Should Marijuana Be Legal for Medicinal Purposes Essays - Herbalism

Mr. Hooker English 1301-3G1 2 December 2014 Should Marijuana Be Legal for Medicinal Purposes? Legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes has been an extremely controversial topic for both supporters and those who oppose the action. People who are opposed to the legalization of marijuana would claim that its use would lead to addiction or abuse of the drug for recreational purposes; however, after looking at all the records regarding this topic, the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes would be very beneficial to the millions of people who suffer from a medical condition. The first recorded use of medicinal marijuana goes back to 2737 B.C. by a Chinese emperor to aid in the relief of many health issues (Hanson and Venturelli 367). However, it still remains an illegal drug in most parts of the United States. With so many doctors worldwide who support the effective use marijuana has to treat various health conditions, how can one argue any negative aspects of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes? Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a former national administrator of the U.S. government's marijuana research programs, appeared in a film about marijuana called The Union. In the film, Mikuriya said, After dealing with about 10,000 patients in the last 15 years, I'd say about 200 different medical conditions respond favorably to cannabis." Even if marijuana was clinically proven to assist in only one health issue, that should be reason enough to legalize it. One of the most well-known medical uses of marijuana is for a person going through chemotherapy. Cancer patients being treated with chemotherapy experience excruciating nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Marijuana can help reduce these side effects by easing their pain, decreasing nausea, and fueling their appetite (Marijuana). If one was to approach a cancer patient and offer a way to resolve them of the suffering from the symptoms associated with chemotherapy but advise that there is a potential risk of side effects, it is highly unlikely that the patient would turn the medicine down. Medicines that have been approved by the FDA and currently used to treat health issues have side effects as well, so to say marijuanas side effects overtake the benefits is contradictory. Another treatment that benefits from the use of marijuana is the reduction of seizures in epileptic patients. A study performed by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) discovered that ingredients found in natural marijuana "play a critical role in controlling spontaneous seizures in epilepsy." Dr. Robert J. DeLorenzo, professor of neurology at the VCU School of Medicine, added that "[a]lthough marijuana is illegal in the United States, individuals both here and abroad report that marijuana has been therapeutic for them in the treatment of a variety of ailments, including epilepsy. Last but not least, marijuana use can be used to treat and prevent glaucoma, a disease which increases pressure in the eyeball, damaging the optic nerve and causing vision loss. Marijuana decreases the pressure inside the eye and according to the National Eye Institute: "Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma." (Glaucoma and Marijuana Use). These effects of the drug may slow the progression of the disease, preventing blindness. With countless new studies and findings regarding the health benefit to using marijuana as a medicine to cure many ailing symptoms, it is surprising that this topic is still up for debate. The benefits far outweigh the risks, and as long as marijuana is used for medicinal purposes, any potential conflicting arguments would be minimal. Marijuana as a medicine has about the same dangers as any other drug currently in ones medicine cabinet. As all medicines, there is a chance for side effects and ultimately the decision should be at the patients discretion. Works Cited DeLorenzo, Robert J. Marijuana and Its Receptor Protein in Brain Control Epilepsy VCU News 30 Sept. 2003. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. Glaucoma and Marijuana Use. National Eye Institute. n.p. June 2005. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. Hanson, Glen, and Peter J. Venturelli. Drugs and Society. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 1998. eBook Collection (EBCOHost). Web. 22 Nov. 2014. Marijuana. American Cancer Society. n.p. n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. The Union: The Business of Getting High. Prod. Brett Harvey. Score G. Productions, 2007.