HunterLaLone

September18th,2015
PracticalLawWolf
Medicinehasadvancedmoreinthepastsixtyyearsthanthemillionsofyearsofhuman
existencebeforethatcombined.Everydaywereinchingclosertoacureforcancer,developing
bettersurgicalmethods,anddiscoveringmedicationsthathelppeoplelivetheirdaytodaylives
happilyandpainfree.However,thereisonedrugthathasbeenusedforcenturiesaswellas
proveneffectivebymodernscience,thatthegeneralpublicstillfindscontroversial:marijuana.
Despiteitsproveneffectivenessfortreatmentofavarietyofills,yetverylowriskforadverse
effects,marijuanacontinuestofallvictimtounjustscrutiny.Givenallofthepotentialandvery
lowopportunitycost,forthebenefitofsufferingAmericans,medicalmarijuanamustbelegalized
acrosstheUnitedStates.

Numerousmentionstothemanyusesofmedicinalmarijuanawerewrittenearlier.The
listofpotentialusesformedicinalmarijuanaisastounding.Cannabishasdocumentedpotential
forailmentsrangingfromEpilepsy,toHepatitisC,toPostTraumaticStressDisorder,even
diabetes.Themanyeffectsthatcannabishasonthebodyarestillbeinganalyzed,butsofar
whatwevefoundshowsincrediblepromiseforthetreatmentofailmentsofsuchabroadrange,
withpotentiallymorebenefitsyettobediscovered.Withlowriskforadverseeffects,ifused
undertheadvisementofadoctororphysician,medicalcannabisposesamajorbreakthrough
formedicalcareinmanyfields,aswellasthepotentialformajordisruptiontoawidely
consideredegregiousandoverpricedpharmaceuticalindustry.Suchamarketdisruptioncould
alsocauseapricedrop,makingpharmaceuticaldrugsfortheseailmentsmuchcheaperand
moreattainable.

Onehallmarkfeatureofmedicinalmarijuanaisitssafety.Itisphysicallyimpossibleto
overdoseonmarijuana,inadditiontohavingfarfewersideeffectsthanmostpharmaceuticals
approvedbytheFDA.Whilemostpharmaceuticaldrugsarequitesafe,thedrugspeopletake
everydaycanbeincrediblyhazardoustotheirhealth.OnedangerousFDAapproveddrugis
rofecoxib,soldbyMerckunderthebrandname
Vioxx
.RofecoxibisanNSAIDpainrelieverthat
wasproveneffectivefortreatmentofarthritisandosteoporosispain,andwasusedbyeighty
millionpeopleatitspeakpopularityin2001.However,whensubjectedtoincrediblestudies,
Vioxx
wasproventohavecauseduptoonehundredandfortyfourthousandheartattacksand
strokes,uptofortypercentofwhichprovedtobefatal.Inaddition,thereductionofpainfailedto
matchthatofmedicinalmarijuanadespitebeingdirectlyresponsibleforsixtythousanddeathsin
theUnitedStatesalone.Giventhepharmaceuticalmerit,marijuanashouldbenextinlinefor
FDAapprovalforalargevarietyofailments.

Inthegrandschemeofthings,marijuanashouldhaveneverbeenillegalizedinthefirst
placeinAmerica.Marijuanawasnotinitiallyillegalizedforanyrisktohumans,norwasit
illegalizedforthehighitproduced,orevenfordangertosociety.Infact,marijuanawaslegalby
prescriptionfrom1906to1937underthePureFoodandDrugAct.However,in1937,the
UnitedStatescongresspassedtheMarihuanaTaxAct,designedtodestroythehempindustry,
whichusedcannabisplantstoproducetextilesandfibers,bywayofcripplingtaxation.This
legislationwaspushedbythetimberindustryslobbyingarms,includingtheDuPontfamily
conglomerate,tostymietheexpansionofhempasamorecosteffectiveandecofriendly

alternativetotimber.Onlyaftermarijuanausageandthehempindustry,wascrusheddidthe
UnitedStatesgovernmentoutlawmarijuanainitsentiretyinthe1970sunderpressurefrom
moralitygroups.

Themostcommonargumentagainstthelegalizationofmedicinalmarijuanaisthe
psychoactivecomponent,THC.ItisarguedthatthehighproducedbyTHCcouldbedangerous
andoutweighthebenefits,aswellasthepotentialofabuseofmarijuanaforthehigh.However,
marijuanaisnotphysicallyaddictive.Althoughthehumanbraindoeshavemultiplecannabinoid
receptorsthatrespondtoTHCbyproducingthehigh,thesereceptorsdonotbecome
dependentonmarijuanainthewaythatnicotinereceptors,forexample,becomephysically
dependentonartificialnicotinefromcigarettesandothertobaccoproducts.Inaddition,there
havebeennoreporteddeathsfrommarijuanaoverdose,whilethousandsofAmericansdie
everyyearduetooverdosefromlegalizeddrugs,especiallyalcohol,whichimpairsabilityand
judgementmuchmorethanTHC.Giventheundeniableaddictivenesstotobaccoandharm
causedbyalcoholabuse,aswellasthefactthatneithersubstanceprovidesamedicinalbenefit
despiteitslegalization,thereisveryfewargumentsthatcanbemadeformarijuanasspecific
prohibition.

Cannabishasbeenusedforcenturiesformedicalcare,andtheanecdotesfromour
ancestorsaboutitspotentialusageshavesofarrungtrueunderscientificexamination.Despite
argumentstothecontrary,marijuanaposesauniquetreatmentpossibilitythatnosynthesized
medicationhasbeenabletosuccessfullyreplicate.Withallofthedataavailable,thecurrent
prohibitionofcannabisisludicrousatbest,andharmfulatworst.Cannabisisthepastforthe
medicalfield,andnowcannabiscouldbeitsfuture.

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