Legalization Of Medical Marijuana Research Paper

1253 Words6 Pages
The Legalization of Medical Marijuana Victoria Riley COM/156 April 30th, 2012 Elizabeth Dunham The Legalization of Medical Marijuana "Prohibition...goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." (Abraham Lincoln) Marijuana should be a legalized medical drug because it is a natural plant, reduces pain and also has little to no negative side effects. Marijuana was mentioned in the United States in 1857. A doctor named John Bell wrote in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal (Volume. 56) that "the various periodicals…show more content…
Marinol being a synthetic form of THC is not in its natural state so is has side effects; some of these side effects being jumpiness, headaches and fatigue. Doctors also worry about the potential for abuse in patients. Marijuana and synthetic marijuana is the most abused drug in the United States. According to the University of Michigan in 2011, over 35% of high school seniors admitted to using marijuana as a recreational drug. The fact that marijuana is considered a Schedule One drug also has negative effects on the use of medical marijuana. A Schedule One drug means it currently has no accepted medical use and is highly addictive. Some states have passed their own laws about medicinal marijuana but can still be held under the United States executive laws. Medical marijuana cannot be legally prescribed by a doctor, it can only be recommended. It is then left up to the patient to find a medical marijuana clinic and obtain a legal medical marijuana card. Marijuana has a plethora of benefits not only to our society but more for medical purposes. In an article written by John Burnett, he discusses possible outcomes if marijuana was legalized. He states that legalizing marijuana would drop crime and addiction rates. People who are addicted to narcotics due to chronic pain, would more than likely stop using if they could legally obtain marijuana.(NPR.org, 2009, John
Open Document