Legalization Of Marijuana For Medicinal Purposes example essay topic

Weeding Through the Debate: Should Medicinal Marijuana be Legal Legalize Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes The debate is hot. Each side has its argument and is ready to fire away with statistics and facts. Should marijuana be legalized for medicinal purposes Is marijuana actually safe for the body Can marijuana really help patients in need of a pain killer There are people who support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and there are those that are against it. But the fact is, that marijuana should be legalized. It is not fair to the patients that are in need. There is a possibility that marijuana could be harmful, but there are many more ways that marijuana could be a source of help.

There are people in this country that are suffering from pain caused by chemotherapy, and others whose bodies are full of tightness due to their medical condition. The Los Angeles-based Americans for Medical Rights, along with many other groups across the nation want marijuana to be made a Schedule II or drug. That would mean that it would be able to be legally regulated and prescribed (Tor assa). Currently it is a Schedule I drug meaning that it has no medical use approved by the Federal government and is illegal to grow or use.

Marinol, a manufactured pill with the chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the active pain-killing chemical in marijuana), cannot help every patient. Because it is taken orally, it takes longer to digest and longer to absorb into the bloodstream. Also, it is easier for patients to overdose on pills than to overdose on smoking actual marijuana. Imitation THC drugs, such as Marinol, are not going to help everyone. Bill Zimmerman, a member of Californians for Medical Rights said, This is an attempt to bring medicine to people who are needlessly suffering for lack of it (CNN The Debate). Most people get better relief from marijuana than any other drug.

Patients that have no other choice but to smoke marijuana illegally risk arrest and / or fines, can have their property taken away, or even end up in jail. Now, what is better for a suffering human Marijuana or prison While there are legitimate reasons to legalize marijuana, there are also possible hazards. People that believe this say that there is a chance that heavy use could affect male and female hormones, could cause intense anxiety, panic attacks or paranoia. More short term possible effects include an increased heart rate, dry throat and mouth, and breathing problems (CNN Possible Hazardous Effects of Marijuana). These are very minor, and patients would most likely rather be relieved by marijuana and endure these effects, rather than not having their pain or troubles go away.

There is no hard evidence that shows that smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes will hurt the human body. Doctors have to weigh the risks and the benefits, and they would find that there are more benefits than harms of prescribing marijuana to patients in need. The possible medical benefits of marijuana are endless. There are so many ways that smoking marijuana could help the patient in need.

Chemotherapy patients could be relieved of their nausea and vomiting by the THC in marijuana. Also, pretreatment anxiety could be calmed by smoking a marijuana cigarette. People infected with the AIDS virus could have their appetite brought back to them and prevent the loss of muscle mass. Marijuana could reduce muscle pain and spasms, help bladder control, and relieve tremors in multiple sclerosis patients. Epileptic seizures could be forestalled.

Glaucoma is a disease in which the pressure inside the eye could lead to blindness. Marijuana has the power to lower the pressure here too, possibly preventing blindness (CNN Medical Conditions That Marijuana Helps). Any tenseness in the body of a patient, be it physical or mental, could be reduced or even destroyed by marijuana smoking. With this many uses for medical marijuana, why is it still illegal.