Marijuana: Beneficial and Risky

Marijuana has always been a very controversial topic because of its recreational use. Cannabis, Pot or Weed are other names used when referring to Marijuana. There are a lot of things made out of Weed like clothing, food, drinks, ropes, construction supplies, paper, jewelry, plastic, fuel, soil, medicine and cosmetic goods among many other things. Cannabis has been used for decades by many ancient cultures. It is believed that the plant came from Asia and arrived in America thru the colonist. In the beginning, this plant was mainly used for its healing components, but later on, it was used for recreational purposes. This plant brings a lot of benefits to people suffering from terminal diseases. Cancer

Should marijuana be available for patients to use as medical treatment for their long-term illnesses? This question is not only an ethical issue concerning the use of drugs, but it could also be a serious legal issue considering that marijuana is illegal according to the federal government. Many doctors have praised the merits of using cannabis for treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, chemotherapy and cancer treatments, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV and AIDS, arthritis, anxiety, and depression. While most professionals in the medical field seem to agree on the benefits of using medicinal marijuana, there has been much division about the legal ramifications involved in prescribing and distributing this illegal product to the patients

THC disrupts the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed. This makes it hard for the user to recall recent events (such as what happened a few minutes ago), and so it is hard to learn while high. A working short-term memory is required for learning and performing tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for many years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. Among a group of long-time heavy marijuana users in Costa Rica, researchers found that the people had great trouble when asked to recall a short list of words (a standard test of memory). People in that study group also found it very hard to focus their attention on the tests

Arguably, medicinal marijuana has proven to be most effective for the relief of nausea and anorexia associated with cancer and AIDS/HIV treatments. For cancer patients who not only go through the unimaginable pains and discomforts of the disease itself but also the process of treatment through chemotherapy, the option of using marijuana may prove to be helpful in relief of the symptoms. In an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Kate Scannell, M.D. wrote "From working with AIDS and cancer patients, I repeatedly saw how marijuana could ameliorate a patient's debilitating fatigue, restore appetite, diminish pain, remedy nausea, cure vomiting and curtail down-to-the-bone weight loss" ("Do"). Dr. Scannell concluded by claiming "...almost every sick and dying patient I've ever known who's tried medical marijuana experienced a kinder death" ("Do"). This example alone is worth allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana. If marijuana brings relief by easing the pain and suffering of just one patient, isn't that enough reason to legalize its use for medicinal purposes?

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

Many medically ill patients experience agonizing pain everyday that they can not easily control with regular pain medicine, so what’s the next best thing? There have been many recent cases where medical patients have used medical marijuana for therapeutic uses and found that it had slowed the progression of their disease or helped cure it. Medical marijuana has started to become more popular with medical communities and researchers. Medical marijuana can affect many things in a positive way such as financial situations and social aspects, while having benefits on medical illnesses. Medical marijuana that does not contain the THC drug should be legalized in the United States because it would provide therapeutic benefits without making the user feel high.

Today in America, millions of American citizens are both confused and outraged by the fact that there are still laws that are preventing people from using one of the most popular and controversial, illegal substances in the world: marijuana. According to recent polls, fifty percent of Americans want marijuana to be completely legal and decriminalized (Blodget), and a whopping eighty percent of Americans want it to be at least legalized for medical use (RangelMD). So why do so many Americans want marijuana to be legalized? To some this question can be easily answered, but to others, it’s not so simple. There are way too many reasons to count why

In November, Jeanette Bokland was diagnosed with breast cancer. She tried to treat it but she couldn’t. One of her friends offered her medical marijuana and she said yes. She didn’t smoke the marijuana, she ate it. It took away her nausea, severe restlessness, and anxiety. It allowed her to eat. It made her feel halfway normal. She called it “a miracle drug.” These 3 people are just examples on why I think marijuana should be a medical option.

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.

Legalizing marijuana is crucial to the medical field because many patients cannot use this marvelous plant to relieve their pain. This plant can help patients with multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, HIV, nerve pain, and seizure disorders. Many patients must go behind the doctors back and consume cannabis or give it to a loved one to relieve their pain. Only twenty-nine states have allowed the use of medical marijuana. Furthermore, that means that twenty-two states do not allow the usage of any form of Cannabis. Marijuana should be an all-around legal

The use of Cannabis (Marijuana) for medical treatment is gaining momentum across the United States. Currently twenty three states and the District of Columbia have passed bills legalizing medical marijuana for treatment of cancer, AIDS, PTSD, neuromuscular disease and various other health issues (Medical Marijuana Pros and Cons, 2014). On May 3, 2013, Representative Robert Hagan (Democrat- Youngstown) introduced HB 153 ( a reintroduction of HB 214 to the 129th Ohio General Assembly) to the 130th Ohio General Assembly to legalize medical marijuana for patients and provision for statutory protection regarding medical use of marijuana (Ohio Legislative Service Commission, 2014).

Should medical marijuana be legal across the United States? Imagine a world where individuals who have chronic pain did not have to suffer anymore. Envision a cure for cancer, a disease many Americans are killed by daily. Picture people with severe, violent mood disorders being treated. Most people think the answers to these problems are simple and could be solved by over medicating patients. Today, there are twenty states in America who have legalized medical marijuana for specific health and medical related conditions (Medical Marijuana 1). The United States should legalize medical marijuana so patients who suffer from chronic pain can be treated, cancer could be cured, and mood disorders can be treated.

Marijuana should be a medicinal option because it relieves major chronic pain to many symptoms. According to the Herald Editorial board, Marijuana shows a great impact on pain, “from a widespread number of causes, including cancer, spinal cord injury and disease, severe spasms, post-traumatic stress disorder, nausea, glaucoma, Parkinson’s and other debilitating ailments.” This drug is useful, as patients at times cannot use certain drug due to allergies or other complications. Marijuana helps elevated those who suffer severe pain that other drugs cannot, but doctors still prescribe stronger and more addictive opiates that are legal. If marijuana was a legal drug for the purpose of medication, marijuana can potentially save lives. Marijuana should be prescribed as there are fewer side effects compared to the drugs prescribed by doctors. Why would the government not allow doctors to prescribe patients with extreme health issues that can potentially help elevate their pain. There are individuals who suffer from epilepsy, epilepsy is a condition that causes nerve cell activity to disturb the brain. At times individuals can have up to 10 seizures a day, at any given moment. Having 10 seizures a day at random times makes it difficult for them to go on with their day, but marijuana can decrease the amount seizures into one day. It’s remarkable on how marijuana can reduce the amount of seizures an epileptic person has. Marijuana needs to be an option for medical purposes for the amount of benefits it provides.

Why keep those pricey bottles and boxes of drugs in our medicine cabinets which are worthless? New research suggests that marijuana is a medicine. This is a concern which should be addressed for the citizens of United States who have to fight for their medicine to feel better and ease their illness. This is why marijuana should be a medical option! Marijuana is a natural herbal plant which is often called pot, weed, MMJ, cannabis, bubble gum, green goddess and there are several other names that follows. It can be smoked, eaten and drank. There are few reasons why it should be a medical option such as it costs less, its chemical free, and last it helps with the side effects from other medicines and illnesses.

As the debate about marijuana’s use as a medicine continues, experts have given us information pertaining to