Marijuana Legalization Debate
Week 5 Learning Team Debate Paper
10/7/2012
Although marijuana usage has shown some benefits in very specific cases it is not the miracle cure that its proponents make it out to be. The medical community should continue to look for a better solution to these problems as marijuana has proven to have many harmful side effects. Scientific studies have shown an increased rate of depression and schizophrenia in habitual marijuana users (Marijuana|drugfacts|national Institute On Drug Abuse, 2010).Patients already dealing with pain issues should not be put at risk of depression symptoms as the drop in mood could easily outweigh the benefits of pain management. Marijuana use greatly increases the heart rate of the user for a one to three hour period immediately after usage and can be dangerous in patients with heart conditions (Marijuana|drugfacts|national Institute On Drug Abuse, 2010). Medical marijuana usage should be avoided in the elderly for its dangerous potential to anyone with a heart condition. Trading pain management for a potentially fatal heart attack isn 't an acceptable trade in the medical community. Habitual marijuana usage has been shown to cause a lack of motivation and a lower overall performance in the workplace. Younger patients cannot afford a loss in motivation when faced with the challenge of a chronic illness that may require long term pain management. A patient cannot be expected to maintain their quality of life and keep up with their medical bills if their treatment is lowering their drive to achieve or even participate in their work life.
References
Marijuana|DrugFacts|National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2010). Retrieved from
10/7/2012
Although marijuana usage has shown some benefits in very specific cases it is not the miracle cure that its proponents make it out to be. The medical community should continue to look for a better solution to these problems as marijuana has proven to have many harmful side effects. Scientific studies have shown an increased rate of depression and schizophrenia in habitual marijuana users (Marijuana|drugfacts|national Institute On Drug Abuse, 2010).Patients already dealing with pain issues should not be put at risk of depression symptoms as the drop in mood could easily outweigh the benefits of pain management. Marijuana use greatly increases the heart rate of the user for a one to three hour period immediately after usage and can be dangerous in patients with heart conditions (Marijuana|drugfacts|national Institute On Drug Abuse, 2010). Medical marijuana usage should be avoided in the elderly for its dangerous potential to anyone with a heart condition. Trading pain management for a potentially fatal heart attack isn 't an acceptable trade in the medical community. Habitual marijuana usage has been shown to cause a lack of motivation and a lower overall performance in the workplace. Younger patients cannot afford a loss in motivation when faced with the challenge of a chronic illness that may require long term pain management. A patient cannot be expected to maintain their quality of life and keep up with their medical bills if their treatment is lowering their drive to achieve or even participate in their work life.
References
Marijuana|DrugFacts|National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2010). Retrieved from
References: Marijuana|DrugFacts|National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana