Essay on Should Marijuana Be Legalized for Medical Purposes

Should Marijuana be Legalized for Medical Purposes? Marijuana has been used extensively as a medical remedy for more than five thousand years. In the early 1900s, medical usage of marijuana began to decline with the advent of alternative drugs. Injectable opiates and synthetic drugs such as aspirin and barbiturates began to replace marijuana as the physicians drug of choice in the twentieth-century, as their results proved to be more consistent than the sometimes erratic effects of the hard-to-dose potencies of marijuana (Grinspoon). The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 made cannabis so expensive to obtain that its usage as a medical remedy in the U.S. came to a halt. Although now illegal in the U.S., marijuana continues to be used†¦show more content†¦The article also fails to address the negative side-effects of marijuana that result from smoking the plant. While there are many physicians who support the reclassification (and, sometimes, legalization) of marijuana, still others make different claims. In July of 1995, one month after Marijuana as Medicine- A Plea for Reconsideration was published in JAMA, the Department of Health and Human Services held its first research conference on marijuana. At this conference, several respected physicians noted that marijuana use during pregnancy has harmful effects on childrens intellectual abilities... compulsive marijuana use may lead to an addiction similar to that of other illicit drugs... (Claim V); and, finally, that marijuana use can put a serious choke-hold on users who try to quit (Claim V). Conflicting reports, such as these, are at the center of the smoke filled battle concerning medical legalization. In this case, the physicians assembled at the conference commented only on the drugs negative effects, and they failed to discuss any possible beneficial effects. Although there are physicians both for and against the medical legalization of marijuana, the DEA enforces the laws. The DEA regularly makes publications against legalization. Claim V of these publications is entitled There are no Compelling Reasons to Prescribe Marijuana or Heroin to Sick people. In this claim, the DEA makes contradictoryShow MoreRelatedMarijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Purposes2770 Words   |  11 Pagestold that she might benefit from marijuana. After much difficulty they were finally able to get it for her in oil form. After taking the medical marijuana for just one day, the seizures basically stopped. Now she only experiences one to two seizures a month! She was on the brink of dying and now she is living a relatively healthy normal life. Medical marijuana literally saved this little girl’s life. (Gupta). Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes because it is saving lives and improvingRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized For Medical Purposes?1735 Words   |  7 Pagessurveys, about 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year. More than 14 million do it regularly. (NORML: Working to Reform Marijuana Laws, 2015) Marijuana has been the topic of much discussion these past decades. The main factor of discussion is whether or not to legalize it and the outcome it would have on the states. Some states have already legalized but for medicinal purposes only. Much research has come out in this decade that marijuana just isn’t for your average drug junkie butRead MoreMedical Marijuana Should Be Legalized For Pure Medical Purposes2532 Words   |  11 Pageshave not tried is medical cannabis. I am an in home caretaker for Holly, and after interviewing her mother I feel that everyone should understand why medical cannabis should be legalized for pure medical pur poses. Unfortunately the drug has been abused by recreational users, and now has a bad reputation of being a gateway drug. Some Doctor’s also believe that medical cannabis has no medicinal value. Holly’s mother is a Registered Nurse, and feels that Holly would benefit from medical cannabis; unfortunatelyRead MoreMarijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Purposes Essay1203 Words   |  5 Pagesoccurring in many children with refractory epilepsy are radiating from Colorado, a state where a strain of medical marijuana has been used to treat these children. The results are astonishing, yet there is a controversy preventing many children from receiving this treatment that could very well save their lives. Should medical marijuana be legalized? Though Charlottes Web, the strain of marijuana concocted to treat these sick children, could save lives, others will argue against it. Look past theRead MoreLegalization of medical marijuana at the federal law Essay1653 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Why should marijuana be legalized? Marijuana can be argued for different reasons. In my case I will be arguing the medical purposes for legalizing marijuana. Marijuana has positive features, and how people prefer using marijuana. Marijuana helps individuals get through a variety of things that they suffer. Marijuana provides relief from pain, rather than other medications out there. Many individuals prefer marijuana over anything else to relax. An argument on why people using marijuana spend moreRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana Essay1083 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen debating among themselves whether or not marijuana should be legalized in America. Marijuana is a drug that can be smoked or eaten. It is grown from the ground and gives the user a sense of a hallucinogenic high. It goes by many names such as Mary Jane, kush, grass, weed, pot, green, cannabis, hemp, or chronic. Some say that marijuana is not as bad as alcohol. Some say that marijuana is safe. Some hippies say that marijuana is natural and should be spread throughout the world. It is debatedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?893 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Marijuana Tax Act OF 1973. Nevertheless, today, some countries have legalized cannabis while other countries have not. Moreover, in the United States, some states such as Washington and Colorado have also legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical purposes. On the other hand, various penalties are imposed for use or possession of cannabis in most states. Marijuana should be legalize because of the medical and economical adavnages it possesses. Primarily, cannabis should be legalizedRead MoreMarijuana Should Not Be Beneficial For Medical Purposes1080 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana has proven to be beneficial for medical purposes. It has therapeutic effects that will ultimately allow patients with adverse health conditions to improve their quality of life. Legalizing marijuana can also improve the state of the United States’ economy through taxation and creation of job opportunities. Additionally, it can reduce the crime rate in the United States and save the United States tons of money. Contrarily, marijuana should not be legalized for recreational usage. ExtensiveRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?958 Words   |  4 Pagesand use of cannabis, also commonly known as marijuana is considered illegal. Nevertheless, today, some countries have legalized cannabis while other countries have not. In particular, small quantities of cannabis have been allowed in regions such as Europe, North America and South America (Ga rdner and Anderson,2012). Moreover, in the United States, states such as Washington or Colorado have also legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical reasons ( Siegel and Worrall, 2014). As inRead MoreLegalization Of Marijuan The Time For Change1359 Words   |  6 PagesLegalization of Marijuana: The Time for Change Marijuana has been an ongoing controversial issue for quite some time now. According to the national institution on drug abuse, â€Å"Marijuana—also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms—is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa— the hemp plant.† (National Institution on Drug Abuse). Today twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have