Medical Marijuana Should Be Legal

Medical marijuana has been one of the most controversial topics in politics for years regardings its legalization and any possible benefits. Marijuana is commonly referred to as the “gateway drug” and has been thought to be what causes the downfall of our youth in today’s society. This has caused Marijuana to earn a bad reputation due to the immense surrounding propaganda and bias opinions. Cannabis is the scientific name of the plant which is absolutely natural and free of chemicals, but the psychoactive components in the plant has been proven to be of medical use. If medical marijuana is prescribed correctly it has the potential to help thousands of patients due to the variety of benefits it can medically provide. Medical Marijuana should

    According to a survey by pubmed.gov, “92 percent said that medical marijuana alleviated symptoms of their serious medical conditions, including chronic pain, arthritis, migraine, and cancer.” 86 percent of the United States believe that Cannabis has valid medical uses, says statista.com. Definitions.com states that, “medical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis or marijuana, including constituents of cannabis, THC and other cannabinoids, as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy.” Medical marijuana should be legalized, because it can be a safe and effective treatment for a plethora of illnesses.

Picture this, a woman mid 50’s, stage three terminal cancer. The doctors’ have concluded that the cancer is incurable. To make matters worse, she is going through common symptoms of the chemotherapy like pain, depression, nausea, and loss of appetite. It’s not enough that she is dying, but her final moments will be in extreme discomfort. Medical marijuana has proven to succor these symptoms, so the patients last moments in this world are pleasant. The plant, marijuana, derived from the Indian hemp plant, it contains an active ingredient THC. Its classification described as a psychogenic, narcotic, and a hallucinogen. Under federal law, marijuana is a schedule 1 controlled substance with no established medical uses. The extensive benefits pertaining to medical marijuana have shown to relieve chronic pain, severe nausea, and aid in the increase of appetite for anorexic patients. Pharmacists and doctors are aware of the potential benefits in prescribing medical marijuana, but lack the extensive knowledge necessary to accurately prescribe it. The federal legalization has rarely confronted until this presidential campaign, a few candidates have kindled the flame for medicinal advocates, which is leading to the awareness of the cause. Their has also been constant controversy over the past decades about the advantages and disadvantages of legalizing for medical gain. The arguments continuously sway back and forth between the positive and negative sides...The

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

Cannabis has provided millions worldwide with relief from chronic pain caused by a myriad of pain-producing illnesses. Cannabis has significantly improved the quality of life of people with cancer, AIDS, arthritis, and the list goes on. The medical marijuana movement is not concerned with decriminalizing or legalizing cannabis for recreational use. It is concerned with helping people with serious illnesses and disabilities to get on with their lives. (Bearman, 2011)

Today’s society this has change in some many ways. For instances laws has change some for the good and some for the bad. In this paper we be discussing whether to continue the federal prosecution of medical marijuana patients and their providers under the accordance with the federal controlled substance Act. There are so many opinions that people have on this issues. Some people may disagree with congress for passing this law and they may feel that it’s giving people the right to smoke marijuana freely and then you have some people that agree with this law being pass. Because they may feel that it’s helping people with different disease and with their chronic pain. Then you can’t say that they just want to smoke marijuana freely because all states have not passed the law that has legalized medical marijuana.

Unless you 've been living under a rock, you have probably at some point in the last few years had a conversation with a friend or family member regarding medical marijuana. Although it is considered a controversial topic, in recent months it has been gaining approval by the public. But it does not come without opposition and arguments. Medical marijuana is a complex subject and still requires more education for the public, the medical community, and the government.

Should medical marijuana be illegal in the United States? Twenty- three states have legalized “medical marijuana” in the last couple of years. Medical marijuana is a drug that supports treatment for certain illness like cancer and diseases of the eyes. The Executive Branch of the United States government has a “drug” policy manual. The Senate and the House of Representative added an amendment to a federal spending bill that was an historic event, while the Courts stop the DEA in their tracks. The branches of the government have affected the American people in so many ways when it comes to drug laws, both good and bad.

