Legalization of Marijuana

Mindy Adams

EH124-1

April 2nd, 2012

Research Paper Draft #1

Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana, whose botanical name is cannabis, has been used for thousands of years without a single fatality. In that way, marijuana is safer than alcohol, cigarettes, and aspirin. Over the past few years there has been a great debate about making marijuana legal and in my opinion it should be. I believe that marijuana should be legalized because it has several health benefits, lowers crime rates, and will affect our economy in a positive way.

Marijuana, also commonly referred as dope, bud, weed, hash, herb, Mary Jane and many other names is the holder of many medical benefits. Benefits so great that 16 States and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for medical purposes. The use of medical marijuana is a great way to help out very ill people and making them better. “To medicate is to smoke pot, and no one in the industry calls pot, pot anymore; it’s medicine now. Dealers are called caregivers, and the people who buy their dope-medicine are patients”.

Medical marijuana can benefit you physically, psychologically, and spiritually. First, numerous studies confirm the effectiveness of marijuana as a pain reliever. Marijuana creates a euphoria and state of relaxation, which is the reason it is so frequently used for recreational purposes. Many patients who suffer from chronic pain would benefit from medical marijuana just as they would from other pain medications without the high cost or side effects of traditional painkillers. The main chemical in Marijuana is THC, which has a side effect of increasing hunger and weight gain. This side effect has a great benefit for patients with wasting diseases such as cancer, HIV, and eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. Cancer patients smoke to get rid of the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite they get from chemotherapy and other weak patients smoke to put on needed weight. Marijuana also eases muscle...