Medical Cannabis
As of November 2012, eighteen states plus the District of Columbia voted by ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for medical use. The revolution in voter attitudes towards marijuana reflects a social, political, and to a lesser degree, economic trend. Many Americans already use marijuana, pot, also or "more appropriately" known as cannabis (NORML). However, cannabis has been banned at the federal level, classified as a Schedule I Substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which is the highest and strictest classification any drug can have. "Along with heroin, LSD and some other drugs, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. That means the drug is considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," (Andrews 1). Federal law prohibits or strictly controls scientific investigations into marijuana, which has stymied the growth of research into the plant for its potential as a healing substance. The new state legislation is in direct conflict with federal law. Moreover, the federal law conflicts with scientific evidence that has been gathered from various research institutions and universities showing that indeed, marijuana has medical relevance and should be taken off the federal controlled substances Schedule I list. Current conflicts between state and federal laws could burden the already overburdened criminal justice system. Because marijuana has been shown to have medical benefit and is supported for research by the American Medical Association, and because federal law should reflect the state trends towards judicious use of the drug, cannabis should be rescheduled immediately.
The state laws that allow medical marijuana places the plant into a nebulous gray area of legality, which is harmful for consumers, the judiciary, and law enforcement. Currently, federal and state laws are clashing surrounding marijuana cultivation, distribution, and use. Furthermore, a federal law protecting the use of marijuana as a medicinal substance would relieve the conflicts associated with...
Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana is one of the most popular recreational drugs in the United States, exceeded in popularity by only alcohol and tobacco. Recent research reveals that "more than 70 million Americans have smoked marijuana at some point in their lives, and that 18-20 million have smoked during the last year (NORML, 1999)." According to R. Keith Stroup, Esq., the executive director of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
The active chemical ingredient, THC, is accessed by smoking marijuana and is used for both recreational and medical reasons. The pro-legalization supporters and the anti-legalization supporters are divided by ethical and medical viewpoints. The use of marijuana is linked with health risks, but it is also associated with beneficial medical and therapeutic uses. Opponents of legalization also raise concerns about marijuana abuse, dependency, and its stance as a "gateway"
" 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
Paternalistic legislation, even when warranted, must be logically consistent both in theory and in practical application, in the case of marijuana, prohibitions against its medicinal use, even if still unproven in clinical trials, is logically and ethically inconsistent with the legal status of substances like tobacco which are devoid of any possible beneficial use and which, unlike marijuana, have actually been proven to cause disease and premature death. Governmental paternalism
Medicinal Marijuana Medical Marijuana The issue of accepting or not to accept the use of marijuana for the purported medical reasons still looms large. The Americans have divergent views on the Medical Marijuana with 73% supporting the idea of medical marijuana and another 31% supporting the legalization of marijuana. States like California passed the bill allowing the physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients who may find this medication appropriate and applicable to
De Jong, Prentiss, McFarland, Machekano & Israelski (2005) note in one study that medicinal marijuana use may be particularly useful in patients suffering from HIV with moderate to severe nausea. There study points out that adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an essential and critical component for successful treatment of HIV infections. Further a recent study conducted by the researchers suggest that smoking marijuana improves adherence to ART, and thus
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