Should Medicinal Marijuana Essay Research Paper

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 III drug. That would mean that it would be able to be legally regulated

and prescribed (Torassa ). 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?