyone though I believe there should be a legal age law, a driving while under the influence, and a public intoxication law in effect for medical marijuana to be legal.