Marijuana is
accepted as a source of medicinal value in 16 of the 50 United States of
America, and the District of Columbia.
Although many states laws may permit the use of marijuana, federal law,
however, still states that marijuana is illegal. Although many people may
dismiss the Medical Marijuana act as a cover up for pot smokers to obtain the
substance, Marijuana is a legitimate source of medication for many people.
In
1545 the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. The English introduced it in Jamestown in
1611 where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco and was grown as
a source of fiber. By 1890, hemp had
been replaced by cotton as a major cash crop in southern states. Marijuana was listed in the United States
Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for various conditions
including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism.
Its use as an intoxicant was also commonplace from the 1850s to the
1930s. A campaign conducted in the 1930’s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of
Narcotics, which is now known as the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs,
sought to portray marijuana as a powerful, addicting substance that would lead
users into narcotics addiction. It is
still considered a "gateway" drug by some authorities. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970
classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug which
categorizes the substance to have no accepted medical use. Medical
Marijuana is a very debatable topic which, when it comes down to a scientific
and non biased approach, the pro-legalization side has the most favor. Most of the information found has shown
promising medicinal outlooks. It has
been found that marijuana is a safe, non-toxic medicine by many studies, which
may be useful in the treatment of many medical conditions. This includes multiple sclerosis, AIDS,
glaucoma, chronic pain, and many others.
People who suffer from bipolar disorder and also scientists have made
the discovery that marijuana can improve the disorder. It also may reduce the side effects of many
other drugs that are used to treat this disease, along with a majority of
medications that are used to also treat other diseases.
Marijuana also helps terminally ill
patients live happier lives. Smoked
marijuana provides rapid relief from great pain to some patients; it quickly
improves these patients comfort.
Marijuana also helps maintain their dignity and improves their mental
outlook.
Marijuana, if legalized nationally, can provide patients with a
quality source of medicine to subside pain without the constant threat of the
federal government arresting them. If
more research was able to be done on marijuana, scientists and other health
experts could have a better understanding of the ingredients and then could
determine the appropriate dosage for a person.
Legalization for medical purposes may encourage the pharmaceutical
industry to also invest in the research of marijuana.
There are also many other reasons, other than medical, that
marijuana would be beneficial if legalized nationally. If it were to be legalized, it could be a
stable source of additional tax revenues.
Drug dealers would also lose most, if not all, of their business. Other than medicinal use, cannabis, which is
the plant that produces the marijuana flower, has several industrial and
commercial uses because over 25,000 products can be made from the plant. Marijuana does not cause brain damage, genetic damage, or damage the
immune system. Unlike alcohol, marijuana does not kill brain cells or induce
violent behavior. It has also been ranked the lowest for
withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
Marijuana
should be legalized for medicinal purposes for these reasons. It could possibly be the answer to many
medical problems and diseases. The most
effective way to successfully achieve nationwide medical marijuana
legalization, is for citizens to become involved in the process and display the
changes that they want to see.
