Legalization Medical Marijuana

Should we or should we not legalize Medical Marijuana? Yes, I think we should make medical marijuana legal in all 50 states. Why is it so difficult for our government and our american society to vote for marijuana to be used for medical purposes. There are many reasons why medical marijuana should be legal, why is medical marijuana helpful, and cannabis are my three reasons why Medical marijuana should be legalized.

The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is a long-standing controversy. For centuries marijuana was prescribed to alleviate symptoms associated with a variety of illnesses. Anti-medical marijuana sentiments began with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act banned the use of marijuana completely, categorizing it as a drug with no medicinal value, high abuse rates, and detrimental health effects (http://www.farmacy.org/prop215/apha.html). Since 1996, numerous states including California, Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have passed medical marijuana initiatives supporting the right to prescribe marijuana for seriously or terminally ill patients (http://www.marihemp.com/marimed.html). The American Public Health Association and the Institute of Medicine represent two organizations that have recently researched and endorsed advancements in the study of medical marijuana. Both groups support the use of marijuana for specific treatments, such as reducing nausea in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, stimulating the appetites of AIDS victims, and limiting spasticity in MS patients.

Medical use of Marijuana is probably the most discussed topic of the legalizing campaign over the recent years. Some opponents of Marijuana say that it does not have any medical uses at all, and argue that Marijuana is only harmful and should remain illegal. Others for legalization have an opposite view that is starting to gain more recognition as time goes on. Around the late 1990’s, some members of the nation’s medical establishment began to acknowledge marijuana’s potential health benefits. One respected health organization, the Institute of Medicine, released a report in 1999 which stated that “nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety can all be mitigated by marijuana (Medical). In an article Drug Legalization, Advocates of medical marijuana say that in many cases it is the only treatment that has been shown to work. “It is a very effective medication for people who have failed to get good results from standard medications,” says Ethan Russo, a neurologist who has studied medical marijuana, “and that is why so many people are devoted to risking their lives and career to get this drug”(Drug). There are many reports that Marijuana can help with conditions traditional medicines do not seem to help with. Marijuana has also been a huge help to patients with Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Glaucoma, and Insomnia. With a lot of prescription medicines being expensive, Marijuana would be a cheaper alternative to buy if people chose to do so.

    Many people suffer unbearable pain and discomfort from their illnesses and seek any method that might bring relief. Many suffer from chemotherapy treatment, HIV infection related wasting, glaucoma, or other serious ailments that carry an unbearable amount of pain. They first try the drugs that their doctors have prescribed. These prescribed legal drugs seem to have some benefits, but often carry with them many side effects that may be more harmful than helpful. Many patients give the legal drugs a try and find that they are not effective in relieving them of their symptoms. As a result, many turn to marijuana for its medicinal use. Because it is an effective treatment,

            Many citizens in the United States suffer from lifelong diseases that cause them to lose the ability to live their day-to-day lives. The United States is now faced with the problem over whether or not drugs, often stigmatized by society, should be made legal. One of these lifesaving drugs is medical marijuana. This leaves us with the troubling question: “should medical marijuana be legalized in the United States?”. Supporters of the drug have argued that it should be legalized because it is superior to other painkillers and can be beneficial to people suffering from numerous illnesses. However, those who oppose its use, argue that not enough research has been done and it may be harmful. The

“In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis, marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.” Francis Young, DEA Administrative Law Judge, stated. Marijuana was thought of as a drug that was enormously harmful to the user’s health and well-being, but the truth about it is that if used correctly, marijuana has the ability to alleviate a variety of medical conditions, some that were thought to be “untreatable.” An immense amount of research and evidence has proven repeatedly that marijuana is able to treat many problems that plague much of our nation. Medical marijuana needs to legalization across the United States because of its ability to aid those with respiratory issues, to assuage one’s struggle with mental disorders, and it has a profound ability to mitigate the side effects often seen with people who are burdened with cancer.

Recently the drug policies and war on drugs has been increasingly seen in the headlines. Policies taken by the United States government against illegal drugs like marijuana are becoming apparent, and are coming into question. This has caused quite a controversy among supporters and opponents about legalization issues. Should marijuana be used as a medicine, as its advocates say? Or is it a dangerous drug of abuse that exposes users to brain damage and lung cancer? The debate over legalizing marijuana in all probability will continue for a long time, and it is a shame that this debate is so polarized. Marijuana produces long-term effects and damage on the brain. Although there have been reports of successful treatment in the use of marijuana as medicine, there appears to be more negative reasons why marijuana should not be used. Marijuana has been used for treatment of many diseases, some of which include cancer, post traumatic stress disorder, arthrosclerosis, digestive diseases, and HIV/AIDS. Despite the success for some medical issues, marijuana continues to be a “dangerous, addictive drug that poses significant health threats to users. Marijuana has no medical value that can't be met more effectively by legal drugs” ("U.S Drug Enforcement Administration"). The government and medical professionals should make it a point to emphasize the increasing problems of marijuana and its harmful effects on the body, as well as providing alternatives to

