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Danny Doutt

Aughenbaugh

English 12

31 January 2017

The Benefits of Legal Medical Marijuana

Marijuana is a term for the dried leaves flowers, or stems of the cannabis plant. This so

called drug has started many different arguments and there are many different viewpoints.

Whether it is saying that the drug is harmful and dangerous and shouldn't be legalized for

medical purposes, or if the argument is that marijuana is safe and is better than what people are

taking or using for treatments now. Marijuana comes in different forms, there is the bud which

can be smoked or used for eating. There is also a liquid based form which is mostly used for

medical reasons because it is easy to use and is better than smoking it. Marijuana should be

legalized for medical purposes because it is better than prescription drugs and has been shown to

help people and treat multiple medical disorders and diseases.

Of the nearly one point nine million drug related arrest during 2004, 4.8 percent were for

marijuana sale or manufacturing and 39.1 percent were for possession. There were nearly six

thousand and four hundred people sentenced to federal prison for marijuana related charges.

Currently there are about eighty five thousand people in american prisons for cannabis related

offences. In the state of Alabama, people who have three offences for cannabis can be sentenced

for life in prison. In Rhode Island though, they allow patients with diseases such as cancer, HIV,

and MS to keep up to 12 plants and 2.5 ounces (71g). States including Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon
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and Washington have passed similar laws. An author stated that Proponents of drug legalization

say that if only one drug should become legal it is marijuana (Parks 23). Marijuana is shown to

have medical benefits, such as relieving symptoms of certain diseases and helping to ease the

effects of chemotherapy treatments. A survey said that more than 70 percent of cancer specialists

in the us would prescribe marijuana if it were legal the other half said they have told patients to

break the law and to use the drug. Kevin Dickes is a veteran of the US Marines who suffered a

leg injury in combat and suffers from chronic pain, he posses a card that allows him to grow and

use the drug, In 2007 a swat team raided his land in Colorado, threw him to the ground and

pointed guns in his face, he was arrested and convicted, In 2008 the charges were dropped and

his plants were returned to him. The DPA is committed to increase the number the number of

states that allow medical use, to protect patients from criminal sanctions and discrimination.

Marijuana has a specific chemical called cannabinoid, cannabinoids are chemicals related to

delta-9-(THC), which is a mind-alternating ingredient. The FDA hasn't found any other medical

uses for marijuana other than the cannabinoids, some cannabinoids are extremely powerful and

can be dangerous if abused. The NIDA and DEA have effectively blocked the standard FDA

development process that would allow for the plant to be brought to market as a prescription

medicine. They do allow one facility which is operated by the NIDA to supply scientists to test

the drug for medical research. The two drugs they are heavily researching are THC and CBC, as

of now they have not conducted enough research to classify the drug as a medicine.

Its purported value is treating serious diseases including AIDS, glaucoma, cancer,

multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and chronic pain. The most active chemical in marijuana is THC,

which is shown to treat nausea, vomiting, and wasting diseases such as anorexia. In 1999, the

White House did a study and it shown that marijuana can mitigated for things like nausea,
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appetite loss, pain, and anxiety. Marijuana has been used throughout the world for thousands of

years and its medicinal benefits are incontrovertible(Marijuana Should Be Legalized For

Medical Use). People who suffer from pain have said that smoking marijuana relieves the pain

immediately without the side effects from prescription medication. As of 2012, 16 states have

legalized the drug for medical use only. Dronabinol and Nabilone are FDA approved drugs that

also help with chemo, weight loss, and can have a increase in appetite. Most research shows that

marijuana has potent anti-cancer properties and one day could unlock new cancer treatments, and

has also shown to slow down brain tumor cells. CBD mouth spray helps treat muscle problems

caused by MS. CBC is a cannabinoids that does not affect the mind or behavior, it is also used in

reducing pain, inflammation, controlling seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and

addictions. A CBD oil is used for children that suffer from childhood epilepsy, a disorder that

cause the body to go into a violent seizure. Many researchers feel that The federal government

should not interfere with the states and should do more to support the research for medical

marijuana( Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use).

