...Marijuana: Legal or Illegal One of the most controversial health issue topic has to be medical marijuana. The herbal medicine is legal in some states but illegal in many. The question to ask is why it is illegal in many states. What are the benefits for medical marijuana? There are pro and cons to this drug but is there too many pros for it be illegal? Yes. The drug has been legal to become a component to help improve the life of patients. Although millions of dollars are used for the drug war for marijuana, one drug that has positive effects can change the American economy by producing marijuana. What is marijuana? Also known as Cannabis, marijuana is known for a drug and a medicine. The major chemical in the herbal medicine is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). This chemical compound is the reason for some beneficial factors in medical. Some pros in making it legal would include stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AID patients, also patients with glaucoma. The medicine can be taken by vaporizing, smoking, drinking, eating and capsules. The best part of the drug is that there has been no lethal effect. No one has died from the consumption of marijuana. The THC in a person cannot be tested, such as a breathalyzer. The drug is grown naturally and it is coming through the soil, natural plants should not be illegal to have, especially a one that does much more. Growing cannabis would not only help the health system and lower drug wars cost, there would be more hemp, which is...
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...history of marijuana and medical benefits Dona Rudd COM/172 March 20, 2012 Russell Murphy The history of marijuana and medical benefits Although possessing marijuana is a federal offense pending, some states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, generating revenue for the states. There are 16 states’ and Washington DC, in which marijuana is being, used for medicinal purposes and not break any laws. Eighteen states’ are pending Legislation to legalize medical marijuana. There are documents stating that the Chinese used marijuana for paper, the process consisted of hemp around 2000 BC. According to Guither, P. Drug Warrant (2006), “America’s first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia in 1619. It was a law “ordering” all of the farmers to grow Indian hempseed. There were several other “must grow” laws over the next 200 years. A person could be jailed for not growing hemp during times of shortage in Virginia between 1763 and 1767, and during most of that time, hemp was legal tender a person could even pay their taxes with hemp and try that today. Hemp was such a critical crop for a number of purposes including essential war requirements and rope, excreta. That the government went out of its way to encourage growth” Guither, P. ( 2006) (para 6). The history of marijuana Marijuana has many different names, Hemp, Ma, and Marihuana are just a few of the names in which marijuana is called. Marijuana and hemp are...
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...Abstract Throughout this paper, there will be an extremely debatable discussion about legalizing marijuana. Though both sides to this discussion have valid arguments, the pros outweigh the cons by a substantial amount. According to norml.org marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. Federal law prohibits marijuana; anyone found with possession by federal law is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first conviction. With making this “troubling substance” legal, the government would be able to reduce the national debt and easily reduce the overcrowding of prisons. I am proposing that people take a second to look past the negatives of drugs and focus on a plant that could better the nation. Purpose Marijuana has a negative shame involved by the government and public, but is actually a natural and successful medicine. Recently marijuana arrests have been exceeding the amount of violent crime arrests and punishments. The Marijuana Policy Project counted 872,720 pot-related arrests in the United States in 2007 alone, according to Cato. Enforcing this prohibition has put taxpayers in almost 10 billion dollars of debt annually. I believe that there are definitely more important issues that the government should be focusing on rather than throwing harmless marijuana smokers in jail. Problem or Need According to norml.org marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. Nearly one in eight drug prisoners...
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...The legalization of marijuana has been one of the most highly debated topics of today’s society. It has the potential to be both beneficial and harmful to mankind as a whole; however, the pros of legalization far outweigh the cons. The most common argument against marijuana is that if it were to be legalized that it could have adverse health effects, especially when used in large doses; but any substance can be harmful if not taken in moderation. Why are substances such as tobacco and alcohol legal, when they all carry equal risks and benefits? Why is marijuana unfairly controlled and restricted without consideration to the facts? Cigarettes are legal yet one in ten smokers will have lung or heart related complications that have been directly linked to the tar in cigarettes by many studies, including the 2014 Surgeon Generals Report. The study details the correlation between lung and heart complications and smoking cigarettes. The possible applications for marijuana In medicine are astounding; even in the early stages of medical marijuana research, leaps and bounds are being made in pain relief and management for the sick, elderly and terminally ill. It is truly helping millions of people around the world manage a whole range of ailments. To ignore the facts about marijuana is a step back for society as a whole. Almost 25,000 different commercial and industrial products can be made from hemp/marijuana, including: milk, clothes, paper and medicine. Why is this valuable...