Marijuana legislation in the United States seems to be divided between very subjective and objective credence’s. The objective perspective seems to be that marijuana is a substance that has medicinal properties and merits further research into its utilize as a substance that can be utilized for medical treatment. While the subjective perspective seems to be more fueled by propaganda than scientific research. All too often, arguments for and against the utilization of marijuana have been predicated more on emotion and personal opinion shaped by propaganda and the taboo subject of illicit drug use, than genuine scientific fact. This should not be what decides if there should be legitimate scientific research on the subject. Currently, marijuana is a schedule I controlled substance, indicating it is considered highly addictive and of no medical use. Due to the many claims that marijuana is of medical benefit, many states have passed laws that allows limited access of

Today medicine is becoming more and more expensive and less natural as we advance in the medical industry. Medical Technology is so advance that there is a treatment for every kind of sickness. Some more dangerous than others but one of most simple and natural of them all is Medical Cannabis or better known as “Marijuana”. It was first prohibited in 1937 under the "Marijuana Tax Act" the move was made to protect the patents and fortunes of a few ultra-wealthy capitalists. But since then the drug has been proven to help with medical treatments. Marijuana is becoming more mainstream: more than 20 states have legalized it in some way or another, and several other states are thinking of changing their Medical Cannabis

“The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions” (NIDA). Currently, one of the most discussed topics in the United States is rather or not to legalize marijuana for medical use. Many facts point to the significant value the drug would provide to the medical community. There is indeed opposition to the legalization of it, due to the idea that marijuana alone can become addicting and would cause more harm than good. However, the medical use of marijuana can have a major impact on reducing certain side effects a patient may face while enduring treatments such as chemotherapy, it can aid the U.S in curbing the American Opioid Epidemic, and it can help exterminate certain diseases. Medical marijuana has already been legalized in 29 states and Washington D.C. Other states that are behind on legalizing it can learn valuable lessons from the success of legalization in the 29 states and D.C.

Proponents argue that those who use pot medically get considerable benefit from it. Yet clinical evidence has not shown the therapeutic benefits outweigh the health risks (“Health Effects of Marijuana Use” 9). In fact, prescription drugs do the same thing and are just as effective, if not more so, than medical marijuana. There are many health organizations which oppose smoking marijuana for medical purposes. Among them are The American Society of Addiction Medicine, which states:

Medical Marijuana, a highly controversial issue in today’s society, is at the cutting edge of both cultural and medical debate. Regardless of federal restrictions of the use of the illegal drug, about 41% of Americans have tried it at least once in their lives.(Armentano) Furthermore, medical studies have shown that while medical marijuana is both addictive and poses some risks to the immune system, there are also positive results to alternative forms of treatment. Medicinal use of this drug has been shown to reduce psychotic behavior, nausea, pain and other sicknesses.(Jack) States should legalize the use of medical marijuana to help those who suffer from a variety of alignments, many of which cannot be cured by pharmaceutical drugs.

Doctors that push for the legalization of medical marijuana have some valid points worth looking at. If medical cannabis can help a sick and dying cancer patients feel better long enough to eat, then it is hard to argue that medical cannabis does not have a meaningful purpose in treating patients. Healthcare professionals in states where marijuana is legal, may prescribe the drug in order to help certain patients deal with pain, or as a sleep aid for those who struggle with insomnia. The drug is extremely effective at “promoting weight gain, controlling nausea, palliating peripheral neuropathy, and reducing muscle spasticity” (Tuyp, 2014, p. 592). The issue is most users that consume cannabis, use it for recreational purposes, and never see a medical physician about their individual use.

For example, marijuana is used for glaucoma and AIDS patients either as a pain–killer or to ease the appetite of their patients. According to Rudolph J. Gerber‘s book, Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics, “many AIDS patients with treatment-induced nausea, appetite loss, and wasting syndrome claim that marijuana saved their lives by motivating them to eat” (Gerber 82). This argument is true; however, marijuana can cause side effects like “addiction, cancer, damages to the body’s respiratory, immune, and reproductive systems, and it can also affect the short-term memory (Marshall)” of those patients that are being recommended to take it for their treatment. For instance, David Murray, the special assistant to the director of the National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said, “People feel good after they take it, but they don’t get better.” Therefore, according to Murray, medical marijuana might help ease pain or appetite, but it does not necessary mean that it will cure or save that patient from its disease.

Drugs are heavily used throughout the entire world. However, it is important to understand and not undermine the variability in which drugs are used. It is clear some are for distinct medical treatment and others are for recreational use. In the United States, marijuana has been and continues to be a very controversial drug. Some states have allowed marijuana consumption for medicinal purposes, while others have completely outlawed the drug. Those who are against the legalization and regulation of marijuana suggest the economical and health risk associated with consumption of the drug are too high. Although there is risk involved with the legalization of the marijuana, our country has already been risking too much banning the drug.