Essay about Medical Marijuana - 1525 Words

Medical Marijuana Marijuana is medicine. It has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide variety of ailments. Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) was legal in the United States for all purposes - industrial and recreational, as well as medicinal until 1937. Today, only eight Americans are legally allowed to use marijuana as medicine. NORML is working to restore marijuanas availability as medicine. Medicinal Value Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose. It is also extremely versatile. Four of its general therapeutic applications include: relief from nausea and increase of appetite; reduction of intraocular (within the eye)†¦show more content†¦In addition, anecdotal evidence exists that marijuana is effective in the treatment of arthritis, migraine headaches, pruritis, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other mood disorders. Marijuana could benefit as many as five million patients in the United States. However, except for the eight individuals given special permission by the federal government, marijuana remains illegal-even as medicine! Individuals currently suffering from any of the aforementioned ailments, for whom the standard legal medical alternatives have not been safe or effective, are left with two choices: Continue to suffer from the effects of the disease; or Obtain marijuana illegally and risk the potential consequences, which may include: an insufficient supply because of the prohibition-inflated price or unavailability; impure, contaminated, or chemically adulterated marijuana; arrests, fines, court costs, property forfeiture, incarceration, probation, and criminal records. Background: The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 established the federal prohibition of marijuana. Dr. William C. Woodward of the American Medical Association testified against the Act, arguing that it would ultimately prevent any medicinal use of marijuana. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 established five categories, or schedules, into which all illicit andShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana1558 Words   |  7 Pages Alaskan Thunderbolt Whether pro, con, user or bystander. The issue of the nationwide legalization of medical marijuana is one that infringes both in political and social standards. Be it that marijuana is subsequently abused, and utilized as an illegal drug. It is regarded highly, as a controversial issue which affects the amenity of conservative, modern America. Because of which one should further seek to understand. Things like its history, correlation with crime, effects on economy, effectsRead MoreMedical Marijuana1767 Words   |  8 Pages Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. 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