Over the recent past, the question of whether or not to legalize marijuana has been an issue of contention for a significant period. The prevailing stand on the issue was that marijuana is harmful and had no benefit at all, an argument that was utilized for such a long time to justify its criminalization. However, presently due to the increasing number of studies on marijuana and its medical benefits, most of the past arguments are quickly being dispelled to be false. Such research studies on the plant have led many in the medical professions as well as other stakeholders to advocate for its legality as the medical befits far outweigh the perceived adverse effects. As such, the medical advantages of marijuana justify its legality.
On the topic of its use in the medical profession, the health benefits of marijuana are not a modern discovery. Literature, as well as historical discoveries, have revealed that people have been using the marijuana for its medicinal and euphoric nature from as far back as 7000 BC. In the modern world, even before the present wave of its legalization, doctors have been known to prescribe it to glaucoma and cancer patients to assist in relieving their symptoms. Such patients were also reported to improve with the continued but controlled use of marijuana. In addition, cancer patients have also been known to use marijuana to relieve the pain and nausea the results from such treatments as chemotherapy. Several medical studies have also confirmed that the drug stimulates appetite and it is for this reason that it is commonly prescribed to AIDS patients who are known to lose their appetites while they are on their medications (McNamee, 2014).
Additionally, the drug has been proved to be highly beneficial to asthma patients. An article in the New York times elaborates on this point in that marijuana has the ability to increase ones heart rate thus effectively increasing the volume of blood pumped by the heart. This property, as studied by various medical studies has been determined to contribute to the reversal of the effects of various carcinogens that are associated with cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the increased heart rate also contributes to the opening up and expansion of the lungs thus making it easier to breathe, a benefit that is significantly advantageous for asthma patients (Boffey, 2014). Although the lungs expansion property of marijuana is typically used by opponents of its legalization citing that it poses a risk for marijuana users with cardiac problems, studies have shown that it mostly poses a risk to older people that have predisposed cardiac issues and only if they smoke it.
Overall, although there are some risks to the use of marijuana, such as a dependence, not addiction, on the drug, short-term memory loss, loss of balance, fatigue, euphoria, drowsiness, disorientation and confusion, these risks are unpersuasive and specious especially when they are compared with the well documented significant risks of legal substances such as alcohol and cigarettes. As such, none of the potential risks of marijuana use justify its schedule 1 prohibitive status. All the medical studies results, on its benefits directly conflict with the governments stance that marijuana for medical use is highly dangerous and any use should be harshly punished. Instead, as these studies have revealed that the marijuana plant has active constituents that effectively therapeutic and are uniquely safe, the use of medical marijuana should be legalized.
References
Boffey, P. M. (2014, July 30). What Science Says About Marijuana. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/opinion/what-science-says-about-marijuana.html?_r=0
McNamee, D. (2014, July 24). Medical marijuana - where does the debate stand now? Retrieved from Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280116.php
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