Legalization of Marijuana
...ms of the substance as pills, a patch, suppositories, eye and ear drops, and a marijuana vapor. The few people that are against medical marijuana argue that marijuana damages the ability to concentrate and can have other harmful side effects. In labs around the world, researchers are trying to determine marijuana’s effects on the body and if there’s a way to deliver the potential benefits without the harmful smoke. Those who are against medical marijuana argue that smoking can increase risks for cancer, lung damage, and emphysema, but for those with an incurable disease that is sure to kill them sooner then later this is not a big risk. The cannabis plant marijuana comes from, includes most of the irritants found in tobacco. In addition, there are 400 different chemicals in one puff of marijuana. The synthetic form of the main ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been available for nearly 15 years as Marinol for doctors who want to prescribe it. But patients complain that Marinol doesn’t work as well as marijuana. They also say that smoking marijuana allows faster relief it is transferred directly from the lungs into the blood stream. Individuals can’t guarantee the purity and dosage of THC by growing their own marijuana. Other arguments are that legalizing marijuana will send the wrong message to children, promoting drug abuse. A recent federal survey found that marijuana use among adolescents in California, where marijuana has been legal since 1996, was no higher than the national average. Also, there is no real evidence that recreational marijuana smokers become serious drug addicts. Marijuana is simply a relieve from the plaguing symptoms of treacherous diseases. A half a dozen states have offered ballots to legalize marijuana, but the drug is banned by federal law, until Congress realizes that the pain and suffering of our loved ones can be eased it will be an uphill battle to offer this medical treatment. I think that medical marijuana should be legal everywhere because there are tens of thousands of seriously ill patients who could benefit from its use. A report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) determined that marijuana’s active ingredients are effective in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS, and other symptoms including muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis. NAS also reported that marijuana reduces the pressure that glaucoma patients suffer, which is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. In addition, marijuana also treat...