Should Marijuana Be Legal?

Perception with medical marijuana is constantly changing as we find how it can help others with mental and physical conditions and chronic pain. There is a recent case of a severely autistic child who has Tuberous Sclerosis, is given

Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug used among our teenagers in the United States. Research shows that 42% of high school seniors have smoked Cannabis, 18% within the past month and 5% smoked daily and 1 in 6 are addicts. More than 64% of teenagers reported that marijuana is very easily available (Gary). Unfortunately, some parents live in a world of denial and say “It’s not my kid. My child doesn’t smoke.” Unbeknown to us, there are unfavorable concerns for many young marijuana abusers such as the risk of addiction, poor school performances and a “gateway” to other lethal substances. Smoking marijuana increases respiratory diseases, impaired immune function, cognitive problems and motivational impairment. (National Institute on Drug Abuse). It is the leading cause of abnormal cognitive development which persists long after abstinence. Marijuana is the main drug used by children who seek emergency medical treatments and screened following an arrest or autopsies (Dennis et at).

Another paediatric patient, Joey Perez, was diagnosed with autism at only 18 month of age. By the time he was only five years old Joey was taking six different medications, as much as three times a day. By the age of ten he was basically on his death bed, the symptoms of autism, anxiety, OCD, and aggression only worsened. The side effects of the pharmaceutical drugs caused loss of appetite causing malnourishment and he was diagnosed with anorexia, his family watched him withered away. His mother looked for an alternative method, which she refers to as magic brownies. Twelve months later Joey has never been happier and had gained back the weight. In this case , just like the last, the medical marijuana used to medicate the condition was high in CBDs. Joey's mother went on to The Good Morning Show to share her story, in hopes that others can benefit from it, (Sircus, 2).

The flame ignites, the smoke builds, the mind relaxes. It’s a process that at one point, could have

Marijuana has been proven and tested to give a very positive impact on the American society for many different reasons. Marijuana is used for many different medical reasons. It helps people who have ADHD, crohn's disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, insomnia, arthritis, and even people with a lack of appetite. Marijuana is a harmless drug and needs to be legalized for medical use in all states.

Increasingly, more and more evidence shows how cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis is making a positive impact in treating children with rare diseases, particularly seizure conditions. The story of Jayden David, first shown on the Sanjay Gupta’s documentary Weed Wars, is only one of many that deserves to be told, as it highlights just how CBD oil is making a difference in the lives of families that dared to try their luck with an alternative form of treatment. CBD hemp oil, derived from the cannabis plant industrial hemp has been shown to alleviate a myriad of health conditions. Research and personal stories are expanding the dialogue on just how medical cannabis could be beneficial in treating conditions such as Dravet syndrome that plagues Jayden. CBD oil had made an incredible impact in Jayden’s life by reducing the frequency of his seizures and improving his quality of life.

Marijuana, in a medical form, can reduce seizure activity in people with epilepsy, especially when all other forms of treatment have been exhausted. One such case was with a girl by the name of Charlotte Figi, who first started having seizures at 3 months old, and by the time she was 5 was having 300 seizures each week. When the hospital told the parents there was nothing more they could do for Charlotte, they turned to medical marijuana. After working with doctors to find the correct dosage of cannabis oil that was needed, Charlotte, at the age of 6, was only having two to three seizures per month (Young, Marijuana Stops Child’s Seizures, CNN.com). Additionally, while the personal stories of those who have seen a reduction in the number of seizures that occur from the use of medical marijuana are more prevalent than that of published studies by doctors, these studies do exist and show

Jayden David is a six years old who is suffering from Dravet's syndrome, “Rare and catastrophic form of childhood epilepsy.” According to Jayden’s father, Jason David, he tried everything to save his son from suffering from pain, but nothing worked. According to CNN news, “Jayden’s doctors prescribed 22 anti-seizure pills a day, which controlled the seizures but left him immobilized due to the side effects.” Jason David could not see his son suffering anymore therefore, his last hope was medical marijuana. According to CNN, "He's in pain and suffering and crying," said Jayden's father, Jason David. "You can't help him no matter what. What are you supposed to do? You have to do whatever it takes to save their life.” When Jayden got his first

The article “Marijuana Stops Child’s Severe Seizures” by Saundra Young reveals an unusual solution to a child’s illness. Starting from a young age, Charlotte Figi started getting frequent seizures. The seizures lasted from two to four hours and often required Charlotte to be hospitalized. After doing several tests, the doctors were not able to find the exact cause for Charlotte’s seizures. They eventually diagnosed Charlotte with Dravet Syndrome. Following the diagnosis, the doctors decided to start treatment which proved to be unsuccessful. The next step they took was to implement a ketogenic diet which worked for two years with some side effects. Finally, Charlotte’s parents decided to try using medical marijuana that has low THC levels. The medical marijuana used proved to be successful in reducing Charlotte’s seizures drastically.

