According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, marijuana is listed under the Schedule 1 drugs. This implies that weed does not have any medical uses that are accepted in the present times and that its potentiality to be abused is high. The DEA considers marijuana to be a dangerous drug mainly because of its addictive nature and because it can cause the user to become physiologically and psychologically dependent on it (Rappold 1). The DEA is not alone in speaking out against marijuana; there are scores of other people who believe that cannabis is harmful for the health and hence must be kept illegal (Lawrence).
Indeed, those who oppose medical marijuana being legalized argue that the drug is currently not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and all those fighting to legalize it are only using the fight as a front to exploit marijuana for recreational purposes. In fact, so hot is the debate over marijuana and its legality that today to a large extent it is the government that is handling the issue rather than the medical professionals and patients, who also must be given an opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter (Administrator).
The reason why doctors should have a say in the matter is that marijuana is known to possess medicinal abilities- a fact that has been documented even in medical and scientific literature that are over a thousand years old. Modern research has also shown that marijuana reduces pain and nausea, particularly in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. As far as the patients are concerned, they should be allowed to use medical marijuana legally without the risk of prison time and public humiliation because the drug is known to have the potential to alleviate their pain and keep chronic suffering at bay (Fratello).
Considering this, it appears that making medical marijuana legal would greatly benefit the end users. To put it more succinctly, the benefits of medical marijuana do justify its legality.
The Benefits of Medical Marijuana
A majority of the medical professionals are firm when they say that medical marijuana must be made legal because it provides several health benefits to patients. Evidence-based and peer-reviewed experiments have shown that medical marijuana significantly reduces pain in patients suffering from glaucoma, cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, injuries to the spinal cord and other terminal illnesses. Even the patients have reported that the pain relief they experienced after marijuana consumption could not be experienced when they took other medications normally prescribed for their health conditions (Administrator).
No doubt there is limited research concerning the medical benefits of marijuana owing to its classification as a Schedule 1 drug by the DEA. But, the evidence at hand is strong enough for the medical fraternity to use marijuana as a treatment option in several health problems including seizures, chronic pain due to injuries and cancer, multiple sclerosis, and nausea. Indeed, doctors say that the positive feedback regarding cannabis received from research work and the patients is quite adequate to push DEA into relaxing its regulations and restrictions concerning marijuana, which will only pave the way for furthering scientific investigations into it (Rappold 1).
What also makes medical marijuana beneficial is the fact that it is a natural product unlike other pharmaceutical counterparts that are filled with chemicals. Chemical pain relievers are known to be addictive and cause multiple side-effects that only complicate an existing health condition. On the other hand, if patients were to consume medical marijuana they could effectively manage their disease symptoms without fretting about addiction, adverse side-effects and overdose. Succinctly put, medical marijuana is safer than many typically prescribed pharmaceutical products (Administrator).
Benefits of Marijuana Far Outweigh its Risks
True, marijuana causes certain ill-effects such as impaired cognitive abilities, hallucinations, depression, retarded reactions times, suppression of the immune system, reduced sexual drive, increased risk of respiratory tract infections, and increased heart attack risk, but all these occur when the product is smoked or ingested indiscriminately. Proponents of medical marijuana legalization even argue that many such marijuana ill-effect claims are outdated, exaggerated and remain unconfirmed by modern scientific studies. In fact, marijuana is said to be safer and less addictive than tobacco and alcohol, which are perhaps used more rampantly across the globe today (High Times).
With respect to the various modes of marijuana intake including smoking, oral ingestion, topical application, and vaporization, smoking is found to be more dangerous than the others as the smoke of marijuana contains several carcinogens. In fact, smokers of the drug have been found to be at increased for cancers of the respiratory tract (Lawrence). In addition, although it confers quick pain relief, marijuana effects tend to wear out quickly when smoked (Harborside Health Center).
Where medical marijuana is concerned, it need not be only smoked. Rather, the product can be ingested orally as edibles, used topically as salves, lotions, creams, sprays, and balms, or applied as tinctures. It can also be vaporized, which enables users to inhale the active components of marijuana thereby helping them avoid the harmful effects of its smoke. Eating marijuana is also another consumption option for those who would like to use the drug as a herbal medication (Harborside Health Center).
Marijuana Benefits Justify Its Legality
Moreover, marijuana that is to be medically used and as obtained from a licensed vendor is a high quality product that contains less of the unsafe chemicals that are likely to be present if the product were to be obtained from the streets. This benefit on its own is sufficient as a justification for making medical marijuana legal. This is because if medical marijuana is legalized, then it would give the government the power to ensure that physicians and patients use only high quality marijuana purchased from licensed personnel thereby making the product safe for medical use. It would also ensure that the drug is administered in controlled doses, and enable the tracking of its usage on a wider scale. In addition, legalization of marijuana would allow the governments to impose sales tax on the product which would help to regulate its use. Further, research on the drug would expand leading to the generation of more conclusive data with respect to the long-term benefits, effects and prescription limitations of cannabis (Administrator).
One fact that cannot be ignored when discussing medical marijuana is that today many people use it of their own choice. It is the people’s own observation that marijuana when consumed moderately helps them to relax without making them addictive to it. Many users even report of developing tolerance to its mild side-effects with repeated use. Science has also established that moderate consumption of marijuana is not lethal and that its overdose is quite impossible (High Times). In light of these multiple benefits of medical marijuana, there remains little doubt that legalizing the product is the need of the hour for the benefit of the entire society.
Works Cited
Administrator. “3 Reasons Why Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized.” Medicalmarijuanassociation. Medical Marijuana Association, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. <http://www.medicinalmarijuanaassociation.com/medical-marijuana-blog/3-reasons-why-medical-cannabis-should-be-legalized>.
Fratello, Dave. “Should Marijuana Be Legalized for Medical Purposes.” Thirteen.org. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. <http://www.thirteen.org/closetohome/viewpoints/html/marij.html>.
Harborside Health Center. “5 Methods of Medical Cannabis Consumption.” Harborsidehealthcenter. Harborside Health Center, n.d. Web 3 Mar. 2016. <https://www.harborsidehealthcenter.com/learn/methods-of-cannabis-consumption.html>.
High Times. “10 Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal.” Hightimes. High Times, n.d. Web. 3 Mar.2016. <http://www.hightimes.com/read/10-reasons-marijuana-should-be-legal>.
Lawrence, Ali. “The Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana.” Themindfulword.org. The Mindful Word, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. <http://www.themindfulword.org/2015/pros-cons-medical-marijuana/>.
Rappold, Scott R. “Legalize Medical Marijuana, Doctors Say in Survey.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. <http://www.webmd.com/news/breaking-news/marijuana-on-main-street/20140225/webmd-marijuana-survey-web>.
