Today more and more people are siding with pro in the marijuana debate. Currently twenty one states and DC have passed a medical marijuana use bill ("Medical Marijuana States," 2014). seeing that so many states have already allowed the plant to be used for such an important part of our life, medicine, should make the drug legal. Medically speaking, the plant is a miracle drug. It has many uses and very little negative reactions.
J Clin Pharmacol. 2002;42:71S–81S. [PubMed] Sidney S, Beck JE, Tekawa IS, Quesenberry CP, Friedman GD. Marijuana use and mortality. Am J Public Health.
Dr Robert J. DeLorenzo along with other researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University discovered that natural cannabis “plays a critical role in controlling spontaneous seizures in epilepsy.” That’s only two studies that I’m naming, there happens to be a wealth out there showing that cannabis is linked to beneficial occurrences to those in need. More examples include: Depression, anxiety, Hepatitis C, Cancer, HIV, and even Morning Sickness. So, even after all of the evidence stating that cannabis even helps people in need, it’s still outlawed…
[4] Jake Wright, A History of Cannabis, from 'Marijuana' to 'Dope'. British Journal of School Nursing. 6(9), 460-461, (2011). [5] Richard Isralowitz, (2003). The Use of Marijuana in the United States: Reflections.
Dale Gieringer states that in the late 1800’s cannabis was only administered orally and it was later found that smoked cannabis produced the quicker euphoric results that many people enjoy today. The need for drug control, fueled by anti-Chinese immigration and opium dens, lawmakers in California developed the State Board of Pharmacy (Gieringer). This board would be the first of its kind and ultimately would set the stage for the legislation that came in later years to try and make America a drug free nation. Scientists were unsure of how to categorize cannabis and its effects. Some said cannabis was a stimulant while others said it was a depressant.
The argument of marijuana being used for medical use is what made Proposition 215 be successfully legalized in California with no age limit for any illness for which marijuana provides relief” (Minamide 32) including ailments that are minor like writer’s cramp and callouses on toes and hands. With no age limit there is a higher risk for abuse, since it is such an addictive substance, considering it is not difficult to obtain a cannabis card because one only needs to be eighteen and have a qualifying “ailment”. People with insignificant ailments can abuse the drug; they use ailments as an excuse to smoke because of addiction. Generally everyone has access to pot when there are other options available to treat the same ailments as pot. “In a double-blind study patients preferred Marinol over smoking marijuana 2-to-1” (Dudley 32).
2009. http://forum.sensiseeds.com/images/hemp/george_washington_grew_hemp_c3492.html George Washington. 24 May 2005. Cannabis Culture Magazine. 19 Jul. 2009. http://forums.cannabisculture.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1027961 George Washington’s Hemp Crop.
Also another one is anxiety, and an overwhelming sense of losing control. These adverse effects can also be avoided if you do not need the plant, to help you daily life become more productive. Never is it really known that longer term effects of the cannabis sativa plant, but maybe this could be the plant that is used to find a cure for cancer. Though medical proof does show that cannabis can actually shrink, if not significantly minimize tumor growth. The active ingredient in marijuana cuts tumor growth in common lung cancer severely in half, and significantly reduces the risk of the cancer spreading, say researchers at Harvard University (ScienceDaily, 2007).
(Bonander). Numerous studies have established that cannabinoids actually help reduce pain and other distressing symptoms (Zablock, Aidala, Hansell, and Raskin White 65-79). Evidence has been found linking medical marijuana to the treatment of appetite loss, glaucoma, nausea, vomiting, spasticity, and weight loss. Marijuana has also been used for treating arthritis, dystonia, insomnia, seizures, and Tourette’s syndrome (Earleywine). Some chemotherapy regimens are notorious for causing terrible bouts of nausea and vomiting.
Legalizing Medical Marijuana Marijuana is the most common drug in the US, which most people use illegally and for medical purposes. Some people view legalizing medical marijuana as a positive effect, than other people view it negatively. Marijuana should be legalized since the US can make a profit off of it, it’s been proven to help many medical problems, there’s no such thing as an overdose, and it can help reduce the crime rate. Twenty different states have legalized the use of medical marijuana and have laws dealing with cannabis use. The states that have legalized it are Alaska(1998), Arizona(2010), California(1996), Colorado(2000), Connecticut(2012), Washington D.C(2010), Delaware(2011), Hawaii(2000), Illinois(2013),