Medical Marijuana
The debate over the usage of medical marijuana in the United States has been intense and marked by an extreme and virulent debate between parties that disagree wildly on the issue. The United States government, in particular, is opposed to the legalization of the drug for the purpose of medicinal use. The Drug Enforcement Agency, an arm of the United States Department of Justice focuses on the fact that marijuana has several extremely negative physiological effects that make it seem to be an unlikely candidate for use as a medicinal substance:
The harmful consequences of smoking marijuana include, but are not limited to the following: premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, and impairment to the immune system.
Say It Straight")
Indeed, it is difficult to note this impressive series of harmful effects that would seem to outweigh any potential benefits from the use of marijuana in medical settings, yet the dispute continues to rage emphatically. Why?
The reality is that for thousands and thousands of people who are afflicted with terrible diseases, such as AIDS and cancer that are so excruciatingly painful as to be debilitating, marijuana is the only drug that enables them to obtain a modicum of relief while still being able to function on a level that approaches their normal daily routine. Other drugs are so strong that they disable the people afflicted by these diseases. Moreover, more common painkilling drugs are actually more damaging to the average user and more likely to cause a serious addiction. Indeed, even the Washington Post in an editorial has argued that legalization is a valid avenue to pursue as regards medical treatment:
Medical use of marijuana cannot be said to lead inevitably to drug legalization or a pro-drug culture. Referendums can be haphazard, but voters are not the only group supporting medical marijuana. Earlier this year the Institute of Medicine concluded that marijuana-derived chemicals can alleviate cancer and AIDS symptoms; it added that these chemicals would be best delivered in a non-smoked form.
The Wrong Drug Battle")
Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clear that marijuana can and already does serve a medical purpose for a large section of people that suffer from debilitating and very probably fatal diseases. What could possibly wrong with supplying them with another painkiller instead of more dangerous ones that are already available but don't work effectively? Indeed, medical marijuana, aside from being less addictive, also act as an appetite stimulant, which can be very important for sickly people with diseases that make it difficult for them to ingest food. Indeed, the debate has raged so fiercely that the city of Santa Cruz, California, is engaged in the process of suing the federal government for raiding a farm that grew marijuana that it then distributed to the sickly (Sanchez). Considering then the intense and obvious benefits that medical marijuana provides to its users, what could the government's interest in outlawing it possibly be?
It is important to remember the importance and central cruciality that the drug war has played in United States domestic policy over the last half century. Beginning with the popular use of drug by the so-called generation of "baby boomers" in the 1960s and 1970s, drug culture in the United States became both entrenched and increasingly problematic. The increased use of drugs has certainly created a whole series of problems within the United States; the most notably issue is that drug use tends to decrease our inhibitions as well as impair our sense of good judgment and reason, and, as a result people using drugs might be more inclined towards criminal behavior or else their lack of judgment may lead them to make bad decisions that in fact become criminal. Certain famous examples have been the recent campaigns against driving while using alcohol or other drugs, because operating a car while under the influence of these chemicals can lead to serious accidents. Moreover, drugs are expensive and when people become addicted to certain drugs, they may be motivated to turn to criminal activities in order to raise the necessary cash to feed their addiction. Lastly,
Marijuana Medical Marijuana: The Interplay between State and Federal Law History of Criminalization The Current War on Drugs Political Issues The legal status of medical marijuana in the United States is something of a paradox. On one hand, federal government has placed a ban on the drug with no exceptions. On the other hand, over one-third of the states have that legalizes the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of the drug for medical purposes. As such, the
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
Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized Physical Health Concerns According to a Harvard University Law School document, it would be "…fallacious to conclude that because the chemicals in marijuana have been found to present fewer dangers…" than cocaine, heroin, alcohol and tobacco, that the recreational use of marijuana "is safe" (Harvard). In fact, even though many states authorize the use of cannabis for medical purposes (for AIDS sufferers and for those experiencing harmful
In Germany it is still an offence under the drug laws to posses the drug but the laws are some what more liberal. For example the prosecution may not press charges where the drug was found to be in 'low quantity 'and was for personal use. Thus patients have received lower penalties. The progress in Germany is such that in April 2000, the German company THC Pharm received the
Medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5-B-Subs-1.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=1&rnd=414.848519162785)." March 1, 2007 Lester Grinspoon One of the more controversial uses of marijuana is the fact that it is believed to alleviate inflammation which opens the doors for arguments with regard to disorders including fibromyalgia which doctors still debate the existence of. However, as long as the patient is suffering and can match the set criteria for the disorder, who is society to argue that it does not exist and
Medical Use of Marijuana Increasing use of medical marijuana Having looked at the various areas that medical marijuana has been brought into use and the various forms in which marijuana is administered, it is also important to take note of the various challenges that come with it. There have been various researches that have been conducted that covers the medical as well as the ethical side of the medicinal marijuana, and there
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