Free Essay Sample on Medical Marijuana

In 1996 California passed a law that legalized marijuana for medical purposes. Ever since then, there has been a rise of support by government officials and the people to legalize medical marijuana. There are currently 35 states that have legalized marijuana and 3.6 million people have experienced both its benefits and its hazards. Several reports reveal that about 67 percent of doctors agree that medical marijuana should be legal in the United States of America. It seems as though medical marijuana has some benefits and these benefits far outweigh the hazards.   

Medical marijuana is a drug that is used to ease symptoms caused by certain medical conditions. Marijuana comes from a plant called hemp also known by its scientific name, Cannabis sativa. The hemp plant is believed to have originated in Central Asia and its first use was as an anesthetic during surgery. The usage of the plant then spread from the Mongolian area and soon spread to Korea and India through the Chinese coastal farmers. From that area, it spread to southeast Ukraine and Russia where Germanic tribes carried it back to Germany and then the rest of Europe. Then, European settlers brought it to the Americas and now it is a common drug throughout the world.  Medical marijuana can be taken in several ways such as a vapor, a liquid extract, or even an edible form such as candy. Most patients bake it into sweet items like brownies or cookies so they can take it as often as they need it and not have to prepare it constantly. When taken properly, medical marijuana can help stop nausea, pain, and anxiety. 

Medical marijuana, when prescribed correctly, can help patients who need its benefits. Medical Marijuana can help heal diseases such as Alzheimer's, HIV /Aids, Crohn's, Epilepsy/Seizures, Glaucoma, and muscle spasms. Medical Marijuana makes you sleepy and eases the brain from stress, making you feel more relaxed. It can also help stop the spread of cancer cells in some forms of cancer. With oral administration, you should take Medical Marijuana 1-2 times a day. It also comes with the warning to not take it in the morning. Medical Marijuana’s effects last around 6-8 hours but can take 1-2 hours to start working. This is long enough for patients to relax from the restlessness of having to worry about their illnesses and their treatments.

Although it comes with many advantages, medical marijuana also has side effects that can harm the user.  Some side effects of medical marijuana are an increased heart rate, dizziness, slower reaction times, increased appetite, and hallucinations. When using medical marijuana, the patient should not operate heavy machinery or drive cars. If patients use marijuana too often it can cause new conditions or existing conditions to worsen.  Some patients who take the medication in a smoke or vapor form can experience shortness of breath or blood clots from the smoke being inhaled into their lungs. Jasmin Collier said, “Regular cannabis smoking is linked to increased risk of chronic cough, but ‘it is unclear’ whether smoking cannabis worsens lung function or increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma.” (1) This means marijuana could possibly contribute to new illnesses such as asthma and even lung cancer as well as the one they are trying to heal. The side effect that can harm you the most over time is addiction. Most users can become addicted to the feeling of the high from the drug and are unable to quit using it. This is a problem that can harm you not only physically, but financially as well. It can also lead to people finding more intense drugs to take to ease the pain after they build an immunity to it.

Medical marijuana is currently legal in several states and plenty more are ready to legalize it for medicinal purposes. You can obtain Medical Marijuana legally if you have a disease it can treat. Some of those diseases include epilepsy, HIV, AIDS, Crohn's, and Alzheimer's. Most states want to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes but in some places such as Kentucky, they only want to pass a bill for only medical purposes. One lawmaker, Al Gentry said, “I know real people that had their lives turned around by these products, and a lot of them are living in the closet or living in secrecy because they feel like they're a criminal.” (1)  Only allowing marijuana for medical purposes means that people who use it within the law do not have to fear getting in trouble because of their condition. Also, when a doctor prescribes you medical marijuana he gives you a marijuana ID card that shows you can use it without suffering any consequences from the law. If you do obtain marijuana illegally, it can lead to a federal offense and some jail time. Most offenders do not only have the penalty of jail time but may have to pay a large fine or even do community service as well.

In conclusion, medical marijuana can benefit some lives and harm others. While it does help tame and cure some diseases, it can worsen and cause others to form. Although it can be misused, the drug’s purpose is to make people feel better and not have to worry about pain or stress. Medical marijuana is just beginning to become more popular and researched and could become a medication of the future. Overall, medical marijuana’s benefits outweigh its hazards. 

Works Cited 

Abazia, Daniel. “Medicinal Cannabis: History, Pharmacology, And Implications for the Acute Care Setting”. Pubmed Central https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5312634/  

Blaszczak-Boxe, Boxe “Marijuana's History: How One Plant Spread Through the World” Live Science https://www.livescience.com/48337-marijuana-history-how-cannabis-travelled-world.html

Collier, Jasmin. "Medical Marijuana Good or Bad. " Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320984  

Grinspoon, Peter. “Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana.” Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085 

Muenkel, Lisa K.  "Benefits and Hazards of Medical Marijuana." Mayo Foundation for medical research.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/medical-marijuana/art-20137855  

Schreiner, Bruce.  "Kentucky House Passes Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana." U.S. News. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2022-03-17/kentucky-hous-E-passes-bill-to-legalize-medical-marijuana.