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...The Benefits for Legalizing Medical Marijuana: Annotated Bibliography Working thesis statement: Medical Marijuana should be legal in all the United States because there it can treat many medical conditions and the tax revenue it brings can help lower the national debt. Titus, R.D. (2016). Puff, Puff, Pass…That Law: The Changing Legislative Environment of Medical Marijuana Policy. Harvard Journal On Legislation, 53 (1), 39-58. Summary of article: In recent years, a few states have legalized medical marijuana for recreational use. The article identifies how the government is placing their taxes on the newly legalized drug. A sample of what I will be using from this article would be, “Federal income taxation of medical marijuana is the same as for cocaine or heroin; the only permitted adjustment to gross revenues in calculating federal taxable income is cost of goods sold.” (Titus pg. 2). There is a lot of information that I am looking for to help me with my paper. Assessment of article: I found this source on the school library. The author name is R. D. Titus and she is a writer at Harvard Journal. This articles publication was in 2016. The author and the article gave a lot of information about taxing the sale of medical marijuana in sates that already passed the law about recreational use and dispensaries selling the product. I found this article in the school library is it is 100% a scholarly article. I will be using as much information I can find that relates to my topic...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Medical and Recreational Uses Cullen Fitzsimmons ITT Technical Institute Authors Note This research is being submitted on August 17, 2015 to Hugo McPhee’s GS1145 course at ITT Technical Institute by Cullen Fitzsimmons. Abstract I decided that a very controversial subject was that of the legalization of Marijuana, both for medical and recreational use. I found that there are many health benefits to medical marijuana. There also can be many benefits to the recreational use/sale of marijuana. Like all controversial topics there cannot be positives without the negatives. Some of the negatives are accessibility to children, gateway drug and impaired driving. The legalization of marijuana has been a long debated and often heated subject. The federal government has not legalized the recreational use of Marijuana, but that did not stop four states from legalizing it with in their own borders. Through the course of this paper I tend to discuss the many pros and cons of the legalization of Marijuana. There are two main ways of legalizing marijuana; medical use and recreational use. Positives Currently there are four states and Washington D.C. that have passed the legal right to recreational marijuana, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. Besides the medical benefits from marijuana there are also multiple reason why making it legal is a good thing. Colorado has seen a recent drop in crime rate. According to Rough (2015) “violent crime...
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...Terminally Ill Rebecca Clements University of Phoenix Research Writing (Axia) - COM220 Farah Briones, MSC May 11, 2010 The issue of cannabis as a controlled substance has and is debated throughout the years. This paper looks at patients’ testimonies, doctors concerns of medical ethics, their medical oath and the medical decisions between the physicians and patients terminally ill or at end stage of life, science and research developments and the arguments that cannabis in its natural form, needs reclassified and allowed to become an enhancement to medical treatment plans for the terminally ill. Such arguments published by agencies such as the DEA, Federal Government, clinical research and science departments, and finally the patient. The strongest argument, that is, in its natural form, cannabis is a versatile and safe therapeutic active substance with medicinal values. Holistic Help for the Terminally Ill The use of cannabis to treat illnesses is still one of the most controversial issues between the American Medical Society and the nation’s legal system. Cannabis was used for many years to help in treatments for a variety of conditions and ailments and legal in the United States for different purposes of recreational and medicinal use until 1937 when the Marijuana Tax Act established by the Federal Government came into law. A well-known physician from the American Medical Association, Dr. William C. Woodward went before...
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...suggested that marijuana is the root cause of many mental disorders. In spite of government warnings about health risks, many people see it as a harmless substance that helps you to relax and ‘chill’ – a drug that, unlike alcohol and cigarettes, might even be good for your physical and mental health. On the other hand, recent research has suggested that it can be a major cause of psychotic illnesses in those who are genetically vulnerable. This paper looks at the research on mood disorders and the use of cannabis for its treatment. It will brief on the types of mood disorders, their symptoms, and treatment and finally discuss both positive and negative effects of using marijuana as a ‘cure’ for mood disorders. WHAT ARE MOOD DISORDERS? Mood disorders, or affective disorders, are mental health problems such as all types of depression, bipolar disorder, and mania (Klasco, 2011). The disorders in this category include those where the primary symptom is a disturbance in mood; in other words, inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, which are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression (and other mood disorders) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center). Life events (such as unwanted changes in life) may also contribute to a depressed mood. WHAT IS MARIJUANA? Marijuana...
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...Marijuana Legalization in the United States Elisha Havraniak Ottawa University LAS 30012 Writing and Critical Thinking in the Liberal Arts October 11, 2013 Marijuana Legalization in the United States Marijuana has had a long history as an illicit drug, but is quickly becoming a mainstream issue. Some people use marijuana to ease their pain and treat their illnesses. Many others use it because of it mood-altering effects. Laws have been passed to regulate both of these uses of the drug. Those who advocate legalization favor easing or overturning laws against the possession and use of marijuana for recreational purposes, medical use, or both. In general most proposals for legalization fall into one of three categories: decriminalization for recreational use, legalization for recreational use, or legalization for medical use. In opposition to these three choices is the option to keep marijuana illegal for both recreational and medical purposes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the facts, pros and cons, regarding the legalization of marijuana. The information for this paper was obtained from scholarly and peer reviewed journal articles, books, and online sources. The research questions answered are as follows; * Could the legalization of marijuana rescue our struggling economy or could it provide much need relief to the overcrowded prison system? * Will the legalization of marijuana lead to a regulation nightmare…can it even be regulated...