The FDA conducts studies with hundreds of thousands of human subjects to determine

the benefits and risks, to see if it is medicine. Researchers have said that inhaling marijuana

smoke isn't that bad, in fact they believe it should be a first line treatment for people with painful

neuropathy and for people who don't want or like to use other treatments. A study shown that

smoking marijuana doesn't give you higher chance of getting lung cancer. Other than THC,

marijuana has over 100 more cannabinoids, the body also produces its own cannabinoids which

plays a role in multiple things including pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, body

movement, awareness of time, appetite, pain and senses. Polls show that the public supports

medical marijuana and the percent ranges from seventy to eighty percent. Studies have shown
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that the problems may in fact decrease from marijuana, including traffic fatalities, prescription

overdoses, suicides, and crime rate. The federal government has said they will not interfere with

state laws dealing with the drug, unless they fail to meet certain core federal priorities which

include marijuana to minors, revenue going to criminal enterprises, increase in violence or

drugged driving and damage to public lands. Researches ranked Alcohol as the 5th most

harmful drug and marijuana the 11th and determined that alcohol contributes to more than half

of all visits to hospital emergency rooms (Parks 25). Cannabinoids, have led to FDA approved

medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. People argue that since it is safer

than smoking it that the pill form should be legalized. Places all over the world are unlocking

more and more information about this drug and producing different ways to use it. Canada and

the UK have approved nabiximols which is a mouth spray that includes THC and CBD. Also the

US created Epidiolex which is a CBD liquid that children can use for treatments so it's safer to

use.

Even tho studies have shown that marijuana doesn't led to lung cancer, an argument is

that the drug does contain carcinogens and they are a cause for lung cancer. Also there are 50 to

70 more carcinogens than tobacco smoke. Another thing is that marijuana is shown to weaken

the immune system, which helps the body fight off diseases and fight sickness. The government

classifies marijuana as a schedule one drug, that puts marijuana alongside drugs like heroin,

crystal meth and cocaine. Marijuana is called the gateway drug, which basically means after

doing it for so long your body will want to get a better high and it can lead to harder drugs.

Almost all addicts today started with marijuana. Joseph A. Califano a researcher said Todays

teenagers pot is far more potent than their parents pot( Should Certain Drugs Be Legalized).

Using the drug is shown to distort perception, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and
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problem solving, problems with learning and memory. These effects can last for days or weeks

but long term for the brain have been inconclusive. A major concern would be if the drug were to

be legalized, there would be an increase in numbers of young people who would become drug

users. Young kids might get access to a fake ID to go buy the drug, so if it were legal it would be

easier to access the drug. Not all physicians, agree that marijuana should be prescribed for

medical conditions because marijuana contains over 400 chemicals, and 80 are identified as

unique to the plant.

Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes because it is better than prescription

drugs and has been shown to help people and treat multiple medical disorders and diseases.

Whether the point of views is with the drug or against the drug, marijuana has proved that it may

not be as bad as people think and may actually do some good, if its helping adults, children, and

people with diseases or disorders. There will always be disagreements about this drug but one

thing is for sure is states around the US have and will continue to legalize this so called drug and

will become medicine for people all around the world.

Works Cited

Drug Policy Alliance. Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use. The Legalization of

Marijuana. Ed. Nol Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing

Viewpoints. Rpt. from Medical Marijuana. Jan. 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

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Is Marijuana Medicine. Drug Facts. Drug Abuse. Gov, 2015. Web, 19 Jan. 2017.

Medical Marijuana. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Research Does Not Support the Use of the Marijuana Plant

as Medicine. The Legalization of Marijuana. Ed. Nol Merino. Farmington Hills, MI:

Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Is Marijuana Medicine? Apr.

2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Parks, Peggy. Should Certain Drugs Be Legalized? Drug Legalization. San Diego:

Reference Point Press, Inc., 2009, 23-29. Print.