Should We Legalize Marijuana For Medical Use? Essay (Critical Writing)

The use of Marijuana and its products has been an issue of debate and controversy in America although some states have accepted and legalized its use for medical purposes. The big question, therefore, is why legalizing Marijuana for the whole nation has taken so long to come. Marijuana is a substance that has brought a lot of debate especially on whether to legalize it. In the United States, marijuana is legal for medical use in twenty states and more will follow suit.

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, American people for its medicinal value used Marijuana freely until it was made illegal in 1970. Later, the Drug Enforcement Agency was instituted to fight the use or distribution of Marijuana. Since then, the fight for the legalization of Marijuana has been on to the present day.

The substance is especially used for cancer and AIDS patients to relieve nausea and it has so far proved to be an effective medication (Julian, 2000).

Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized

There are many reasons why marijuana should be legalized. They include and are not limited to the following:

1. Medical Reasons
2. Economic Reasons
3. Social Reasons
4. Philosophical Reasons
5. Religious Reasons
6. Legal Reasons

Medical Reasons

The Hemp seed is used all over the world for food, fuel and fiber. It is a big source of Proteins. Hemp is mostly confused with Marijuana, but they are two distinct substances. Hemp is the low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strain of Cannabis.

This strain contains fats, which are psychoactive and are very useful for the Human nervous system. As indicated earlier, Marijuana is used to relieve nausea in AIDS and Cancer patients. Therefore by legalizing it for medical use, we shall be helping our ailing brothers and sisters as swell as aiding in the progress towards getting better and more effective cures if the twenty first century diseases.

Millions of Americans are suffering from ailments that Marijuana could heal in only those states where it is legalized. The use of Medicinal marijuana (hemp) has no side effects. Therefore, legalizing it will not have any effects for those using it, those around them or even for the economy as explained below.

Hemp is Healthy and contains Protein and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in a very healthy and no harmful ratio of 1:3. For this reason, I strongly believe that Marijuana should be legalized to be used medically. The most important use for marijuana to the sick includes:

1. Reduction of inflammatory effects- Marijuana helps alleviate the inflammatory effects of such diseases as Arthritis
2. Improved mental functioning-Research also shows that Marijuana has neuron-protective properties that help to prevent Stroke and Brain Damage.
3. Appetite boosting- Marijuana has the effect to reduce vomiting in Cancer patients and improve their appetite.
4. Improved sleeping patterns- nausea in patients is reduced greatly using substances extracted from Marijuana
5. Pain Relief- marijuana can aid to relieve pain by smoking just once a day for five days
6. It is used for Antiemetic effects especially for people with cancer. It also helps reduce the growth of tumors in the body thus greatly reducing the effects of cancer.
7. Reducing AIDS. Reducing syndrome- this is the effect of HIV and AIDS where a patient loses weight in a way that cannot be related to AIUDS or other diseases. Marijuana is used to counter this effect and the other effects on Cancer and AIDS patients

Economic Reasons

Hemp is a great economic crop and on legalizing, it would give most American farmers a chance to plant it on large scale, sell it to the big American market and consequently improve the economy. Hemp is also has many industrial uses and thus would improve indust5rial advancements in the country.

All these factors will eventually improve the American economy either individually or collectively. Thirdly and most importantly, the American government spends billions of dollars every year on the fight against drugs. All that money directed to a little number of Americans who just like to smoke Marijuana and ‘get high’.

By legalizing marijuana for medical use, all resources that the government dedicates to drugs through such agencies as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) could be channeled to other sectors of the economy for overall development and economic advancements.

Lastly, by legalizing Marijuana would collect Taxes on it. This Tax money could be used to educate Children on Drug and substance abuse. Hence, by legalizing Marijuana would be saving rather than risking.

Social Reasons

Those people in society who use these substances (Marijuana) are associated with crime. This is quite unfair when you compare these users of Marijuana with other drug and substance users using more harmful substances such as Tobacco and alcohol.

It will only be socially fair if the Drug is also legalized for medical use so that these users will not feel discriminated. In addition to that, the use of Marijuana especially by smoking either for medical reasons or to heal ailments, is a social activity that will help bring them together and improve their social ties (Putnam, 2000).

Philosophical Reasons

Individuals should have the free will to choose what they consume or not. The government’s job is to come in if it feels that such consumption of a substance poses a threat to other people. When legalized for medical use, then one will only use Marijuana when they are ill or when they have a recommendation from their Doctor. How this affects other people’s security is hard to see, thus, legalize Marijuana.

Individuals should therefore, decide what to use or not to. When something is forbidden, most humans have a tendency to try it out and see why it has to be illegal. More Americans are therefore, involved in distributing and abusing Marijuana than would if it were legal. By legalizing Marijuana for medical use, the government will help reduce this large number of curious youths (Effland, 1998).

Religious Reasons

Many religious groups require their followers to use some substances for instance Christians take wine during some occasions. Similarly, some Buddhists, Hindus and Rastafarians religious groups use Marijuana for some of their Religious ceremonies. The government would only take care of their right to worship by Legalizing Marijuana.

Besides, the Americans constitution is very clear on each individual’s right to free worship and religious practice. Most activists would ask why the government would legalize other substancde3 and not Marijuana. Their plight will surely be answered if Marijuana is legalized for medical use now that it has been proved to heal ailments and improve human health (Christensen et al. 2003).

Legal Reasons

There are very many cases pending in courts involving people who were caught using Marijuana. Most of these Americans were simply using Marijuana for therapeutic reasons not as a Drug. A substantial number of these defendants do not deny charges but plead therapy in mitigation. The government should therefore, clear these legal hurdles by legalizing Marijuana for Medical use. If made legal, people will perceive the law as being fair and considerate to their needs. They will not find it hard to obey the rest of it (Kenny, 2011).

Conclusion

There might be so many arguments against the legalization of Marijuana in America; however, the above-explained reasons serve to prove to the government that it would do more good than harm by legalizing Marijuana. The clear benefits in Health are surely not to be left out. Most ailing American citizens on discovering this medical use of Marijuana resort to planting it in their backyards.

This is done with a lot of fear for the federal government and state agencies. Overall, they have to do it to reduce the effects of such diseases as Cancer and AIDS. This government will take this huge load off their shoulders by legalizing the use Marijuana for medical use. Human Rights groups and Activists are constantly pushing the government to give the go ahead on medically useful strain of Marijuana.

Why not listen tom their plea and see the point they are so much urging the government to consider. The Marijuana market in the United States keeps increasing by the day. By legalizing it, more taxes from it, increased economic production and industrial use of Marijuana will see the economy shoot unbelievably. So, why not just legalize it (Lenski, 1974).

References

Christensen, K. et al. (2003). Encyclopedia of Community. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Effland, R. (1998). The Cultural Evolution of Civilizations. London: Mesa Community College.

Julian, B. (2000). Community Development Principles and Practical Actions. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Kenny, S. (2011). Developing Communities for the Future: Community Development in Australia. Australia: Thomas Nelson.

Lenski, G. (1974). Human Societies: An Introduction to Macrosociology. New York: McGraw- Hill, Inc.

Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon and Schuster.