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 first published studies in the United States came in 1860 by the Ohio Medicinal Society. These physicians reported that "cannabis was successful in treating stomach pain, gastric
             distress, psychosis, chronic cough, gonorrhea and neuralgia" (Bello 111). In the early 1970's, cannabis was "re-discovered" as a medical substance and was tested in treating such conditions as glaucoma, cancer treatment side effects, and other illnesses. The initial scientific study of marijuana as a potential for medical treatment in the 1970s was for the painful condition of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease that strikes more than one hundred and seventy eight thousand Americans per ...