Should Cannabis Be Legalized In Australia Essay

A two year old, named Jaqie Angel Warrior had been suffering from several types of seizures ever since she was five months old. Doctors had tried many medications to control her seizures, such as klonopin , and depakote; but all failed to stop these thousands of seizures, resulting in terrible side effects. Jaqie’s mother, Brittany had been researching other potential cures, when she came across cannabis oil. Soon after, they moved to a motel in Colorado, and began using high-CBD oil, which also contains high levels of THC. Levels higher than any other states CBD-only bill allows. Since they began using the cannabis oil, Jaqie’s seizures have reduced by 90%, and Brittany ceased use of any dangerous pharmaceuticals. (Patient Success)

Anti-epileptic pharmaceutical drugs are powerful drugs that children with varying forms of epilepsy are often prescribed. Current epilepsy drug affects different parts of the brain, including the brain stem, which can basically shut off the body’s critical function if dosage is significant. Marijuana doesn’t do that and is part of the reason so many doctors are changing their minds. Marijuana may be safer because of cannabidiol, which with overstimulation or inhibition, does not shut off breathing or respiration like anti-epileptic drug could cause.

The article “Marijuana Stops Child’s Severe Seizures” by Saundra Young reveals an unusual solution to a child’s illness. Starting from a young age, Charlotte Figi started getting frequent seizures. The seizures lasted from two to four hours and often required Charlotte to be hospitalized. After doing several tests, the doctors were not able to find the exact cause for Charlotte’s seizures. They eventually diagnosed Charlotte with Dravet Syndrome. Following the diagnosis, the doctors decided to start treatment which proved to be unsuccessful. The next step they took was to implement a ketogenic diet which worked for two years with some side effects. Finally, Charlotte’s parents decided to try using medical marijuana that has low THC levels. The medical marijuana used proved to be successful in reducing Charlotte’s seizures drastically.

The perception and policy on cannabis has been clouded by ill-informed attitudes uphold by a section of society and by the legacy of the various ‘war on drugs’. A handful of countries such as SPAIAN, Netherlands, North Korea, Colombia, Portugal, and parts of United States of America, have legalised medical and recreational use of cannabis. However cannabis is currently illegal in Australia, state of Victoria soon to legalise medicinal cannabis, but the handling and benefits of the current policies are inundated by the potential social opportunity cost if legalisation was to occur. The question is, should cannabis be legalised here in Australia? The following three main pillars of arguments will illustrate why cannabis should be legalised in Australia; decriminalisation, regulation and relative ramification.

Cannabis is becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly common in modern-day society for both recreational use and for medication. The article by Craig Reinarman, ‘Criminalisation, legalisation and the mixed blessing of medicalisation in the USA’ generates many controversial issues of cannabis.

Marijuana should be a medicinal option because it relieves major chronic pain to many symptoms. According to the Herald Editorial board, Marijuana shows a great impact on pain, “from a widespread number of causes, including cancer, spinal cord injury and disease, severe spasms, post-traumatic stress disorder, nausea, glaucoma, Parkinson’s and other debilitating ailments.” This drug is useful, as patients at times cannot use certain drug due to allergies or other complications. Marijuana helps elevated those who suffer severe pain that other drugs cannot, but doctors still prescribe stronger and more addictive opiates that are legal. If marijuana was a legal drug for the purpose of medication, marijuana can potentially save lives. Marijuana should be prescribed as there are fewer side effects compared to the drugs prescribed by doctors. Why would the government not allow doctors to prescribe patients with extreme health issues that can potentially help elevate their pain. There are individuals who suffer from epilepsy, epilepsy is a condition that causes nerve cell activity to disturb the brain. At times individuals can have up to 10 seizures a day, at any given moment. Having 10 seizures a day at random times makes it difficult for them to go on with their day, but marijuana can decrease the amount seizures into one day. It’s remarkable on how marijuana can reduce the amount of seizures an epileptic person has. Marijuana needs to be an option for medical purposes for the amount of benefits it provides.

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because

Every time you hear the words smoking marijuana what is the first thing that comes to your head? Maybe your first thought is that’s gross or what productive person does that? A lot of people have the notion that marijuana is just for the main purpose to make people “high” (a feeling of high attitudes and euphoria) that is why it is still considered an illegal drug in some states. Today I want to inform you that this natural drug is doing miracles for people with many serious health diseases. There are over 420 diseases that medical marijuana has improved these patients live for the better and many people have come to agree that this natural plant is actually a secret drug to happiness.

Thesis statement: I encourage you to enter a marijuana dispensary and inform yourself of how marijuana can be a better choice for pain relief than

There are countless debates whether marijuana should be legalized for creational use or if it should remain illegal. Marijuana has been legalized in some states for medical use such as pain caused by cancer, glaucoma and nerve pain. In a survey I conducted in a class of 27 students, 15 opposed

Even though medicinal marijuana has harmful effects, marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes because medicinal marijuana is less toxic than other prescribed drugs and marijuana has many positive effects on disease and health

Marijuana is also known as weed, pot, or cannabis. Whichever way you pronounce it most people would turn their heads with the sign of disappointment or judgement. The same ones who get sloppy drunk and wake up somewhere they don’t even remember, while marijuana doesn’t cause those side effects and you wake just fine. Throughout history we were told that Marijuana is bad for you and you should not take it, and just like drinking it’s bad for you and should not drink. Wouldn’t that mean liquor and beer should be illegal just like Marijuana?

Close your eyes and imagine for a moment. You now have a child who suffers from extreme, almost constant, terrifying seizures. Unfortunately, none of the medicine prescribed in the past has worked. In fact, some medication even makes the seizures worse. Suddenly, doctors discover a medicine that has the potential to reduce seizures and sometimes stop them all together, therefore improving your child’s quality of life. They have turned that medicine into safe drops, vapor, and pills. Would you want to at least give the medicine a try? Would you want to give your child some relief? If you answered yes, then you have just proven that it is not the medicine that people feel uneasy about, it is the stigma of the name of plant the medicine comes from, marijuana.

Opponents also support that marijuana may affect brain development and irritate the heart and the lungs. It may be true, but it is not a reason for criminalizing the use of marijuana since we know that smoking cigarette causes lung cancer and many heart diseases. Moreover, mental diseases such as the Parkinson’s disease and the Multiple Sclerosis can be treated with marijuana thanks to two substances it contains called cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, which permit to reduce inflammation, control spasms, and even prevent neurological damage. For instance, an Australian mother Cheri O'Connell revealed in a report of Herald Sun News about the benefits of liquid marijuana, which she says saved her epileptic daughter Tara who was only given months to live. In fact, Tara could barely walk or talk, and she slept as much as a newborn. She endured more than 20,000 seizures every year; her condition left her parents and siblings, exhausted and scared for the future. Running out of options, they met another family, who had lost a similar battle. This family advices the O’Connell’s to try Marijuana. Then, they did so, and Tara is now seizure-free, walking, running and even dancing after one year of treatment. Cheri says, "We didn't see her having a future at all. But I can now see us being able to

Imagine having a beautiful little blonde child and suddenly she starts to have seizures. Medications do not work, the side effects are too risky to try on a young four-year-old, and now you have no options let for your little girl. You’re devastated, scared and willing to do anything to protect your child. That was the way that Addyson Benton’s parents felt when she succumbed to epilepsy (Pohlman, Long 2015). The Benton’s had decided that medical marijuana was the only thing left to help their daughter. Therefore, they made the move to Colorado where they could legally give their daughter THC (the only part of marijuana that was able to control