The Medical Benefits of Marijuana



The Medical Benefits of Marijuana

Introduction

Marijuana is one of the most discussed and controversial topics in the U.S today. Many say that it has medicinal benefits and should be made legal. While many say that it has a “high potential for abuse” (Medical) and should remain illegal. Among the arguments, proponents for medical marijuana have presented a stronger argument for legalization through their use of research and evidence.

Opponents of medical marijuana have given many reasons for why it should not be legalized. One of the main reasons they argue is that “Marijuana smoke contains known carcinogens and produces dependency in users” (Medical). In many studies it has shown that it does have some harm such as the harms associated with smoking, but the National Academy of Science affirmed that “marijuana's short term medical benefits outweigh any smoking-related harms for some patients”(Medical). Though marijuana has been proven to be damaging to the lungs than tobacco, a study in 2006 “found no evidence that marijuana smokers had higher rates of lung cancer” (Medical Marijuana). The FDA has tested the effectiveness of marijuana and has found that the cannabinoids are helpful in “treating pain associated with chemotherapy, postoperative recovery, and spinal cord injury, as well as neuropathic pain, which is often experienced by patients with metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis,[and] diabetes” (Medical Marijuana). 

There is also no evidence shown that patients who use marijuana become addicted. Though the opposing side argues this, they show no evidence in supporting this claim, which therefore, the claim is invalid. There are many pharmaceutical drugs used for treatment and they are addictive, yet it's legal. Also carcinogens can have a negative effect, but there are many things in society, such as tobacco, that contains harmful toxins, yet it's still legal. To say that marijuana should remain illegal because it is addictive, is irrelevant because these items are still present in society today and are harmful to the human body, but still they remain legal. 

Discussion

Legalization and Ethical Issues of Marijuana

Few topics generate as much controversy, arguments and confrontations such as the legalization of drugs. Cyclically the subject enters the lives of people through television debates and other media. These generally range from two polarized positions: for or against, simplifying what is complex. Reflective areas are needed for the proper treatment of a difficult and intricate. Advocates of legalization support much of his argument that the money flowing through the drug trade could be regulated by the state, which would cease to exist posters and other groups engaged in drug trafficking. Also invoke the recognition of the freedom of individuals to choose the lifestyle they want and say that drugs have a higher purity, which would be fewer overdose deaths due to successive adulterations in the original substance. The money saved would help develop effective prevention and care programs. These ideas are invited to make a stop on the road to attempt a deeper analysis, especially by those who work daily in response to drug addicts and their ...