The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example

Marijuana is  over 12,000 years old, even William Shakespeare smoked it. There are many names to the controversial plant-like Mary Jane, pot, weed,  dope, chronic and many more. Cannabis is a plant with over 120 compounds called cannabidiol. The two main compounds are CBD and THC. The CBD is non-toxic or euphoric and is used to reduce inflammation, pain, nausea, migraines, and seizures. The THC compound is psychoactive, meaning it will produce a “euphoric” high. Medical marijuana should be legalized because of its health benefits, its natural qualities, and the potential for revenue. 

There are many ways marijuana can help in everyday life. Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cancer patients who feel like they don't have control over their symptoms could try cannabis edibles, pills, topicals, vapes, or smoking it. In patients with cancer, marijuana can be helpful to treat nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy. Studies by the American Cancer Society have shown that people who took marijuana in clinical trials tended to need fewer pain medications. In a more recent study, it's reported that THC and other cannabinoids, like CBD, can slow the growth and development, or cause death to certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. For patients with Alzheimer's disease, it may be beneficial to use marijuana as a way to help with aggression and agitation. “There is not much research yet, but what we do have suggests that marijuana can have a calming effect on some of the behavioral symptoms of dementia,” says Dr. Goldfarb. “The synthetic form, Nabilone, also showed positive results in one recent study.” (Banner health).  Dementia is when the brain experiences deterioration in mental functions and severe memory loss in people 65 or older, which can affect language, focus, and behavior. Studies have shown that CBD may help dementia and Alzheimer’s patients with anxiety, depression, agitation, difficulty sleeping, and disrupted motor functions. “The 2010 review noted that, in small-sized human trials, CBD helped improve behavioral problems associated with dementia and other degenerative neurological conditions. It suggested that CBD has the potential as an alternative for other medications in some forms of dementia. Additionally, in a 2016 study, scientists found that cannabinoids, such as CBD, could help remove dementia from brain cells. Cannabinoids found in cannabis react with the endocannabinoid system, which has been linked to dementia. ‘This is a simple fix to a problem elders may encounter. The CBD will help with the pain the elder can be experiencing, and the THC will calm them so they aren't as agitated.  

Cannabis can also help with epilepsy and seizures, PTSD, glaucoma, pain, and migraines. Some people who experience epilepsy and seizures may consume marijuana in a medication called Epidiolex, which is an oral CBD solution. “The use of cannabis to treat epilepsy and other neurological conditions has been studied for a number of years. It has been hotly debated too. On June 25, 2018, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved EPIDIOLEX® (cannabidiol, CBD) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two epilepsy syndromes - Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome - in people two years of age or older.” There is not much research on epilepsy and marijuana, but the patients who took Epidiolex reported it helped. Marijuana can help people with PTSD as they'll face little to no nightmares, panic attacks, hypervigilance, detachment from others, overwhelming emotions, and self-destructive behavior. As the research on Cannabis and PTSD has been inconclusive, many PTSD patients continue to report that cannabis does help.  Marijuana can also help with ADHD, anxiety, depression, migraines, arthritis, IBS, and chronic pain. 

Unlike other medications, marijuana is natural, plant-made, and has a lower risk of side effects compared to prescription painkillers and opioids. Some of the risks using prescription drugs can include overdose, addiction, allergic reaction, drug interactions, and organ damage. “If your painful and frustrating symptoms don’t respond to traditional medications, or if you are simply looking for a safer and more natural pain relief solution, you may be a candidate for medical marijuana therapy instead of – or in addition to – your other prescriptions.” The use of cannabis is very controversial, but with less side effects and occasionally being the better option, it's important to tell patients about medical marijuana. Cannabis can be used to address seniors with specific conditions. As we age, our bodies become more susceptible to health problems with symptoms that can be hard to manage. These symptoms can include Alzheimer's, dementia, osteoporosis, chronic pain, arthritis, glaucoma and can be treated with medical marijuana. Marijuana is a widespread symptom relief. It wont pinpoint one pain or symptom, instead it will help with  all symptoms.   “It doesn’t matter if you have one medical condition/ailment or multiple, it can take multiple prescription medications to fully address all of your symptoms. Managing multiple medications can easily become expensive and will have you running to the pharmacy frequently. With medical marijuana, you can easily address many ailments, from cancer to epilepsy. One-stop at the dispensary lets you get an all-in-one solution for many of your health problems.” People with medical conditions who struggle to find medications that work, marijuana is drug free and a natural way to get relief without the side effects of prescriptions. “A new study by Daniel Kruger of the U-M Institute for Social Research found that 44 percent of medical cannabis users stopped taking a pharmaceutical drug, or used less of one, or both, in favor of cannabis.” Almost half of the people who were studied stopped or slowed down the use of prescription drugs and used cannabis as their main form of pain relief. In  the mainstream health care system, 78% reported using marijuana to help treat a medical condition and 42% stopped using pharmaceutical drugs. 78% of people who use marijuana rated it better than prescription drugs on effectiveness, side effects, availability and cost. 

Marijuana can even bring in revenue for the government and the states who legalize, with early legalizers making over $1 billion in tax revenue from recreational cannabis. If Congress was more pro-marijuana,  that could mean a positive movement on marijuana stocks. Cannabis revenue is an ever-increasing thing, meaning there will always be an increase in the tax revenue generated by marijuana. “California, for example, represents the largest market for recreational marijuana, with approximately $3.1 billion of legal sales in 2019.”

This means that over $3 billion was in sales of marijuana and over $1 billion was in tax revenue. “Using average excise tax figures and the number of marijuana-using residents in each state, the Tax Foundation estimated the potential excise tax revenue with a market established for at least three years.” Pennsylvania could potentially get $244 million in tax revenue. In Alaska, 25% of revenue goes to the general fund,  25% to the Marijuana Education Fund, and 50% to the Department of Public Safety, Health and Social Services, and Department of Corrections but in California the revenue covers regulatory and research costs, then 60% goes to anti-drug programs for kids, 20% to environmental programs and the other 20% goes to public safety. Each state puts its revenue back into society in different ways. 

Marijuana is a controlled substance with lots of health benefits that can be used on a broad spectrum. Reducing anxiety, reducing inflammation, controlling nausea and vomiting, especially caused by cancer chemotherapy, and even relaxing tight muscles in people with multiple sclerosis and without. Lowering blood pressure, preventing relapse in drug and alcohol addiction, and treating gastrointestinal disorders. There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana such as increased tax revenues, job growth, and investment opportunities are powerful incentives to push for the legalization of cannabis.