Essay on Legalizing Medical Marijuana

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans

In the United States, marijuana for medical purposes has gained more prevalence in current political discourse than in previous years. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a flowering plant that originally came from South and Central Asia. For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used for many natural products such as seed oils, seed, fiber that is used to make hemp products and contains over four hundred chemicals, some of which have an antibiotic like effect (Nordqvist, 2013). Studies have shown that two of the chemicals, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), have a positive effect on humans for mild to moderate painkilling effects and sedative effects (Nordqvist, 2013). The purpose of this paper is

Marijuana has survived the passing of time and still helps the sick today. The advanced stages of treatment for patients with Cancer, AIDS and other diseases often include, terrible nausea, vomiting, and different types of pain. Patients have reported much relief from

A number of movements to legalize marijuana have been gaining attention lately. Currently there are 14 states where marijuana is legal for medical use (medicalmarijuana). 41% of U.S. citizens believe marijuana should be legalized (drugpolicy) but others are still concerned about health damage. American society has lost the war against marijuana, and that's okay. We should stop wasting time and money trying to reverse history and instead legalize both medical and recreational use of this mild narcotic widely seen as no more harmful than alcohol.

Medical marijuana has many benefits and has helped countless people. Doctors in California have reportedly helped more than 300,000 migraine sufferers through the use of medical cannabis. The American Association for Cancer Research’s studies has shown, contrary to media messages, marijuana actually slows the growth rate of tumors down considerably in the brain, lungs and breasts. A study conducted by Harvard University showed the main ingredient in marijuana, THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, cuts the growth of

We now realize that medicinal pot is an effective, and sometimes superior medication, and that the last 70 years of prohibition have been uncalled for. Its uses are numerous, and it is a terrible injustice that patients are being denied access to this wealth of uses. One of the best uses of marijuana is for pain relief, mainly neuropathic pain, which is pain associated with nerve damage. It can be used to control nausea,

Evidence from one cell culture study suggests that purified extracts from whole-plant marijuana can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumors. Marijuana injures the lungs, immune system, and brain and is addictive, leads to harder drug use, interferes with fertility, impairs driving ability, and that medical marijuana is a front for drug legalization and recreational use. And the cannabis can help people with with HIV/AIDS be reducing the nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy and to treat pain and muscle

The main active ingredient in medical marijuana is Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. (Armand, Read) THC is a cannabinoid that has shown to work well in protecting neuro cells that may reduce the risk of cancer spreading while giving chemo therapy more time to work. THC also helps reduce the pain and nausea that comes with chemo therapy. THC also helps with muscle control, which can help Parkinson’s and autism patients. So far, the FDA has approved medications that contain THC ( Dronabinol and Nabilone) in some states. (Armand)

For the past decade or so, there has been a war on legalization of medical marijuana that states that patients would have to be either prescribed by their doctor, or have permission from their doctor to grow marijuana and smoke it for MEDICINAL PURPOSES. In todays world, some parents are even giving their young kids medicinal marijuana to cure there sickness. Such as Kaitlyn Pogson who is a 13 month child who suffers from epilepsy. Barry Pogson (father) decided they were going to move to Colorado because it wouldn't be legalized in Canada in time to save her life. Just after a week, Kaitlyn was more alert, slept better and hasn’t had to return to emergency for seizures. They couldn’t believe it.

Although marijuana is illegal and lacks FDA approval it should be used to treat cancer. Opponents of medical marijuana argue that it is too dangerous to use, lacks FDA approval, and that various legal drugs make marijuana use unnecessary. They believe marijuana is addictive, leads to harder drug use, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain. They also believe that medical marijuana is a front for drug legalization and recreational use. Benefit that it is isn’t a great treatment for cancer but could help treat some of the symptoms. The government agree that medical marijuana can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, MS, glaucoma, and other conditions. They cite peer-reviewed studies, prominent medical organizations, and major government reports which group the use of marijuana as medicine throughout world history. It can also resolve many problems dealing with HIV. Marijuana is effective at relieving nausea and vomiting, especially caused by chemotherapy used to treat cancer. Marijuana can also relieve the spasticity of the muscles that is sometimes associated with multiple sclerosis and paralysis. It can also help treat appetite loss associated with HIV/AIDS and certain types of cancers.

Medical marijuana is often used in chemotherapy patients because of that. When it comes to nausea, CBD is most often used (“Chemotherapy Side Effects,” 2015). However, MD Stephen E. Sallan, found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one common form of a cannabinoid, also rendered some promising results, significantly reducing vomiting in cancer patients (Sallan, 1975). In chemotherapy patients marijuana could save lives, helping them keep down food and eat. As a lot of people probably also know, marijuana can stimulate appetite too, which is also beneficial for chemotherapy patients. (Bonnie and Jill, 2014). Marijuana does not just reduce physical

Morals and politics are what make up the structure of this country, so when an issue receives mixed responses coming from two different points of views it becomes contraversial. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many positive arguments to support the idea. First of all, it is very expensive to keep marijuana illegal. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana has also proven to contain positive medicinal uses for illnesses (Marshall, 67). In addition to its positive use, ignorance keeps the public unaware of the fact that alcohol and cigarettes are far worse. The American government is simply approaching this issue very poorly, because the

The medical use of marijuana has been a discussion that has been in the news and all around us recently. This is currently a hot topic of interest. There is an enormous amount of evidence that marijuana could be effect against many things. For example evidence shows it could be used to help relieve pain during chemotherapy, but along with this there is also evidence that at times marijuana can cause harm to someone as well. As nurses we must see each side of the debate to make our care for our patients sounder. One quote that directly applies to this topic, which is very important, was written in the Journal of Clinical Nursing:

How would most Americans react if the law allowed the use of heroin, LSD, or amphetamines for medical purposes? Many of us would react in disbelief mainly because of the effects of these powerful and addictive drugs. However, in Arizona the law permits the use of heroin, LSD, and amphetamines for medicinal purposes, yet the medicinal use of marijuana remains illegal in the United States ("Facts"). Because marijuana is categorized as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substance Act ("Issues"), physicians cannot legally prescribe it. The national debate on the effectiveness of marijuana as medicine is divided between those who advocate marijuana's medicinal value and

Research has verified an overwhelming amount of marijuana benefits for patients who suffer from medical conditions in the United States. Studies which have been conducted have revealed that marijuana alleviated eating disorders and severe nausea and vomiting accompanying chemotherapy, weight loss associated with HIV infection, AIDs and cancer, movement disorders including dystonia, Parkinson’s disease, and tics associated with Tourette’s syndrome, and seizures in patients with epilepsy.