Controversial Risk/Benefit Profile

Marijuana can have very damaging affects on a person?s brain. It can impair a person?s short-term memory, decision-making and signal detection (Cannabinoids). ?In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana? (Marijuana). After having used marijuana a

b. Joe Messerli of Balancedpolitics.org, states, “There are a number of medical benefits of marijuana, most notably in the treatment of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Others believe it helps in the treatment of depression unlike alcohol.”

It’s proven that the use of marijuana can help people with certain illnesses and help them recover. In an article; it stated that using marijuana for a medical effect can help you with your sleeping disorders, aches, eating conditions and pains. It can also help relax muscle tension, chronic pain and seizure disorders. Marijuana has been successful at

Medicinal Value Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose. It is also extremely versatile. Four of its general therapeutic applications include: relief from nausea and increase of appetite; reduction of intraocular ("within the eye")

Over the last 30 years public opinion has changed about the legalization of marijuana, mostly likely because a sizable percentage of Americans about 38% admit to having tried the drug, according to a Gallup study (Swift, 2013), approval has risen from 28% of

Studies have proven that marijuana is no more harmful to a person’s health than alcohol or tobacco. Every year, tobacco kills roughly 390,000 people, alcohol contributes to 80,000 deaths in America and marijuana contributed to 0; no deaths from marijuana have ever been recorded in US history (Abovetheinfluence.org). When smoking tobacco, the user inhales tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and 200 other known poisons into the lungs (Abovetheinfluence.org). All forms of tobacco, including cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, and chewing tobacco, contain the addictive drug nicotine, and can also cause cancer. Alcohol alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. Alcohol plays a role in at least 50 percent of traffic deaths, about half of murders, and about 25 percent of suicides (Abovetheinfluence.org). Marijuana side effects include delusions, impaired memory, hallucinations and disorientation, which are no different from the side effects of alcohol alone.

Marijuana during the 70’s was viewed much differently then it is today. Twenty-Seven states approve for new medical studies, and consequential turn out of those convicted of using the most commonly used drug in the world, is making the United States change their opinion on the subject. The most debatable question going on right now in this question about Marijuana is: Whether or Marijuana should be legalized based on how it effects people’s health, its resourcefulness to medicine, and the contribution to the country?

Lately there has been a big push to legalize marijuana for recreational use and it has been used as a prescription drug for a number of medical conditions. For instance, it is used in the treatment of glaucoma, nausea, post traumatic disorder, anxiety disorder, cancer, anti-inflammatory regimens, multiple sclerosis and also to stimulate appetite in those suffering from AIDS.

The effects of marijuana have been examined in several studies that focused on long-term structural differences, cognitive impairments, prenatal risks and neural functioning deficits. Long-term structural abnormalities include reductions in the volume of the hippocampus, amygdala and nucleus accumbens, where these structures also exhibited changes in density and shape. Participants in several studies showed impairment in memory, learning, concentration, coordination, as well as decreased motivation. Marijuana has addictive properties and has dramatically increased in potency over the last decade, which has led to an increase in marijuana-related fatal car accidents and to an increase in emergency room visits. On the contrary, the non-psychoactive

The whole topic on whether marijuana usage should be legal or not has been a hot debate topic for quite a while now. The use of marijuana has become even more popular, mostly with the younger generations. Many people fought on how it could be useful those who are sick in America and that need medications that could maybe help calm their disease and make it possible to overcome. Currently, you can legally smoke marijuana without a doctors note in 9 states and use medical marijuana in 29 states. 64% of Americans favor legalization, and even a majority of Republicans back it as well. (Robinson)

Marijuana is considered in popular culture to be a widely accepted mainstream recreational illegal drug used in the United States; its use comes with severe adverse side effects that are often overlooked. Long-Term use of marijuana 'sis shown to have negative effects on physical, mental, and environmental health. Studies have shown that in the United States, up to 20% of daily marijuana users become dependent (Marijuana and Lung Health) showing a physical or emotional need for the drug. Marijuana use has the potential to affect every aspect of a person 's physical and mental wellbeing negatively. Its use also comes with potentially life-altering risks to one 's future including an individual’s likelihood of obtaining a degree, impacting their future earning potential and decreasing their overall reported life satisfaction. Once dependent on marijuana, people stop caring about their schooling. Long-term use of smoking marijuana can result in the inability to learn, retain information and think critically.

Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many people are even considering legalization of one of the most used drugs, marijuana. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue that has been fought for and against for several decades. Marijuana is defined as a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, which is usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria and to heal and soothe. (dictionalr.com)

A number of movements to legalize marijuana have been gaining attention lately. Currently there are 14 states where marijuana is legal for medical use (medicalmarijuana). 41% of U.S. citizens believe marijuana should be legalized (drugpolicy) but others are still concerned about health damage. American society has lost the war against marijuana, and that's okay. We should stop wasting time and money trying to reverse history and instead legalize both medical and recreational use of this mild narcotic widely seen as no more harmful than alcohol.

The true medical benefits of marijuana are nearly endless. Marijuana has been utilized by ancient peoples all the way up to the modern society. “The first recorded use of marijuana as a medicinal drug occurred in 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung.” (Hill, N/A). According to (Hill, N/a) the Chinese emperor discovered and well documented just some of the few medicinal benefits of marijuana, he learned how it controls pains in simple medical issues such as: rheumatism, and the gout. Whilst he just found out a couple benefits of medicinal marijuana. Other ancient civilizations discovered more uses, according to (Ghaly, N/A) “The Ancient Egyptians used cannabis and applied it as suppositories for treatment of hemorrhoids.” so it was essentially it was used once again as a pain reliever. In India, people discovered multiple uses: “Cannabis was used for a plethora of medicinal and spiritual purposes, ranging anywhere from nausea and diarrhoea to headaches and insomnia. But the Indians were using

Many diseases cannot be cured but most doctors can prescribe pain killers that can cause serious internal damage. Marijuana is also used to help ease chronic pain, nausea, muscle spasms, and loss of appetite (Anderson 334). With this knowledge further medical research and testing should be done to help those in need. Marijuana has been used medicinally since the 1800s. Marijuana was recognized as a medicinal drug and was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 to 1942.