Marijuana Should be Legalized for Medical and Recreational Use

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JJ is a 7 year old boy. He has post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and impulse control disorder. He has been thrown out of numerous preschools and admitted to several hospitals for psychiatric issues. His mother has pursued all forms of medical and behavioral help for her son’s hyperactivity and aggressiveness. She came across medical marijuana while trying to research JJ’s problems and after discussing it with his doctors decided to give it a try. She took him off all his medications and put the marijuana in a muffin in amounts prescribed and monitored by the doctor. JJ’s behavior issues declined almost immediately. He is polite, eager to learn and interacts well with teachers and students at school. Now he talks through his questions and problems instead of acting out due to frustration. Marijuana has been used by people throughout the centuries and its use has provided many benefits. Therefore, it should be legalized for medical and recreational use in today’s society (O’Brien & Clark, 2002). How long has marijuana been around? Evidence based on research shows that marijuana has been used since the beginning of recorded history or longer. The first known record of its use was from Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. (Deamuseum.org, N.D.). There is also evidence that the ancient Greeks and Romans were familiar with and used marijuana as well (Deamuseum.org, N.D.). According to historical information on Narcon International’s website, marijuana was used to treat various medical issues as well as for recreational purposes (Narconon.org, 2010-2014). From there, marijuana spread throughout the Middle East, then into Africa and northward to Europe. The Spanish brought it to the New World in 1545 and the Engli... ... middle of paper ... ...conon.org, (2010-2014), History of Marijuana: Early marijuana use, Narcon International, Retrieved from: http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-history.html O’Brien, K. & Clark, P. (2002), Case Study: Mother and Son: The Case of Medical Marijuana, JSTOR: The Hastings Center Report, 32(5), p. 11, Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3528708?uid=3739656&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103681665963 ProCon.org. (2014, March 4). Medical Marijuana, ProCon.org. Retrieved from: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/ ProCon.org. (2014, March 4). Medical Marijuana: History of the American Medical Association (AMA) and Marijuana, ProCon.org, Retrieved from: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000088 Swift, A. (2013). For first time, Americans favor legalizing marijuana. Gallup Poll Briefing,

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