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Hey everybody, sorry it's been a while! This week I'd like to delve into a very prevalent issue in our society today-medical marijuana. This topic comes as advocates of the substance plan a rally for tomorrow outside Redding City Hall in Redding, California. The United States has a long history with this issue. In 1972, our country placed cannabis in a clause of the Controlled Substances Act, denouncing it as having "no accepted medical use." In the 30 years since this has been established, 16 US states and Washington, D.C. have legalized the usage of cannabis for medical purposes. Of course, most people would think that if smoking marijuana could help someone with their medical ailment or condition, it should probably be allowed, right? It turns out that not everyone sees it as so black and white. Let's consider the sides.
Advocates of the legalization of medical marijuana observe that it can help with treating AIDS, glaucoma, side effects associated with chemotherapy, muscular spasticity disorders, epilepsy, and other conditions. Jocelyn Elders, the former United States Surgeon general, released a statement in 2004 saying "The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS -- or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day." Cannabis is widely known to be used recreationally for a "high"-the properties of which include craving for food, decreased reaction time, and lessened anxiety. This craving for food can be helpful for those suffering from loss of appetite as a side-effect of other illnesses, such as cancer, who may become malnourished or lose weight otherwise.
Those who oppose medical marijuana have their arguments, as well. They point out that marijuana smoking can interfere with fertility and that the decreased reaction time associated with the drug can get in the way of safe driving. Additionally, marijuana is a gateway drug, meaning that it leads to other kinds of drug usage later in life. In my eyes, the most compelling argument against medical marijuana is the fact that joints have a similar effect as cigarettes on the lungs, because both tobacco and cannabis are most often rolled in paper when smoked and therefore give off tar which is injurious to the health and can cause cancer. Furthermore, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration points out that medical marijuana purportedly already exists-in a pill known as Marinol. Upon doing some research into Marinol, I discovered that many experts believe it to be less effective than smoked marijuana. Marinol apparently lacks important components of run-of-the-mill cannabis which makes the drug so effective in treating ailments. Ordinary smoked cannabis is also apparently much quicker in providing relief. Furthermore, Marinol could also have it's own side effects. But you also have to consider the fact that Marinol is much more easily regulated than smoked marijuana.
Speaking overall, I think that if smoked marijuana is regulated very carefully, it is alright for legal usage. Marijuana is not physically addictive-in fact, it can only be psychologically addictive in 10% of cases, and it seems to me based on the evidence that is actually relatively useful in pain relief. However, I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Thanks for your time, and drop me a comment below!
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/medical-marijuana2.htm
http://www.drugs.com/pro/marinol.html
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000141
http://www.justice.gov/dea/ongoing/marinol.html
http://www.redding.com/news/2012/mar/19/medical-marijuana-advocates-plan-rally-outside-red/?partner=yahoo_feeds
