Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana use is a very highly debated issue in the United States. Some people believe that it is immoral to use or support the use of this dangerous drug. Some advocates for legalization of marijuana say that it is not dangerous at all and is actually safer than cigarettes. Our government is on the former side of the issue. Of course when the government says something is wrong then that pushes dissenters into an unpopular category, because dissention implies a lack of trust in the government. But what about the doctors that say it is a very effective pain reliever and treatment option for patients who have very little options available to them. Or the very patients themselves that argue this is the only medicine that works for them. Medicinal marijuana is a valuable resource that should be made available to health providers in America.

The Federal Government of the United States of America currently provides marijuana for medical use to 7 Americans. (Amar, 2006, p. 2) That means that the government is breaking its own laws. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) lists marijuana, or cannabis as it is sometimes referred when used for human consumption, as a Schedule 1 narcotic meaning it has no medicinal uses and is considered as harmful as heroin. (McDonough, 2000) To most people this level of hypocrisy would be a condemnation of the approval process, yet this fact gets little recognition other than in pro-marijuana discussions.

Studies have shown that marijuana is a proven method for treating symptoms of various terminal diseases and negative side effects of their cures. Some examples of the afflictions it can help are glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), some forms of epilepsy as well as those suffering from Tourette’s syndrome. Laboratory testing, as well as real world patient responses, have shown a definite result when dealing with marijuana or variations of it.

Such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments...