The debate on whether marijuana should be legalized has existed for a long time. However, people hold different views about the drug and this has made it difficult to come up with a concrete conclusion about the issue. It is true that the drug has negative effects to the people who use it and the society in general. Regardless of it being illegal, people have continued to use the drug. Even though the drug has its negative effects, the benefits that are derived from its use cannot be ignored. Legalizing marijuana can be advantageous to some extent. This research paper will analyze why legalization of marijuana is of great benefit in the country.
In the current world, alternative medicine has been used in various parts of the world. People prefer alternative medicine as opposed to the medicine that is given by the doctors. Marijuana can be used as alternative medicine in areas such as relieving of pain and depression. Instead of using the other types of medicine, people would benefit many people in dealing with these ailments if it is legalized (Gieringer, 68). People suffering from chest pains have benefited from the use of marijuana to relieve the pain. People who usually suffer from pain from time to time need to use the drug to deal with the problem especially individuals with HIV/AIDS.
Marijuana is also important to people without appetite. After using the drug, individuals usually develop appetite. Specifically, people with HIV and other types of diseases have no appetite. However, these people need nutrients in their body and therefore need to eat enough food. Considering the fact that HIV has no cure, the only option is to help the people take the required nutrients through feeding (Mathre, 127 ). Marijuana is beneficial in that it creates appetite to these people hence helping them take the food. Considering the fact that there is no completely effective medicine for creating appetite, it can be observed that marijuana is important in helping individuals with medical problems.
Some of the contents of marijuana have been proved to prevent development of growths that lead to cancer. Cancer is a dangerous disease in that it is difficult and expensive to treat. Therefore if marijuana is legalized, people would prefer using marijuana as compared to cigarettes which causes cancer. This is considering the fact that marijuana prevents cancer.
Many people have an excess weight that is associated with various diseases such as high blood pressure and heart diseases. Marijuana has been found to be an effective way of losing this weight. When an individual uses the drug, the metabolic rate of such an individual increases and this ensures that the excess sugars in the body are used up. As a result, the weight of an individual reduces (Conrad, 51). In this regard, it can be observed that marijuana is important in solving various diseases that are cause many deaths in the world. In addition, marijuana reduces the costs of treating these diseases.
Some people suffer from epilepsy in that there are no drugs to completely cure the disorder. However, studies have shown that the use of marijuana is effective in reducing the problems associated with epilepsy (Shoo, 72).
When the women are giving birth, they undergo a lot of pain. Therefore they need a drug that can reduce this pain. In this case, marijuana is the best solution. Marijuana is cheap and effective in relieving pain to women undergoing birth.
People with anxiety and obsession about something usually are likely to find no drug from the hospitals. However, marijuana use can be effective in ensuring that the moods of such individuals are back to normal (Shoo, 98). Therefore marijuana is important in treating obsession and anxiety disorders that have no cure in hospitals.
Various medical researchers have proved that marijuana is an effective drug in dealing with various ailments. In addition, marijuana has been in use for medical purposes for a long period of time. Therefore there is evidence that the drug is effective in various treatments. Legalizing the drug will be of great importance in that many people will get access to the use of the drug (Gieringer, 117). Currently, the drug can only be used by individuals who access the drug. If the drug is legalized, the medical practitioners will be confident to prescribe the drug to many people. In addition, the costs of some treatment will be greatly reduced.
Another advantage of legalizing the drug is that the government will be able to collect tax from its sale and therefore it will be possible to subsidize the treatment of the diseases associated with the use of the drug. The side effects of the drug of cannot be a limitation in the legalization of the drug since more people will benefit as compared to those who will be negatively affected (Benson, 123).
Works cited.
Shoo, Tatiana. Medical Use of Marijuana: Policy, Regulatory, and Legal Issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2003. Print.
Gieringer, Dale H, Ed Rosenthal, and Gregory T. Carter. Marijuana Medical Handbook: Practical Guide to the Therapeutic Uses of Marijuana. Oakland, Calif: Quick American, 2008. Print.
Conrad, Chris. Hemp for Health: The Medicinal and Nutritional Uses of Cannabis Sativa. Rochester, Vt: Healing Arts Press, 1997. Print.
Benson, John A, Janet E. Joy, and Stanley J. Watson. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington, DC: National Acad. Press, 1999. Print.
Mathre, Mary L. Cannabis in Medical Practice: A Legal, Historical and Pharmacological Overview of the Therapeutic Use of Marijuana. Jefferson, NC [u.a.: McFarland, 1997. Print.
