Medicinal Marijuana
Jay Bradley Scott
156
09/15/2012
Tracy Alberry

Medicinal Marijuana

Medical Marijuana has been a controversial issue among many Americans and their politicians. Supporters for the legalization of the drug boast many of the drugs beneficial effects and uses. Some of these include, but not limited to alleviating pain, nausea, and increase in appetite for cancer patients on chemotherapy. There also is the added benefit of being able to tax the sale and distribution of marijuana. However, there are many who are against this drug being prescribed to patients with severe ailments. The opposition speaks about the harmful effects of this drug even though many government groups make the independent research of this drug difficult to attain approval. What research has been allowed to be carried out does support the drugs bad representation. Even though it is does have harmful effects on the body as any other plant being smoked would have. Opposition also uses the fact that marijuana possession is still illegal according to federal law.
The use of medical marijuana has actually been going on in America much longer than many people would believe. The debate became increasingly heated in 1996, when California tried a new approach by making exceptions in criminal cases involving the terminally ill. This good intentioned planned was poorly carried out, yet it did ignite interest of other states in the legality of this herb as a medicinal drug. 17 states have passed some form of marijuana possession law for those who suffer from certain illnesses. Marijuana was first prescribed in the U.S. as Marinol, which is a synthetic form of THC in a pill (Darrel Ford and Mary Ludlum, page 3 2011).
Marijuana opposition has used inconclusive studies of the drug’s effects as grounds for their opinion. However, the War on Drugs makes proper research much more