When talked about, marijuana has a bad reputation for judgment. Such examples are ‘hippies’, ‘drug lords’, and ‘stoners’. What does not come to a person’s mind is the positive effects medical marijuana can have on the people who need it most. Marijuana is not only used to obtain a high for teenagers, but for any patient with medical issues that can be ingested to fit the patient’s need. Such issues that can be helped from cannabis include helping patient’s symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, various symptoms for cancer patients, and palliative care for the end of life process. Marijuana can be ingested in a variety of ways. The most common form is smoking it in the form of a cigarette and inhaling it through a glass pipe. Other ways to ingest marijuana can be in the form of capsules to be taken with other medications and even suppositories. A patient can also take medical cannabis by eating the drug in forms of butter, flour, and milk concoctions. When a patient begins to lose their memory, the first diagnosis that comes to mind is Alzheimer’s disease. As the disease progresses, patients may need coaxed to eat and can even forget how to feed themselves. Many medications can be prescribed to help try to improve the patient’s memory and lessen their forgetfulness, but medical cannabis has been proven to help the patients in difference ways. The drug dronabinol is a derivative of marijuana and was proven to enhance the patient’s appetite and lessen mood swings. It can be formulated into a medication they can take with their other pills up to three times a day. Researchers have also found that the marijuana component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to slow the disease process in the brain. THC slows the formation of amyloid plaques, the enzyme that kills brain cells and causes Alzheimer’s disease. While medical cannabis assists patients with Alzheimer’s disease, it can also benefit people suffering from different cancers. The first thing that people think of regarding cancer is chemotherapy. With medical marijuana, the side effects from chemo can be lessened. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite can be controlled with the marijuana derivative marinol. If the patients are not receiving chemotherapy treatment, marinol can also assist the patients in the symptoms of cancer, the largest and most common symptom being pain. Either marinol or THC can be prescribed to qualifying patients with severe pain as an analgesic. The end of life stages is never easy for the grieving family or the patient. As the dying process comes to an end, the patient can have many symptoms. Some symptoms include severe pain, difficulty breathing, and in general severe discomfort. With medical cannabis and the different forms that can be provided, the dying process can be more peaceful for the patient. Inhalants and suppositories can be given to help the unconscious patient. For the aware patient, the capsules can help with pain, appetite, relaxation, and assist with easing any difficulty with breathing. People from the government to physicians are debating the good versus the bad when it comes to cannabis, but mostly the bad. Physicians worry about unknown side effects, pharmacokinetics, and lack of safety regarding the drug. Senators contemplate the addictiveness of the medication and overdoses. Yes, there are dilemmas and worries with medical marijuana. But there are side effects and addictive tendencies with most medications known today. Physicians cannot prescribe medications without having to explain warning effects of suicidal thoughts or the possibility of addictiveness. Medical marijuana is slowly becoming legal across the United States. Hopefully soon, suffering patients and grieving families will be able to have quick access to medical cannabis in Pennsylvania.