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Marijuana Use
The legalization of medical marijuana has stirred up heated conversations among medical practitioners, policy makers, and researchers over recent years. Questions like whether the patients find it is useful or how it can be kept from the teenagers have been arising in the numerous debates. According to Grinspoon (1), in as much as marijuana is currently legal in close to 29 states and the Washington, DC, the federal government still considers it illegal. Recently, various individuals and medical practitioners use it for pain control and in treating various diseases, as stated by Ratini (1). In this context, the paper discusses the benefits of legalizing medical marijuana and explore the reasons behind some researchers’ claims not to legalize the drug.
The health assistance of medical marijuana includes relief from muscle spasm, anorexia, and nausea associated with chemotherapy. Oberg (1) states that the advantages are observed from neuroplasticity, vascular health, immune function, regulation of mood and emotions, and digestive function. The study is limited, but research on the endocannabinoid system proposes that advantages may comprise of neuroprotection. Moreover, states that have legalized medicinal marijuana have reported the decrease in opioid overdose (Lopez 1). Patients are said to be using the drug to reduce the use of opioid pain medications. Todd (110) reports that the amount of lethal overindulges in the United States in 2017 was over 64,000. Also, research shows that marijuana can aid as a path away from the overdependency on more dangerous substances like heroin, alcohol, and some prescription medicines, as stated by Todd (110). Therefore, the implementation of medical marijuana not only serves as a pain reliever but also as a means to protect the patients from relying on more lethal drugs.
On the other hand, data evaluating the efficiency of marijuana in circumstances such as chemotherapy-associated nausea, epilepsy, and is inadequate and often only circumstantial. Wilkinson (1) observes that there has been only one randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial appraising the effectiveness of marijuana for any of its possible indications, which exposed that marijuana was more significant than placebo but mediocre to Ondansetron in treating nausea. Wilkinson (1) goes ahead to state that there is no sufficient evidence to support the medicinal advantages of marijuana as claimed. Therefore, given the adverse side effect profile of the drug, it should not be legalized.
In conclusion, marijuana has been proven to have medicinal advantages like pain relief, prevention of nausea related to chemotherapy, and muscle spasm. It also reduces the increasing rated in opioid overdosage among patients that lead to massive deaths. However, although some researchers claim that the therapeutic indications are only randomized, and there is not enough evidence to legalize medical marijuana, the proven benefits are enough to legalize the drug.
Works Cited
Ratini, Melinda. “Health Problems, Medical Marijuana, and Treatment in Pictures.” WebMD, WebMD, 19 Mar. 2019, www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-medical-marijuana.
Oberg, Erica. “What Is Medical Marijuana? Benefits, Types, Uses & Legalities.” MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com/medical_marijuana_medical_cannabis/article.htm#medical_marijuana_facts.
Grinspoon, Peter. “Medical Marijuana.” Harvard Health Blog, 9 Jan. 2018, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085.
Todd, Tamar. “The Benefits of Marijuana Legalization and Regulation.” Berkeley J. Crim. L. 23 (2018): 99.
Lopez, German. “Marijuana Is Legal for Medical Purposes in 33 States.” Vox, Vox, 10 May 2019, www.vox.com/identities/2018/8/20/17938366/medical-marijuana-legalization-states-map.
Opposing
Wilkinson, Samuel T. “Medical and Recreational Marijuana: Commentary and Review of the Literature.” Missouri Medicine, Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179811/.