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...Should Marijuana be legalized? In 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. The English Introduced it in Jamestown in 1611, where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco and was grown as a source of fiber. It was in the 1920'sthat marijuana began to become more popular. Some historians say its emergence was brought about by Prohibition. http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-history.html Cannabis sativa commonly known as marijuana is a plant species that is mainly known for its psychotic effects when consumed. It is consumed either through smoking, ingesting, or vaporizing. Marijuana has been used for centuries but has recently been mainstreamed in culture today. It has nicknames such as weed dope, grass, ganja, Mary Jane and chronic. Now, more than ever, propositions to legalize the plant have risen and been the subject to controversy and heated debates. Morals and politics are what make up the structure of this country, so when an issue receives responses coming from different points of views, the issue becomes controversial, and the topic of marijuana is definitely a controversial subject. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many positive arguments to support the idea as well. The following passages will discuss some pros and cons to this subject and will provide some insight on just what this drug is. Just saying the word Marijuana conjures...
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...The Medical Marijuana Controversy Medical Marijuana is a large controversial subject in today’s society. You may hear about it in the news, on the radio, in a magazine, it is a matter you hear about on a daily basis. As you may know Marijuana has been used for as long as we have known it for recreational and enjoyment purposes. Only in the last decade have you heard of the drug has being more commonly used for medical purposes such as cancer, HIV and other severe medical conditions. These controversies consist of the two opposing views on medical Marijuana; those who support it and its legalization and those who are against it and believe it should be banned. According to thorough medical research and studies, Marijuana does show signs of relief and treatment for numerous medical conditions. Diseases and illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, HIV/AIDS, depression and many more effect are large percentage of people in the United States today. With very few or no treatments and cures for these illnesses, medical Marijuana has become an alternative for people suffering. Marijuana contains an active ingredient known as THC or tetrahyricannabinol. This ingredient provides the “high effect” after smoking the drug. The American Cancer Society states how clinical tests established that, THC reduces pain and other symptoms of cancer. With this being, the FDA has approved the THC in Marijuana for medical and therapeutic uses. (Tashkin) Although Marijuana might have a...
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...SY1325 PROF. OCHANGO POSITION PAPER “Should Philippines legalize Marijuana for curing diseases?” INTRODUCTION Definition of Terms Cannabis- commonly known as marijuana and by numerous other names, is a preparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine. (Wiki) Legalize- is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently not legal. Disease- an illness that affect a person, animal, or a plant: condition that prevents the body or mind from normally. BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANT OF STUDY "Modern research has confirmed the beneficial uses of cannabis in treating and alleviating the pain, nausea and other symptoms associated with a variety of debilitating medical conditions including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and HIV-AIDS as found by the National Institute of Medicine of the US in March 1999," Six legislators have expressed their support to the proposal to legalize the regulated use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora, Pasay City Rep. Emi Calixto-Rubiano, OFW partylist Rep. Roy Señeres, Marinduque Rep. Regina Reyes, Masbate Rep. Elisa Olga Kho, and Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal all co-authored House Bill 4477. Under the bill, or the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, the State is directed to provide measures to achieve a balance in the national drug control program so that patients with debilitating medical condition may receive adequate amount...
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...Marijuana Legalization No matter your opinion regarding marijuana legalization, the tide is beginning to move in that direction. Marijuana use has become a topic of controversy over the last few years. Support and opposition have come from all angles. Some believe legalizing marijuana will lead to higher usage by youths. Yet others argue these rates are higher than ever despite the fact that it is currently illegal in most states. What we can agree on is the costs incurred by the United States of over a billion dollars a year to incarcerate people for marijuana-related offenses. (alternet.org, 2007) Maybe it is time we look a little closer at the effects of legalization and the tax revenue created when this substance is regulated. At the federal level, the DEA classifies all drugs based on medical use and dependency potential. Currently, marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 narcotic. This class is defined as having no known medical use and a high potential for abuse. The Controlled Substance Act regulates drugs based on this schedule. Schedule 1 drugs are illegal in any form. (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) Between 1996 and 2014, 23 states and the District of Columbia changed their laws regarding marijuana despite federal mandates. (ProCon.org, 2014) These changes allow for the medical use of marijuana when under the supervision of a licensed physician. Each state’s laws differ in the amount that can be “prescribed”, but all of them allow its use in some form...
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...Casie Anderson Mrs. Serwa English IV 8 May 2017 Research Paper Are you for Marijuana or against it? Marijuana/cannabis has been around for centuries approximately 2737 B.C. Around the United States they are trying to figure out if Marijuana should be legal or not, but who knows if it will or not. Whatever the government decides to do about it. Throughout the whole deal with Marijuana it should be legal at all cost. If it becomes legal good and bad at the same time can come out of it, but overall it should be legal around Marijuana should be legal; it helps out many people in many different ways like; their health or maybe in even ways just to comfort them. May not think it but Marijuana isn’t so bad and there’s no harm in it. Legalized...
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...Should marijuana be legalized for medicinal use? Cierra Cook Medical Ethics April 12, 2014 Marijuana has been hailed as a prescription for many ills and physicians once used it to stimulate appetite, relieve chronic pain, and treat asthma and migraines. But is marijuana really a medical miracle? If so, do its clinical benefits outweigh its drawbacks? Should we legalize marijuana? Is medical marijuana really worth the risks? These are the issues one needs to think about before making the decision to legalize marijuana. Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve...
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