Law 1

Trevor Law

Mrs. Pettay

ENG 112 2B

23 March 2016

New Medicine

Marijuana has promising evidence that could benefit in the treatment of disease, but there

is not enough research to completely disregard the possible risks of marijuana inhalation or

consumption. Marijuana has been proven to reduce chronic pain and is used as a treatment for

Alzheimers and epilepsy (ProCon); however, the fear of addiction and the lack of studies leave

some citizens unsure of the medical usage for marijuana. The federal law prohibits the usage of

marijuana due to the DEA scheduling it as a class I substance. This means the DEA found that

marijuana has no medical benefits. However, twenty eight states have legalized the medical

usage of marijuana. Eight of them have legalized recreational usage. Both sides can agree that

marijuana has some form of an effect on certain illnesses, but the sides split on the effectiveness,

safety, and usage of marijuana as a treatment.

Opponents of marijuana are afraid of its possibility of addiction. While marijuana has no

recorded lethal dose, the possibility of addiction occurs in one out of six adults who used it

daily ended having a psychological addiction to the drug (ProCon). The effects are irritability,

insomnia, and headaches. Opponents argue that marijuana may have medical benefits, but the

possibility of addiction remains an issue that should not be avoided. In addition, opponents argue

that marijuana may not be as effective at curing glaucoma as originally predicted. The

American Academy of Ophthalmology in their article "American Academy of Ophthalmology

Reiterates Position that Marijuana is Not Proven Treatment for Glaucoma argues that no
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scientific evidence that marijuana is an effective long-term treatment for glaucoma, particularly

when compared to the wide variety of prescription medication and surgical treatments available

(ProCon). It is understandable why parents and adults are hesitant to use medical marijuana

because there is little evidence to support its possible medical benefits, and along with the risk of

addiction, their concern is legitimate and justifiable. In addition, opponents are concerned about

the effects of marijuana on adolescent brain development. Kirsten Weir, author for the American

Psychological Association, found that persistent marijuana use was linked to a decline in IQ

when discussing the effects of marijuana on the development of an adolescent's brain (Weir).

Parents should be worried about the correlation between marijuana usage and a decrease in

intelligence because todays prescription medicine has no effect on the IQ of a child. Opponents

will remain skeptical due to recent discoveries regarding possible effects of marijuana.

Second, opponents will argue that there is no apparent need for medical marijuana

because there are prescription drugs that are safe and proven to help treat medical illness. Stuart

Gitlow, former president of the ASAM, gave a speech to the Senate Committee stating that For

nearly all conditions for which marijuana has purported benefits, we already have existing

medications - safe medications - demonstrated to have value" (ProCon). The opponents make a

valuable and legitimate claim about already available medication. Prescription drugs are

scientifically proven to effectively treat illnesses while the safety and effectiveness of marijuana

are highly disputed amongst the scientific community.

Proponents of the legalization of medical marijuana view it as an easily accessible natural

medicine that is safer than pharmaceutical drugs. Prescription drug abuse causes the largest

percentage of deaths from drug overdosing. The Drug Free World, an active organization on the

education of prescription drug overdose, states, Of the 22,400 drug overdose deaths in the US in
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2005, opioid painkillers were the most commonly found drug, accounting for 38.2% of these

deaths (Drug Free World). Prescription drug overdoses are the number one preventable cause of

death in the United States (ProCon). Prescription drugs may be effective, but they are not safe.

Prescription drug overdoses on painkillers is a common occurrence, and there are too many

stories of people becoming addicted to prescription painkillers. Proponents argue that marijuana

can be an effective substitute for prescription painkillers. Sanjay Gupta, a medical correspondent

for CNN, states that marijuana could greatly reduce the demand for narcotics and

simultaneously decrease the number of accidental painkiller overdoses, which are the greatest

cause of preventable death in this country (ProCon). Marijuana can act as a natural painkiller

and there is no recorded lethal dosage of marijuana. While opponents argue there is a risk of

psychological addiction, prescription drug addiction is more common; prescription drugs bear

the risk of a lethal overdose.

Contrary to popular belief, proponents of marijuana argue there is no direct correlation

between its usage and the development of depression (Green and Ritler 40). Brian Green, author

of Marijuana Use and Depression, states that early marijuana initiation appears to be weakly

associated with increased depression in adulthood (Green and Ritler 40). Proponents will argue

that marijuana does not correlate with mental illness.Opponents associated marijuana with the

development of depression creating a false sense of fear. In addition, proponents will also

support the lack of physiological dependence on marijuana in comparison to other drugs. Colin

Blakemore, a chair holder in his department of Physiology at The University of Oxford, claims,

there is scant evidence that it carries a risk of true addiction. Unlike cigarette smokers, most

users do not take the drug on a daily basis, and usually abandon it in their twenties or thirties.