Charlotte’s seizures started when she was three months old. She was not diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome until she was 2 ½ years old. Charlie was put on a ketogenic diet which helped decrease the seizures, but it had terrible side effects on her. Two years after starting the diet, the seizures came back and Charlotte’s parents turned to cannabis oil. Charlotte could not walk, talk, and eat until she was started on cannabis oil. She was also suffering from 300 grand mal seizures a week says Brian Resnick, in the article “The Case For Legalizing Medical Cannabis for Kids.” Immediately the cannabis oil took effect and decreased her seizures to just two or three seizures a month. Charlotte began to talk and eat again after taking cannabis oil. Not only did cannabis oil help decrease Charlottes seizures, but it helped take Mykayla off of

Marijuana is a drug misunderstood by many nation wide however, most people do not consider it 's legitimate medicinal application. Medical marijuana defined by Drugfacts refers to the use of the whole unprocessed plant to treat a disease or illness. The Drug Enforcement Administration has listed it under the schedule I classification which is the same classification that heroin, LSD, ecstasy and many other drugs are under. The classification identifies the drug as a dangerous substance that has no recognized medicinal use as reported by the DEA. It 's classification as a highly regulated Schedule I drug makes it challenging to study its medical benefits. Due to this classification, marijuana is commonly regarded by the general public as possessing "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" (DEA.gov). The DEA has yet to acknowledge many conducted scientific studies that point to the very tangible medical benefits of cannabinoids (Voth and Schwartz 1997). The blockade on marijuana research has caused a severe halt in reaping the benefits of THC. The drug is a better alternative than many drugs given to patients as seen in some cases of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and chronic terminal conditions like cancer, because of its "analgesic, sedative, and anticonvulsant" properties (Abood, Sorensen, and Stella 2012). Marijuana can serve as both a viable treatment option and improves the quality of life through its pain relieving capacities. While

How Marijuana is Used Medicinally. Marijuana has many medicinal traits such as pain relief, increased appetite, sleep aid, reduce cancer cell growth, inhibit tumor growth, and a slow formation of amyloid plaque which causes Alzheimer’s (Cannabis and Cannabinoids). One of the most extraordinary cases found on this topic is Charlotte Fiji, a 3 month old who started having seizures. The seizures rapidly increased over time lasting up to 3 hours, 300 times a week. Charlotte’s parents tried every conventional medicine; anti-seizure medications, special diets, and therapies. Doctors where running out of options, and their best bet to save Charlotte’s life was to put her into a medically induced coma to give her body a rest. Her parents wanted more of a life for her then being on a ventilator. Her father was deployed in the military, and he

Next, let’s examine groups that support marijuana becoming officially authorized. These groups dispute that it has medical benefits for patients that have cancer or AIDS. It helps relieve pain, relaxes, and may help the patients get their appetites back. Marijuana is also known to help slow down the progression of the disease in Glaucoma patients. People suffering from epilepsy use marijuana to prevent the epileptic seizures. It’s also known that marijuana helps with the treatment of people who maybe clinically depressed.

Glaucoma is a condition which can lead to blindness if left untreated. It is caused mainly by the increase pressure in the eye. Marijuana is made primary of cannabis which contains Cannabinoids. Cannabinoids successfully lowers the pressure in the eye making it a possible cure for glaucoma. What about patients who suffer from epilepsy or seizures? In 2015 at the New York University medical school researchers have found a fifty percent decrease in the patients using Cannabidiol(CBD). Cannabidiol is simply defined as a compound found in marijuana except it will not make the person high. Many parents of children who suffer from seizures are being treated with Cannabidiol.

Opponents also support that marijuana may affect brain development and irritate the heart and the lungs. It may be true, but it is not a reason for criminalizing the use of marijuana since we know that smoking cigarette causes lung cancer and many heart diseases. Moreover, mental diseases such as the Parkinson’s disease and the Multiple Sclerosis can be treated with marijuana thanks to two substances it contains called cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, which permit to reduce inflammation, control spasms, and even prevent neurological damage. For instance, an Australian mother Cheri O'Connell revealed in a report of Herald Sun News about the benefits of liquid marijuana, which she says saved her epileptic daughter Tara who was only given months to live. In fact, Tara could barely walk or talk, and she slept as much as a newborn. She endured more than 20,000 seizures every year; her condition left her parents and siblings, exhausted and scared for the future. Running out of options, they met another family, who had lost a similar battle. This family advices the O’Connell’s to try Marijuana. Then, they did so, and Tara is now seizure-free, walking, running and even dancing after one year of treatment. Cheri says, "We didn't see her having a future at all. But I can now see us being able to