Legalization of Marijuana IT\'s Not

Legalization of Marijuana

It's Not Easy Being Green: A Haze of Controversy Still Surrounds the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Use huge controversy surrounds the legalization of marijuana for medicinal benefits. Both sides present convincing arguments for their case, which makes it difficult for citizens to make informed decisions. The idea of using marijuana for medical benefits is nothing new. According to the Medical Marijuana Briefing Paper, published by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), "For thousands of years, marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments. Until 1937, marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) was legal in the United States for all purposes. Presently, federal law allows only seven Americans to use marijuana as a medicine." The MPP is an organization that supports the use of marijuana for medical use. The federal government, on the other hand, paints quite a different picture of marijuana for medical use. While the MPP cites evidence that marijuana "is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known," the American government states on the White House Drug Policy website that "marijuana use causes precancerous changes in the body similar to those caused by tobacco use." The purpose of both websites is to provide "Important facts about our nation's most misunderstood illegal drug," but each site presents a different set of facts (White House). In general, the White House-sponsored site is designed to warn the public about the potential dangers of marijuana and discourage legalization, the purpose of the MPP website is exactly the opposite: to notify the public about the potential benefits of medical marijuana to encourage limited legalization.

Both sites address the problems associated with marijuana addiction. The government website shows some studies that indicate that describe some of the withdrawal symptoms experienced by people trying to wean themselves off of the drug. The website also states that laboratory animals try to self-administer THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and that "some heavy users show signs of dependence." The MPP website does not deny that marijuana can be addictive. Instead, the MPP clarifies that dependence and withdrawal from marijuana is "mild compared to dependence and withdrawal seen with other drugs." The MPP website also cites evidence that "Compared to most other drugs... dependence among marijuana users is relatively rare," and that "few marijuana users become dependent." Because the MPP presents a more balanced view on marijuana addiction, its argument is more convincing.

Both sites also address medical marijuana. According to the United States government, marijuana smoke contains "more than 400 chemicals" including cancerous ones. However, the MPP site states, "There is no conclusive evidence that marijuana causes cancer in humans, including cancers usually related to tobacco use.... More definitive evidence that habitual marijuana smoking leads or does not lead to respiratory cancer awaits the results of well-designed case control epidemiological studies." The government also states that Marinol, a synthetic THC pill, is adequate for treatment. However, according to the MPP, "The poor solubility of Marinol in aqueous solutions and its high first-pass metabolism in the liver account for its poor bioavailability; only 10-20% of an oral dose reaches the systemic circulation. The onset of action is slow; peak plasma concentrations are not attained until two to four hours after dosing. In contrast, inhaled marijuana is rapidly absorbed.... Variation in individual responses is highest for oral THC and bioavailability is lowest." The MPP also makes a more effective case for medical marijuana because their studies are clearer than, and not as misleading as, the ones referred to on the White House website.

A third marijuana-related topic discussed on both the White House and the MPP websites is the gateway effect. The MPP cites numerous evidence that "There is no evidence that marijuana serves as a stepping stone on the basis of its particular physiological effect," and "instead, the legal status of marijuana makes it a gateway drug." In fact, the White House admits that "a direct cause and effect relationship between marijuana use and subsequent use of other drugs is hard to prove." At the same time, the White House tries to convince readers that adults who were early marijuana users were more likely to have used cocaine, heroine, and other drugs. Both websites offer a balanced viewpoint on the gateway drug issue, but the MPP makes a more convincing argument.

The White House publication called "What Americans Need to Know About Marijuana" is available in PDF format, either as a full file or in sections. The PDF format is convenient for people who wish to save the document to their hard drive and read it at a later date, and is also easy on the eyes. However, there are drawbacks to PDF files, such as the lack of hypertext and the amount of memory usage that the Adobe Reader takes up on people's computers.

The MPP website offers both PDF and HTML formats of their document "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base." The "questions about medical marijuana" are arranged in a table format with hyperlinks. However, the MPP website is difficult to navigate compared with the White House website, which is better organized and easier on the eye.

The MPP home page does include photos from important news articles, whereas the White House site does not. Both websites use language that is easy to understand and straightforward enough for the general public. Both the White House and the MPP website contain links to related areas of discussion as well as links to external websites that are sympathetic to their claim.

The MPP website includes an "About Us" section, which notes that "more than 17,000 dues-paying members and more than 150,000 e-mail subscribers." The MPP also offer a list of congressmen who support their marijuana-related initiatives. The White House website contains an extensive "About ONDCP" section that can help readers understand the organization, but does not offer a list of opinions by senators or congressmen.