Unlike for nicotine, alcohol and hard drugs, there is no clearly defined withdrawal syndrome, the
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hallmark of true addiction, when use is stopped (ProCon). Proponents will consider the

possibility of psychological dependence; however, marijuana lacks hard evidence proving

physiological addiction.

The two sides of the legalization and usage of medical marijuana is deeply divided with

both sides giving statistics that state very different facts, but the two groups can come together in

order to fund, and support, the research of marijuana to find hard evidence on the possibility of

addiction and physically harmful effects. The statistics of prescription drug overdoses is hard to

ignore with it being the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. However, lack of

research to find solid evidence for the possible side effects of medical marijuana has made

skeptics unwilling to risk psychological dependence. The two groups should come together to

fund a non- biased experiment and research group to discover possible medical benefits of

marijuana and chances of addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

In conclusion, while the fear of physiological dependence of marijuana is legitimate,

there is little evidence to prove this statement. However, prescription drug addiction and

overdoses are real. In addition, marijuana has been proven to treat insomnia and chronic pain

(ProCon). Twenty- eight of the fifty states have legalized the usage of medical marijuana, and it

is time for the remaining twenty- two states to fund their own research in order to find the truth

about the benefits of medical marijuana.

Works Cited

Green, Brian E., and Christian Ritler. Marijuana Use and Depression. Journal of Health and

Social Behavior, vol. 41, no.1, 200, pp. 40-47., www.jsstor.org/stable/2676359

ProCon. Medical Marijuana. ProCon, 28 Mar. 2017, medical marijuana. procon.org. Accessed
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25 Mar. 2017

"Watch Truth About Drugs Documentary Video & Learn About Substance Addiction. Get The

Facts About Painkillers, Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth & Other Illegal Drugs." Foundation

for

a Drug-Free World. Drug Free World, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Weir , Kristen. Marijuana and the Developing Brain. Pardon Our Interruption, American

Psychology Association, Nov. 2015, www.apa.org/monitor/2015/11/marijuana-

brain.aspx.

Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

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Paper #2: Rogerian Argument Essay, English 112

5 - Excellent 4 - Very good 3 - Basic expectation met 2 - Below expectation 1 - Fails to
meet expectation

ORGANIZATION: 5 4 3 2 1

Grabber is effective

Topic is introduced in the intro paragraph, and it is clear there are

conflicting positions

Paragraph Development: Coherence/Unity - Topic Sentences and

Transitions are used

Paragraph Development: Rogerian Format - Neutral intro/Their

Side/Your Side/Middle Ground/Conclusion

Conclusion is logical, positive, and has a universal application

CONTENT: 5 4 3 2 1

Purpose is clear and significant

Evidence includes academic article (min. 1),Procon.org, non-

academic sources

Analysis provides insightful reflections on evidence

The main points are supported with specific details and examples

The essay communicates effectively with engaging information and a

consistent tone

Integration of other voices

o Outside voices are introduced/contextualized

o Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries are used and cited
(no quotes over 3 lines long)

o Each source on the Works Cited is used at least 1x; all

researched information is cited in the sentence itself or through
parenthetical citations
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o Quotes are integrated and embedded in sentences (no

plop and drop)

o Writer uses templates from They Say, I Say

STYLE: 5 4 3 2
1

Essay is written in standard/academic English and is free of errors in
grammar, spelling, capitalization, and mechanics. Including (but not limited
to):
No fragments
No run-on sentences
Commas used effectively
Noun/pronoun agreement
No parenthesis or incorrect use of ellipsis
No slang or informal language

Quotes are integrated correctly in terms of grammar and mechanics

Writer avoids empty words (very/really/alot/things/so/great/huge/you)

Essay maintains consistent tense

Sentence length and sentence opening variety are effective causing

the paper to flow well

FORMAT: 5 4 3 2
1

MLA style is used consistently and correctly

Times New Roman font, size 12
One inch margins, Double spaced
Appropriate heading and creative title
Header with page number and last name, Works Cited Page, MLA
format

Paper and paragraphs meet length and content requirements (3 full

pages)

Final Score _______________

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