Legalization of Marijuana
Legalization Of Medical Marijuana: For a Good Cause One of the biggest controversies that currently plague the United States is the debate over the legalization of marijuana. Many speculate that changes in the laws concerning of marijuana are long overdue and our society can no longer postpone this decision. Two possible changes to the law (legalization for medical purposes and decriminalization for medical reasons) are being considered. The United States government has slowly recognized legalization of marijuana for medical purposes and so far only ten states have legalized marijuana for medical use.Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a drug made from the dried leaves of the Cannabis plant. These dried leaves are usually smoked in rolled cigarettes or pipes to achieve a psychological feeling of euphoria or well-being. Because of this "euphoric feeling, marijuana is the third most commonly used drug in the United States" (McMahon 105). Although the government denies the fact, marijuana has a great deal of medical benefits. Scientific studies show marijuana is an effective treatment for a wide range of sickness from migraines to the treatment of mental illness. Throughout history cannabis has been used as a medicinal herb.
The initial scientific study of marijuana as a potential for medical treatment in the 1970s was for the painful condition of glaucoma. While the political debate continues, cancer patients continue to lose weight and experience nausea and vomiting, glaucoma patients continue to go blind while approved medications fail and 6victims of other diseases that could benefit from medicinal marijuana strive over ineffective treatment. The existing data are consistent with the idea that this would not be a problem if the medical use of marijuana were as closely regulated as other medications with abuse potential" (Martinez 134). Doctors are currently allowed to prescribe cocaine, morphine and methamphetamines. The use of marijuana reduces the medical side effects of such muscular diseases as epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease. 3According to the Marijuana Medical Handbook, "the treatment of convulsions was the first medicinal application of marijuana in medicine" (Rosenthal, Gieringer, and Mikuriya 25). The patients can still be arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance. Studies show that marijuana has no addictive side effects and is safer than most of medications on the market today. In the Institute of Medicine's report on medical marijuana, the researchers examined the physiological risks of using marijuana and cautioned, "Marijuana is not a completely benevolent substance. No one has ever died from using marijuana. The report concluded that, "the short-term immunosuppressive effects are not well established but, if they exist, are not likely great enough to prohibit legitimate medical use" (Martinez 217). In a recent survey conducted by American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU), 86 percent of patients who have tried both marinol and marijuana prefer smoked 4marijuana due to its instant effects. This conflict leads physicians to advise their patients to break the law and send them to the street to obtain their medicine illegally. This pressure causes great damage to the optic nerve, thus leading to blindness.
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