The proponents of the legitimization of marijuana for medical use argue that it has numerous medical uses. Indeed, it seems impossible to disagree with this view because marijuana is not the only opioid that is used for medical purposes. More precisely, the pain of patients with terminal cancer is treated with morphine (Ho et al., 2020). Therefore, in this case, the end justifies the means. Currently, in the US, there is a rather peculiar situation with the legalization of marijuana for medical use. 36 American states permit to use of marijuana if it was prescribed by a physician. At the same time, at the federal level, usage of cannabis is not legal.
It seems fair to say that the federal government should control states ability to regulate prescription and use of marijuana so that all American citizens would have equal rights and opportunities. To accomplish this goal, it might be suggested to create a universal list of medical conditions that should be treated using marijuana and dosage for each case. These conditions should be well-defined to eradicate the possibility of different interpretations. Besides, the federal government could pass a law that obliges the states to adhere to the previously mentioned medical conditions list.
I suppose that medical legalization of cannabis would not cause recreational legalization. The major reason for this is that people who were prescribed marijuana because of their health conditions have no other treatment method. Besides, the dosage is fixed and, therefore, would not bring any harm. The use of marijuana for recreational purposes is a different thing because there are numerous ways to relax apart from taking this drug. I believe that recreational legalization is insane because it will bring more harm than actual benefits.
Reference
Ho, J. F. V., Yaakup, H., Low, G. S. H., Wong, S. L., Tho, L. M., & Tan, S. B. (2020). Morphine use for cancer pain: A strong analgesic used only at the end of life? A qualitative study on attitudes and perceptions of morphine in patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers. Palliative medicine, 34(5), 619-629. Web.