Why Marijuana Should Be Legal
June 14th 2013
CP:150 Introduction to Computers
Unit 13 Paper
Why legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to the United States.
The current drug laws are doing more harm than good, legalizing marijuana would benefit the country in many ways. It would increase revenue for states. If marijuana were legal, the states would have more money to spend on important problems. Also marijuana has many medical benefits.
Marijuana has been a part of humanity for almost as long as history has been recorded. Written references to the use of marijuana as a medicine date back nearly 5000 years.(L. Grinspoon and J. Bakalar. 1997 )
Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations including the American Public Health Association, Health Canada and the Federation of American Scientists, support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician 's supervision.(Head, 2013) Marijuana is looked down on because it is the most used illegal drug. There are risks associated with the use of marijuana but the benefits outweigh them. Many medical associations now back the legalization of medical marijuana.
In my personal life I have had an aunt that medical marijuana made her life more tolerable while under going chemotherapy, my cousin dieing of AID used medical marijuana to increase his appetite. I have also know many Vietnam Veterans that used it to help with their PTSD. I have personally seen the results, such as a patient being treated for depression come off a zip lock bag full of medications to just smoking or eating a dose of Medical Marijuana 2 or 3 times a day, Then the patient weened themselves off the Marijuana and returned to a normal functioning life. The results I have seen from other people, that just use the prescribed medications for depression were a lot different.
According to The New York Times, The New England Journal of Medicine “acknowledges that marijuana use may cause long-term adverse effects and lead to
CP:150 Introduction to Computers
Unit 13 Paper
Why legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to the United States.
The current drug laws are doing more harm than good, legalizing marijuana would benefit the country in many ways. It would increase revenue for states. If marijuana were legal, the states would have more money to spend on important problems. Also marijuana has many medical benefits.
Marijuana has been a part of humanity for almost as long as history has been recorded. Written references to the use of marijuana as a medicine date back nearly 5000 years.(L. Grinspoon and J. Bakalar. 1997 )
Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations including the American Public Health Association, Health Canada and the Federation of American Scientists, support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician 's supervision.(Head, 2013) Marijuana is looked down on because it is the most used illegal drug. There are risks associated with the use of marijuana but the benefits outweigh them. Many medical associations now back the legalization of medical marijuana.
In my personal life I have had an aunt that medical marijuana made her life more tolerable while under going chemotherapy, my cousin dieing of AID used medical marijuana to increase his appetite. I have also know many Vietnam Veterans that used it to help with their PTSD. I have personally seen the results, such as a patient being treated for depression come off a zip lock bag full of medications to just smoking or eating a dose of Medical Marijuana 2 or 3 times a day, Then the patient weened themselves off the Marijuana and returned to a normal functioning life. The results I have seen from other people, that just use the prescribed medications for depression were a lot different.
According to The New York Times, The New England Journal of Medicine “acknowledges that marijuana use may cause long-term adverse effects and lead to
References: L.Grinspoon and J. Bakalar. 1997. Marihuana the Forbidden Medicine (second edition). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; B. Zimmerman et al. 1998. Is Marijuana the Right Medicine for You? A Factual Guide to Medical Uses of Marijuana. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing. Head , M. (2013). About marijuana / medical use. Retrieved from http://norml.org/marijuana/medical/item/introduction-7?category_id=733 MICHAEL , M. (1997, January 31). A medical opinion on marijuana. New York Times, p. Section A; Page 30. Staci , G. (2007). Drug studies. Gene Therapy, Cancer-Killing Viruses and New Drugs Highlight Novel Approaches to Cancer Treatment, Retrieved from http://www.aacr.org/home/public--media/aacr-press-releases/press-releases-2007.aspx? d=744 Flatow, N. (2012, November 02). State marijuana legalization would hobble Mexican drug cartels, study finds. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/02/1128521/state-marijuana-legalization-would- hobble-mexican-drug-cartels-study-concludes/?mobile=nc PETERS, J. W. (2012, December 07). A look at taxing marijuana. New York Times. Retrieved from http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/taxing-marijuana/ West, L. (2013). Hemp: Miracle fiber or dangerous drug?. Retrieved from http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/hemp.htm