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Elvira Chacon-Lopez
English 1010-066
November 23rd, 2015
Jamie Mcbeth-Smith
The Medical Marijuana Debate
Everyone always hears about the dangers of Marijuana and how it can negatively affect
the lives of the people who use it and those around them. Then there is also the opposing side of
the wonders it does for some people, whether if it is for medical purposes or even as a
recreational drug. For the few out there that do not pay attention to Marijuana, especially
Medical Marijuana, it might be time to start looking into the debate. The controversial topic
about Medical Marijuana right now is Should Marijuana be legalized for medical purposes?.
With so many states currently legalizing Medical Marijuana, and so many more states
considering it, many are starting to think about more than just how it will affect the individuals
who consume it. People are also wondering about how it will affect the community and the good
or in some cases bad it will do to the youth population. So the question is which side should we
support?
Before jumping to conclusions one should always be well informed before making a
decision. Sure you have heard about Marijuana, but how much do you really know? Marijuana
also known as Cannabis has various other names like Bud, Ganga, Weed, Pot and etc. The
existence of Marijuana goes as far back as history can remember. For those that have not seen

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Pot, the most common form is dried up leaves that vary from green to brown, they can be cut
up, grinded down and can include the buds. A person can ingest Cannabis by smoking (most
common), vaporizing, eating it by placing it in food such a brownies and oil extracts. When a
person ingests Marijuana they have some physical changes like, red eyes, fast heart rate, and the
consumer become sleepy and lethargic along with a lack of coordination. Some changes in the
consumers actions include confusion, lack of focus, some become unusually talkative, and the
user also misjudges time itself.
Despite some of the negative side effects, it has great potential for medical purposes.
Cannabis can help cancer patients with pain and side of effects from chemotherapy like
vomiting, and can reduce nausea. Marijuana also helps HIV and AIDS patients by increasing
their appetite, and many children who suffer from chronic seizures have had the number of
seizures a day greatly reduced to almost none. Though there is little research that has been done,
scientists are quickly becoming aware the great help Marijuana can be for people in their
everyday life. There are many perspectives the controversy of Medical Marijuana can be looked
at besides the opposing and supporting sides. Employers, parents and physicians look at the
debate from more than one point of view because their beliefs affect those around them, which is
why it is important everyone becomes well informed.
Armento, Paul. NORML.org-Working to Reform Marijuana Laws. Medical Use.
NORMLFoundation, 28 Aug. 2015. Web 24 Nov. 2015.
Paul Armento believes that cannabis is a very valuable aid like nerve pain,
nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders and many more. As a stimulant it is specially in
treating a wide range of clinical applications. Particularly in cases of pain relief helpful

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for HIV and AIDS along with dementia. Armento argues that because Marijuana is
banned on a federal level, people are missing out on many treatments, there is an
overwhelming amount of research that contradicts the governments opinion of the drug
being too dangerous. Several of studies do show that Cannabis alleviates and consistently
reduces patients pain level, better than other medications that are currently available. A
big interest to scientists around the world is how Marijuana can autoimmune disorders
like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers disease. Another big interest is the Anti-Cancer
properties and how it can reduce the spread of cancer cells. These recent studies show
how great Marijuana is in the medical field and how therapeutic the hemp plant can be.
Armento strongly believes that there is a lot of good that can come from patients
being able to use Cannabis as a medication for their symptoms. By looking into many
research clinical trials that have been done, he is able to prove that it is not him just
having a biased opinion. Armentos overall point is that Marijuana is very affective with
chronic pain and argues that the federal law of banning Marijuana in the United States, is
preventing people from finding the perfect solution to their pain. Including in his article
that Medical Marijuana use is a worldwide interest better emphasizes how important the
positive effects are.
Having so much research that proves the positives of using Marijuana, can be
frustrating for physicians and patients. Especially when one is running out of medications
to try to help with the symptoms of a disease. The amount of clinical trials he looked into
better demonstrated how serious and supportive he is, he isnt just having his patients
give it a try. The amount of treatment for pain Marijuana can provide is astonishing,
people who have to deal with pain on a daily basis because of Arthritis and Multiple

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Sclerosis, can improve their way of life by being able to move around more and being
able to pick up old activities they use to enjoy. He greatly reflects that many can benefit
from the legalization of cannabis
"Has Legalizing Medical Marijuana Led to Increased Drug Abuse among Children and
Adolescents? - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. Web. 23 Nov.
2015.
Even though many do support Medical Marijuana legalization, there are still
many that do not approve, particularly because of the youth in America. Marijuana is the
most widely used illicit drug in Americas youth. Too many kids are using Marijuana at a
very early age. The fear is that legalizing Medical Marijuana will lead to an increase to
number of children using Marijuana at a young age and increase the drug abuse among
adolescents. The article states that, legalizing Marijuana will send the wrong message to
adolescents about drug abuse. If kids see Marijuana being used as a medicine they will be
more likely to ignore the dangers that Cannabis causes. If it is socially acceptable, kids
will be more inclined to give it a try. Children are the ones who are more at risk from the
availability that the legalization will bring, as it will draw greater numbers of youth in. In
some of the kids eyes, Marijuana will have the seal of approval from the government.
Though there has not been statistics so far that prove that this statement is true, who is to
say that it may not be true in the long run.
The article does good in worrying about the youth in America, even though there
is a lot of benefits to be gained, one also needs to take in consideration of the large
picture. If a teen where to see the governments approval, their though process may

