Use Weed Before One Turns to Ashes When people hear the word marijuana, it often takes on a negative connotation. But what some may not know is that marijuana has the power to cure life-threatening diseases, or at least make the symptoms less painful. The actual term itself, medical marijuana “refers to using the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat disease or symptoms” (“Is Marijuana Medicine?”). 23 states have already legalized the use of medical marijuana because of the way it helps to reverse the carcinogenic effects of tobacco and has even been proved to improve lung health. Researchers tested the lung function of 5,115 young adults over the course of 20 years. Tobacco smokers lost lung function over time, …show more content…
According to Paul Armentano, a director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, “over 85 percent of voters acknowledge that cannabis is a safe and effective treatment that ought to be permitted. Even Walgreens, a company whose medical sales topped out at $5.4 billion in 2015 stated that “research has indicated it [cannabis] provides pain relief in ways traditional pain medicines don’t. Medical marijuana can improve appetite and relieve nausea in those who have cancer and it may relieve symptoms such as muscle stiffness in people who have multiple sclerosis” (Clarifying Clinical …show more content…
As mentioned before, 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Furthermore, four other states, including Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for recreational use, however, it is still banned federally. Medical marijuana has been suggested and reported to have the power to make the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disorders, glaucoma and many others less noticeable. In addition, even if medical marijuana was legalized, patients would not be able to get it from a pharmacy like traditional prescriptions. It has to be sold through a licensed dispensary in a state that approves of medical marijuana. The patient must also be seen and evaluated by a licensed health care provider. Marijuana has lived throughout history as a medical miracle, yet only in recent years has it been misrepresented as a lethal substance. History repeats itself and this entire situation is comparable to the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s. Back then, when alcohol was initially banned, people did the same thing they are doing today- producing the product themselves in beer breweries or marijuana farms in this case. “Millions have died from cigarettes, yet they’re still freely sold at stores” so why shouldn’t marijuana be freely sold when there is not one confirmed case of someone dying strictly from pot (Dale Archer M.D.).
The truths about marijuana are slowly starting to resurface, the government keeps ignoring that cannabis could one day be as powerful for the U.S. Unfortunately, these truths about marijuana are under a lot of criticism because of the stereotype of what people see as a "marijuana or cannabis smoker." There is a great difficulty in this law because marijuana is still recognized as a harmful and dangerous substance in some states. This can cause problems because each state has their different views and opinions on the matter, and have their own rules and how the rules apply towards it. The twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, but California, Massachusetts, and Nevada just passed the law for recreational use. The states that have medical marijuana and recreational legalization are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. The states that only have medical marijuana legal are Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii (Ingraham). However, legalizing marijuana could have some benefits instead of being a drug with some bad reputations. Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, safety reasons, and have some benefits to society.
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 fact that cannabis is still illegal in forty-eight states is insane. Cigarettes, alcohol, and fast food kill hundreds of people every year and those are legal? I mean one- third of all AIDS cases in the US have been caused by syringe sharing (counterpunch). Study after study has shown that Marijuana is way less harmful than tobacco and alcohol (factslides). Cannabis has not even been directly linked to a death due to overdose, car accident, or cancer ever (Huffington). These are many reasons why many people support marijuana legalization and one of those reasons is because of the medical benefits. A drug that does not have severe side effects or could possibly kill you. Drugs like Cocaine, Heroine, Alcohol, Cigarettes. Those are the real drugs. Not Marijuana.
“Marijuana has been shown to alleviate symptoms of a wide range of debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer 's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), epilepsy, Crohn 's disease, and glaucoma, and is often an effective alternative to narcotic painkillers.” (Merino) Medical marijuana helps increase people 's appetite, relieves symptoms of pain and diseases that affect their ability to move, and helps reduce anxiety levels when dealing with certain diseases or more intense treatments. There are also different and safer forms of using medical marijuana other than smoking such as edibles, oils, vaporizing, tinctures, transdermal patches, and beverages. “ Marijuana took away my nausea, so I could eat healthy. It took away the severe restlessness and anxiety, so I could relax. It allowed me to eat, sleep and be up and active when I was awake — all of which are critical to recovery.” (Bokland) Most medical marijuana supporters suffer from a form of cancer or other disease, medical marijuana is a safe treatment that has been proven to help people who suffer from these diseases. A group of physicians named “The Doctors for Cannabis Regulation” are the largest group of doctors that are in favor of medical marijuana legalization, deming that cannabis is far less dangerous and unhealthy for adults than both alcohol and tobacco. Even with all this information, people still refuse to allow the use of medical
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
Why Medical Cannabis is still federally banned? Well Marijuana has been illegal since the 1950’s, due to the enactment of federal laws like the “Narcotics management Act of 1956” that set necessary sentences that relate to drug-related offenses, as well as marijuana. A Montana grower is now in prison. “Chris Willams a Medical Marijuana grower in Montana now faces the rest of his life in prison because a Medical Marijuana law was canceled.”This law didn't include the medical use of Marijuana. I believe Medical Marijuana ought to be legal below tax and distributed to only patients with treatable diseases.
