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Medicinal Marijuana

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The controversial debate over the legalisation of Medicinal Marijuana, otherwise known as Medicinal Cannabis has been speculated across all states of Australia after seeing the benefits for those suffering from a number of chronic illnesses. South Australia, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory have taken the first steps towards legalising the use of Marijuana for strictly medicinal purposes only by decriminalising the minor marijuana offences which means if the amount of marijuana recognised by each state is of a ‘small amount’ then it will be treated as a civil wrong with a minor penalty such as a fine or drug rehabilitation program. However this does not mean it is legal to use, it’s just a minor slap on the wrist as it is …show more content…

They include many chronic illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, HIV, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, Glaucoma, Chrons disease, Epilepsy and many more. Your body already makes marijuana-like chemicals that affects pain, inflammation, and many other processes but marijuana can sometimes help those natural chemicals work better (Laura Borgelt, 2013). Marijuana when compared to other medications used to help treat these illnesses has provided far more superior pain relief without the other added side effects. Therefore, the legalisation of medical marijuana could relieve pain and suffering of severely ill patients and could potentially improve the quality of life for those suffering from a range of painful …show more content…

The popularity of marijuana as a recreational drug, there is always the risk of wide scale drug diversion occurring which means people without a prescription for marijuana gaining access to the drug for purposes other than medicinal use. Marijuana affects the brain and can cause feelings of disorientation, altered visual perception, hallucinations, sleepiness, and poorer psychomotor control (Ashton Churchill, 2007) It has also been shown that drivers using Marijuana had about three to seven times the risk of being in a motor car collision than drivers who were not using marijuana (John Ramaekers, 2009) Pedestrians and cyclists who are prescribed marijuana are also at higher risks of being injured in a collision. Generally speaking a study showed marijuana use was associated with an increased risk of injuries from causes such as falls, lacerations, and burns (Simon Gerberich, 2013) Hence the legalisation of medical marijuana not only poses a risk to the personal safety of the patient but also to the physical safety of the wider

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