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change how negatively they think about Marijuana. Also with the legalization would
come more acceptance, making it easy for not just children, but the whole general public
to outweigh the bad with the good. Some of the biggest problems about children using
Marijuana is that it will be easier for them to become addicted, affect the respiratory
system and impair their judgment. These are all long term effects that will follow the
children through adulthood, as a kid one is not fully aware of their actions. Which is why
it is important that parents decide what they think is really best.
It is normal for there to be fear with decisions that affect the youth, after all they
are the future. With how open kids are to trying new things, this fear is rational. No one
wants to show the path to drugs to their children, even if its not direct. Most children
practice what they see and if the government and their parents are okay to do something
why would they be able to, it logically makes sense. Marijuana has not been legalized in
all of the states, and already the number of people who use marijuana has increased.
People will even travel to other states to get ahold of some Cannabis. It even seems like
children can get a hold of Marijuana easily, so legalizing Marijuana would eliminate a
few steps for them to obtain it.
Kellogg S. Why society should consider medical marijuana. Addiction Professional [serial
online]. September 2014;12(5):26-30 5p. Available from: CINAHL Complete, Ipswich,
MA. Accessed November 23, 2015.
As an addiction psychologist and psychotherapist Doctor Scot Kellogg PHD, has
seen different perspectives of Marijuana through the patients eyes. He has seen people at
all different stages of life and has listened to their concerns about trying Cannabis as a

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remedy for their symptoms. Not only patients but many professionals throughout the
United Stated have also expressed their concerns about using medical marijuana because
many professionals believe that the hemp plant is a dangerous drug. Kellogg believes it is
a complex drug. With Marijuana legalization growing rapidly, there will be a large
number of treatments that will become available, but only when and if Marijuana
becomes an acceptable form of medication. He does not neglect the negative effects that
Marijuana can have such as psychotic experience in vulnerable youth, along with anxiety
attacks, but he certainly acknowledges the positives, like preventing blindness and using
marijuana when other medications fail. He believes patients can greatly benefit, but they
should clearly be made aware of what they are signing up for. Kellogg believes that
Marijuana should be treated as a solution with hope, of course with information on of
both positives and negatives.
He knows there is not enough research, but there is some and that is a start.
Kellogg believes people are dismissing the help of Marijuana way to quickly because of
what they hear around them. All of clinical research he found and studied show that he
very well knows the benefits, this makes him more creditable because he has a lot more
knowledge about the use of medical Marijuana and its outcomes as a remedy. This article
shows his want to help his patients, placing himself in his patients shoes and seeing how
they may feel towards the new treatment idea.
It makes sense to fear what one does not know, but there has to be a point when
one will be willing to try anything to find help. With Marijuana being right there people
should not be afraid to try it as a solution, afterall most medications do have side effects.

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His article shows that he confidently believes in using Marijuana as a remedy and that he
would stand behind his decisions to help his patients.
LEE, MARTIN A. "PRESCRIPTION: CANNABIS." NATION,[serial online] 18 Nov. 2013.
. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed 24 Nov. 2015.
Cannabis is very versatile. The cannabinoids help the psychological process along
with hunger, sleep, inflammation, stress, blood pressure along with body temperature. It
can also limit neurological damage that can happen from strokes and traumas. Another
upcoming research is Cannabis can be used for a cure for cancer with anti-tumoral effects
and help cut down the side effects from chemotherapy. Children with Daret Syndrome, a
disease that causes children to have a large number of seizures a day, decreases the
amount of seizures to almost none a day. Patients with HIV and AIDS have a lack of
appetite due to the virus, but with medical Marijuana their appetites increase which helps
the immune system with lack of nutrients.
There are clearly many uses for medical Marijuana in the medical field. The
possibilities almost seem endless. Patients with all types of diseases can be treated, even
symptoms of other treatments can be reduced. People of all ages and diseases can be
helped.
The legalization needs to be decided as soon as possible so that thousands of
people can seek help that other medications could not provide. A child with Daret
Syndrome can go back to school, and make friends. Their parents can go back to their
lives because they wont need to watch their child around the clock. A cancer patient
already has to go through a lot with cancer its self, the chemotherapy side effects also

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interfere with daily activities. Marijuana can help reduce those side effects. It is logical to
try and make the process of healing as easy as possible.

TWOVIEWS: MEDICAL MARIJUANA. LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN

NEW YORK. New York. Family Medicine News. Albany, New York, 16-17 2p, 2015
Many people are against medical marijuana becoming legalized because it is still
unknown which ingredients of the hemp plant have medical properties. Though there is
some information that has been found. For example, there has been proof found that
smoking the marijuana causes damage to the heart, brain and Lungs. The hemp plant also
impairs learning which is a great problem especially with the youth. There is also a great
interference with memory, perception and judgment. Even with Marijuana currently
being illegal, a great percentage of work place accidents and vehicle crashes involve the
drug. Some reports also compare smoking weed to smoking tobacco, saying that 3-4
cannabis cigarettes a day is the same as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day.
People are opposing medical marijuana because of the lack of information on how
much marijuana can help, along with the know side effects. Although there are
limitations so that the drug cannot be abused, there are still ways the public can get
around it, like having a physician misprescribe and sharing controlled substances within a
household. Marijuana is currently illegal, and it has impacted many lives negatively.
Legalizing cannabis will expose it to more people, increasing the damage that the hemp
plant has already done to the general public.

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It can be easy for anyone to abuse Marijuana, and drug abuse not only affects the
ones who use it but those around them. If Marijuana were to become legal the percentage
of accidents caused the drug would also increased. Laws regarding drivers license and
insurance would have to change to meet those expectations.
With so many perspectives to look from, its hard to know if legalizing Marijuana is really
the best decision. Some believe that legalizing cannabis will be putting it in the hands of our
youth, while for others it can be the answer to all their pain. One cant pick one side and make a
decision, one should take a step back and look at the whole picture as it will affect the whold
general public in one way or another.