“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
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,
Legalization of Marijuana Should marijuana be legalized? This has been an enormous controversial issue for the last couple of decades. It’s a drug that can be good for you, yet cause many great dangers. There are many views supporting and opposing the legalization of cannabis. A patient suffering from AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and other serious conditions often find marijuana the most effective treatment. In some cases it may be the only remedy. (2nd or not) As of November 2000, there are only 8 patients receiving marijuana legally as a form of medication. There are thousands of people using the drug illegal to help them cope with their disease. Presently, patients can be arrested and sent to prison for using marijuana --
Then it is difficult to understand how we accept that alcohol, for example, is something legal when it brings so many deaths because of its abuse and there are few benefits that we get from it. On the other hand, it is difficult to suffer an overdose with cannabis and it is even more difficult for it to cause death. I think then it is clear that its benefits are much greater than its few disadvantages and that its approval under certain regulations such as the collection of taxes, penalty for use under certain circumstances, etc. It would be highly beneficial. We should also listen to the population because: According to a February 2017 poll by Quinnipiac University, a large percentage of Americans approve of legalizing marijuana for medical use. The poll found that 93 percent of respondents supported the legalization of medical marijuana if prescribed by a doctor, while 59 percent supported legalizing the recreational use of the plant. First, we should think about its medicinal margin, and as a second instance, recreational. The legalization of medical marijuana will provide various benefits to patients of various diseases. As progress is made in disseminating these advantages, the creation of a clear and responsible law will be achieved. This instance will also allow us to open doors to greater prejudice-free research in which we can discover even greater benefits that the use of
The debate over whether medical marijuana should be legalized has long troubled many American citizens There are many political aspects that have to be taken when making a big federal decision such as this, However long before this plant was illegal many cultures have been harnessing this plant to use it for its medicinal properties. Within certain states medical marijuana is used medically to treat patients with serious illnesses. Marijuana was not always deemed as an illegal substance and because of its medical value it should be legalized at a federal level. However since marijuana is still an illegal drug and is considered a schedule drug (a substance with no medical value and subject to abuse). This causes many problems with laws, and people illegally using the substance.Since not all states have access to
The majority of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana. “A new survey finds that 53% favor the legal use of marijuana, while 44% are opposed.” (“In Debate Over Legalizing…” 1). Over the course of the years, the amount of supporters has increased. More information regarding the benefits marijuana has to offer patients suffering chronic pain has been released, and is a well known topic among a majority of americans. Potential risks from usage of the drug do exist, however, individuals should consider the immense amount of benefits that can be offered as well. Marijuana is not an unknown drug to Americans. Plenty of testing has been performed on the drug, allowing consumers to be better informed on the medication they are prescribed. It is unfair to take the opportunity to find relief away from terminally ill patients in order to keep drugs away from others. The truth of the matter is marijuana will never go away. Instead of criminalizing the act of using marijuana, the government could benefit from legalizing the drug. Regulation of marijuana would help decrease and keep crime out, and reduce the national debt. The patients are not the only ones benefitting from the legalization of marijuana. Once approving legalization, the government’s work would be done. The choice would then be left to the patients, and whether or not they decide to resort to marijuana as medication. Legalization would be a wonderful opportunity that could benefit more than bring harm. The government might as well approve legalization; several problems could then be resolved. Whether legalized or not, marijuana is already around and will never go
However, from another perspective, legalizing marijuana is unfavorable and unacceptable. Studies have proved that there is intimate relationship between the occurrence of some diseases and the use of marijuana. Tashkin (2005,p.93) has pointed out that Marijuana use is associated with the respiratory and mental illness and is harmful to the cognitive and immune system. Additionally, using marijuana increases the risk of lung cancer (Hashibe et al., 2006, p.1830). Researches have manifested that the number of marijuana smokers suffering from the tortures of cough and sputum is larger than those of non-smokers for the reason that marijuana users usually smoke the mixture of marijuana and some hard drugs harmful to people’s lungs. It has been estimated that the consumption of marijuana will increase about