Chacon-Lopez 1

Elvira Chacon Lopez

English 1010-66
December 9th, 2015
Jaime Mcbeth-Smith

Medical Marijuana: For Better or Worse?

There are currently many states who have taken the step of making Marijuana legal for
medical purposes, and there are still more states who are considering it. Every time a state of the
United States of America starts to consider the legalization, it immediately headlines the news
the news. The reason why it is an important decision is because it would not only affect the
individuals who consume it, but also those around them like family, friends, employers and etc.
People all over the country are worried about how it will affect the community. As of November
2015, 23 states along with the District of Colombia have legalized Marijuana. One of the biggest
concerns with Marijuana legalization is the Youth and how it will affect them. Another concern
is the negative side effects. There is also the concern of the people waiting for the legalization so
they can try new types of treatments. So the big question is Should Marijuana be legalized for
medical purposes?
There are many advantages of using Marijuana as a medical treatment. For example,
cancer patients that go through the process of chemotherapy usually experience the side effects
of nausea and vomiting. Marijuana helps cut down these side effects and even eliminates them in
some cases. Another example is patients with the HIV and AIDS virus, the cannabinoids help
with pain and the loss of appetite caused by the virus. Also adults are not the only ones who
benefit. Children with Darets syndrome, a disease that causes children to have a large number of

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seizures a day, have greatly benefited from Canabis oil by cutting the seizures down to almost
zero a day. Most importantly the children can consume the Marijuana in the form of oil or pills,
there is no need for the children to smoke the drug for it to take effect, and other methods of
intake are just as effective. Even adults who are discouraged because they do not want to smoke
it, can use the other methods of intake. Studies have been conducted all over the world and have
seen positive results. There are many who can benefit from the legalization, ranging from pain
management to helping with loss of appetite. People can return to their everyday lives and
activities while continuing to take treatment and fight diseases. Getting the treatment needed will
no longer feel as bad as the disease itself. A huge benefit is that some people will be able to
return to work because their symptoms will be manageable, help them afford their treatments.
The Marijuana could also become taxable, the whole country would benefit from this, because
there would be more money for schools and roads. Programs against drug abuse would be
entirely funded by taxes from medical Marijuana.
Though there is a great number of positive outcomes that can be gained, there are still
many physicians who avoid going to Medical Marijuana as a form of treatment. These
Physicians state that the long term effects of the drug are not very well known, and can do more
damage than good. This could also just be that it is a new thing so people are being quick to
judge. There are doctors who think otherwise, such as Doctor Scott Kellogg, he believes that this
form of treatment is quickly being dismissed because of what people hear about the drug. Yes,
there are side effects just like any other medication, for example there is some interference with
judgment, perception and memory. In youth especially when taken at a very young age, there can
be problems with learning and organ development, such as the heart lung and brains. Another big
issue and probably the most important is that the legalization with make it more available to the

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public, causing the youth to come in contact more often. The youth already risks becoming more
easily addicted to Marijuana, so making it more accessible doesnt sound like the brightest idea.
People are starting to wonder if the positives will be great enough to outweigh the negatives and
the youth is a great tool to use to support the negative side. No one wants to put the drug in the
hands of the youth, parents and schools are already doing the best they can to keep drugs and
other substances out of schools. There is no doubt that the problem of Marijuana possession
control among the youth will increase, which is why more programs against drug abuse should
be implemented in schools. The public should not look at Marijuana as a touchy subject but
instead accept it is there, to better help the youth fight drug abuse.
As Dr. Kellogg stated in his article Why Society Should Consider Medical Marijuana,
Marijuana is not a bad drug but a complex drug. Of course there would need to be many
precautions to prevent the misuse, just like all other prescription medications. The Marijuana
should be stored in a safe place away from the reach of children and most importantly it
shouldnt be shared with others. There are many households that share prescription medicines,
increasing the number of those who are unnecessarily exposed. It starts at an individual level,
one should also make sure that they are consuming the right dosage to avoid becoming addicted.
Since the media also only shows the negative actions done by the people who are under the
influence, many people assume that there are only negative consequences. One should always
become very well informed before dismissing the advantages of medical Marijuana because of
people who were not able to use the medication properly. Of course doctors will not prescribe
Marijuana to people who have a history of drug abuse, trusting your physician is important.
Participating doctors need to take a class and be certified in order to prescribe Marijuana. Also
the prescription doses start small until the doctor finds the correct prescription that works for

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you. There are regulations in place to prevent a doctor from prescribing illegally and as more
time passes that Marijuana is in circulation, more regulations will improve and more will take
place.
People are quick to judge a new possibility, especially when being made to look as a
negative impact on society. There are many negative side effects to medical Marijuana, that
should not be overlooked, but just like every other prescription and over the counter medicine,
the precautions possible should be made. The benefits that can come from Marijuana should not
be ignored, people can get all sorts of help and there are still more benefits to be discovered. If
starting at an individual level people became more careful and aware, the worries would greatly
be cut down. Even for the youth they only do as they see and if they see an adult responsibly
using the Marijuana for their medical needs then there should be no reason to worry about a
young adult abusing the drug. People everywhere should become aware of the legal status of
Marijuana in their state so they can choose their own way to approach it and not let the media
manipulate their thoughts on Marijuana.

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Works Cited
23 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 1, 2015, from
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Armento, Paul. NORML.org-Working to Reform Marijuana Laws. Medical Use.
NORMLFoundation, 28 Aug. 2015. Web 24 Nov. 2015.
"Has Legalizing Medical Marijuana Led to Increased Drug Abuse among Children and
Adolescents? - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. Web. 23 Nov.
2015.
How to Be a Responsible Medical Marijuana Patient or Adult Consumer. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 2, 2015, from https://www.leafly.com/news/health/how-to-be-a-responsiblemedical-marijuana-pat
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.
Lee, Martin A. "Prescription: Cannabis." Nation,[serial online] 18 Nov. 2013.

Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed 24 Nov. 2015.
Two Views: Medical Marijuana. Legalization of Medical Marijuana In New York. New York.
Family Medicine News. Albany, New York, 16-17 2p, 2015