Medical Marijuana Should Be Legal

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Is it possible for an illegal drug to be deemed legal for medical purposes? Well for an illegal drug like marijuana, that is the question. There are currently many people who use marijuana legally to suppress their illness. Marijuana should be allowed for medicinal purposes. But one of the arguments is that there are alternatives to using marijuana such as medications that come in pills, solutions, shots, or drops. There is no prescribed drug today that is smoked. Another concern is that marijuana is illegal is the United States. Making it a medicine would require a change in the current law which would have to be voted on by Congress. The biggest and most important argument against marijuana is the negative effects it could have on a person. Marijuana effects coordination and short-term memory which may make it impossible for a person to operate a vehicle or learn anything new. Smoking marijuana could cause lung cancer. Smoking three to five joints a day is equivalent to smoking more than twenty cigarettes a day. But marijuana has many helpful effects also. Marijuana is a proven agent to prevent nausea in people. In 1985, the FDA approved a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol(THC). It was approved to combat nausea and vomiting that accompanies chemotherapy. In a 1988 study, 78% of 56 people said that they had received some -2- relief with marijuana(Fackelmann 15). By inhaling the marijuana, patients can control the dose they need in order to relieve their pain and it also takes affect immediately upon smoking. Pills on the other hand deliver a standard dose which may be too much for some patients and takes awhile to take affect. Many people have heard that marijuana gives a person the “munchies”, but the munchies may be exactly what a person needs in order to live. Marijuana has been proven to increase appetite which results in a weight gain for the person. For an AIDS patient, gaining weight not losing it is a main focus. In 1992, the FDA approved a pill form of THC called Marinol for AIDS patients who suffer from wasting. In a study of 139 people with AIDS, half of the people were given the Marinol and half were given a placebo. The Marinol significally improved the appetite in AIDS patients(Cowley and Hager 22). Gaining weight and keeping it on for AIDS patients is key in extending their lives. M... ... middle of paper ... ...: Marijuana as Medicine.” Consumer Reports May 1997. Cowley, Geoffrey and Mary Hager. “Can marijuana be medicine?” Newsweek Feb. 1997: Vol.129 Issue 5 page 22. . Fackelmann, Kathleen. “Marijuana: Useful medicine or dangerous drug?” Consumers’ Research Magazine May 1997: Vol.80 Issue 5 page 15. http://ehostvgw8.epnet.com/delivery.asp?…&startHitNum= 10&rlStartHit=10&delType=FT. Zeese, Kevin and William Ruzzamenti. “Should marijuana be legalized for medical uses?” Health Nov./Dec. 1993 Vol.7 Issue 7 page 23. http://ehostvgw8.epnet.com/delivery.asp?…3F&startHitNu m=1&rlStartHit=1&delType=FT.

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