MArijuana Essay Research Paper Description Marijuana Legalization

MArijuana Essay, Research Paper

Description: Marijuana Legalization Body of Essay: Everybody Must Get Stoned. Pot. Weed. Dope. Marijuana has many names and slang terms associated with it, and many perceive it to be the most widely used illicit drug in this country. Music stars are thrown in jail for possession of it. Movie stars are arrested for planting it. Non-violent drug offenders are in jail next to murderers. Some states allow people to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes to make them feel better, while others are put in jail for smoking it recreationally to feel good too. Marijuana has become a prevalent cause of clashes between vastly differing viewpoints. While medical research continues to show that the drug, like all other drugs, can have negative long-term effects, many could benefit from its medicinal qualities. Others feel that it should be their civil freedom to smoke marijuana for any reason at all. Should you be able to use whatever means possible to reduce your pain if you happen to be afflicted with glaucoma or cancer. Should your grandchildren be able to .smoke up. legally. Should the government continue its current strategy towards stopping the problematic drug situation in this country. What is most important to you. Following are the three main viewpoints on this issue; pro-legalization for medicinal purposes, pro-legalization for all purposes, and anti-legalization. I will start with the medicinal legalization of marijuana. It is proven to have positive effects on those afflicted with various diseases, marijuana can be a helpful drug (Stempsey 1). Patients who have undergone chemotherapy for cancer may benefit from marijuana.s anti-nauseant properties. Glaucoma sufferers can find relief from painful swelling in the eye by smoking the drug. Marijuana can be used as an appetite stimulant for thinning AIDS patients in need of nourishment (Boyd 1). Clearly the drug may be used to help certain people alleviate the adverse symptoms of serious diseases. Often times, sick patients may find that marijuana provides the best, or perhaps the only way to find relief (Stempsey 1). They feel that they should be able to use any means necessary to ease their pain. After all, other dangerous drugs are used for similar reasons. When I was in the hospital, I received codeine to reduce my pain and help me sleep. Codeine, out of the context of a hospital, becomes an illegal and dangerous drug. Many people receive morphine, a highly addictive and illegal drug, for similar pain-reducing reasons. Medicinal legalization supporters would argue that many other patients receive drugs, illegal without a doctor.s prescription, to help them. These patients use whatever means possible to reduce their suffering. Many would suggest that marijuana should be legal for the same reason other drugs are available. If you were afflicted with one of the previously mentioned diseases, would you agree. Why should you have to suffer when a drug exists that would help. Some powerful supporters ask the same question. While many new uses for drugs may be initially viewed with skepticism and doubt, research and verification bring them into the realm of acceptance. The medical world gets new information through medical journals and publications. The New England Journal of Medicine and the American Medical Association have both supported medicinal uses of marijuana (Boyd, Stempsey 1). More than 70 published studies of research over recent years support the viewpoint that the drug does indeed have effects that could be beneficial to certain patients suffering from specific ailments. Clearly the medicinal legalization stance does not lack backing from the medical world. Also joining in support are two states, which have taken the initiative and instituted laws that allow, under very strict circumstances and monitoring, the use of marijuana for medicinal purpose. Proposition 215, a recent law in California, stipulates that marijuana may be used for medicinal purposes by certain patients (Forbes, Boyd 1). If you have watched the news recently, you may know that many opponents currently attack this law, feeling that it should be repealed. A similar law in Arizona, proposition 200, has also found itself under scrutiny for legalizing the drug (Boyd 1). Thus, some states have also shown support for medicinal marijuana, recognizing it as a drug that could help people, not just one that can harm them. These laws may be revoked in both states, but the simple fact that they once stood still stands testament to the fact that adequate support exists for the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. This is the point where pro-legalization splits into two groups. The previous group strives only for marijuana to be available as an option for patients who, under a doctor.s close supervision, could benefit from it. Many people take the argument a step farther and push for marijuana to be totally legal. In other words, an adult could get marijuana for whatever reason he or she wants, whether it be medical or purely recreational. This pro-legalization-without-qualifiers argument is the second viewpoint. Brian Rubino, mentioned before, would most likely support this second stance. Proponents of the idea that marijuana should be legal for all uses believe that it should be just as available as tobacco and alcohol are; that is, marijuana should be legal, but with age restrictions. Those supporting the legalization of mariju