Have you ever thought of other forms of medicine other than the ones we have today? How about the medicines used in earlier times? The use of marijuana as a remedy dates back to about 8,000 years ago. In fact, it was classified as a regular form of medicine, until it was made illegal for use in the United States during the year 1937. In more recent years, the use of marijuana as a form of medicine has become a very popular debate in the United States especially with some states actually making it legal. The use of medical marijuana should be legal in the United States because it is a known treatment for many diseases, chronic pain, and because it has worked effectively in other countries.

A doctor at Cannabinoid Research Institute said “Cannabis is the single most versatile herbal remedy and the most useful plant on Earth. No other single plant contains as wide a range of medically active herbal constituents” (Dr. Ethan Russo). After the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, medical and then shortly after recreational, many states are asking themselves the same question. Medical marijuana should be legalized as it provides a long list of medical uses for patients and an additional source of revenue for states. Medical marijuana has more than enough facts to support the legalization of it.

However, there are many debates over whether or not medical marijuana should be legalized. Essentially, marijuana is a plant with leaves like any other plant (Blachford 267). What sets it apart is tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC. This component is responsible for the psychological effects of marijuana (Gerdes 89). An initial evaluation of its usefulness earns marijuana to be classified as a schedule I drug, meaning there is no valued medical use and it’s highly abusive (Dresser web). Although, in the past, the Food and Drug Administration allowed AID patients to use it because it was their last hope (Stempsey web). Then in 1937, marijuana was made completely illegal. Illegalization of the substance was enacted by the Marijuana Tax Act, which also made marijuana for medical purposes illegal (Blachford 265). Some states in 1996 tried to combat its illegal status by proposing propositions to allow prescribed marijuana usage, but it was denied (Dresser web). Eventually, by 2009, fourteen states made medical marijuana acceptable, and currently, in 2014,

“Cannabis has been used as a medicinal plant for millennia. In fact, the American government actually supplied cannabis as a medicine for some time, before the scheme was shut down in the early 1990s.” (Gillard, Arthur. Ed. Pg. 43) In fact the Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi noticed that Cannabis was a very popular medicine that possessed both yin and yang in 2900 B.C. Later in life, in 1213 B.C the Egyptians used it to treat the eyes, inflammation and many other things. Cannabis pollen was found on the mummy of Ramesses II. Medical Marijuana has been around for 1,000 of years and it will be around for another 1,000 years so the government should just get over it and legalize it. Medical marijuana should be legalized by the federal

cThere have been numerous amounts of research done on the use of medical marijuana. In the past 10 years, in the amount of research done on medical cannabis has increased significantly. Different research have done a variety of different studies on cannabis, cannabis based extracts, synthetic cannabinoids and how the medication is delivered via smoking, vaporization, oral, sublingual or mucosal routes (Grant, Atkinson, Gouaux, and Wilsey, 2012). Research has shown that cannabis significantly helped individuals with chronic pain. One study gave medical marijuana to patients who were currently suffering for HIV peripheral neuropathy (Maule, 2015). The research showed that the individuals who received medical marijuana showed significantly higher pain relief than the placebo group (Maule, 2015).

Many people have overdosed on medicine prescribed by a doctor, these man made medicine may even kill you, just one pill can end your life. Scientifically said, medical marijuana has cured many more illnesses and some infections than most prescribed medicine. Society should be more informed of Cannabis and not just negatively judge it because it is drug. Ads nowadays show Cannabis as a product that will hurt you and cause side effects in your body, but this my friend is incorrect, medical marijuana can benefit you in different ways; don’t judge a book by its cover. Society just label things to make them seems bad, evil, and harmful, but Medical Marijuana should be legalized for the health being of the people in the whole world, Cannabis is good for many reasons, and the following paper will blow your mind away.

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.