Essay on Medical Marijuana

Submitted By nvwdeprisco
Words: 3216
Pages: 13
Open Document
Nickolas DePrisco
Hagood
Comp II
February 18th, 2014 Medical Marijuana Legislation
Every year new types of diseases come about and devastate parts of America. For instance different types of the flu are popping up all the time. Many of these diseases can’t be cured with the medicine we have available now. This calls for advancements in medicine, and a new controversial medicine is hitting America, and this medicine is marijuana. The plant marijuana isn’t like normal medicines due to the fact that it has been illegal in America for a long time now. Is medical marijuana the correct choice for America? A deeper look into medical marijuana has been beneficial to the American health system. Medicine has been a practice for thousands of years, and without advancements in medicine, America would be covered with even more harsh diseases. Medical marijuana is an important topic to look in depth into for the positive medical sources it can bring us. Being illegal so long, marijuana may not have been researched far into for medical purposes but with the movement towards medical marijuana scientists can research deeper into this plant and hopefully find the positive reasons to why it was put on this planet.

As years go by, many states have started to legalize medical marijuana and have even managed to make marijuana recreational just as alcohol is. But with all of these positive fulfillments, medical marijuana has still hit a wall. This wall is the federal government. The main problems involved with medical marijuana are legal issues. Medical marijuana has faced many legal barriers due to the federal government keeping a strict zero-tolerance against all medical marijuana acts. Actually with a warrant a government drug agency such as the DEA can go in to a dispensary and make arrest and take all of the marijuana, even if it is in a medical marijuana state.
In the article “Medical Marijuana and the Political Safeguards of Federalism” by Robert Mikos discusses this battle between federal and state governments. The battle between state and federal governments has been a slow but sure push by states to make marijuana a medical use. The federal ban on marijuana may seem very strong but it really isn’t. Actually since 1996, sixteen states have passed laws for the legalization of medical marijuana, and it now has well over 400,000 who use medical marijuana from a state medical program. Medical marijuana dispensaries at one point even outnumbered Starbucks and McDonalds in Los Angeles County according to Mikos.
The article discusses a point of how medical marijuana is breaking down the “political safeguards” of federalism, which is meaning these over-reaching legislations are testing the boundaries of federal law. The ban on medical marijuana was supposed to be a no exceptions legislation. With the growing popularity of the legislation of medical marijuana with a 70% support rate in a public opinion poll takes a hit at the “political safeguards” of federalism but it would take a lot more than a positive poll to reschedule marijuana anytime soon. This growth in popularity has started moving through the media as Mikos says “The Discovery Channel even hosts a documentary series, Weed Wars, showcasing people who are unabashed about flouting the ban.” The series being aired on a nationwide television network like The Discovery Channel makes the battle for medical marijuana legislation easier on the states side as shows the whole medical marijuana battle with federal law while gaining support from the people. (1004) Another sign of the federal government losing power in the battle with medical marijuana is that the federal government’s- actions have suggested that the federal ban is more of a guideline then a ban. Federal government claims to be a democracy which gives power to the people, yet they are blocking a change in a law that is very favored by the American people. Legalizing medical marijuana would be the right move for our
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Medical Marijuana

The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

thought how marijuana can affect your life? Many people think that the legalization of marijuana will bring only negative effects but they forget about medical benefits of using it. The issue of whether marijuana should be legalized for medical use has been a very important subject in the United States. Fourteen states in the United States including NJ allow medical marijuana. While medical marijuana has a few side effects it should be legalized for medical use for many reasons. Marijuana refers to…

Words 1188 - Pages 5

Medical Marijuana Essay

Medical Marijuana The causes to the use of medical marijuana in the United States are illnesses, cancer patients, and to help AIDS. There are some pros and cons to the use of medical marijuana. Most people across the U.S say they need it for a sickness they have, but they’re using it just to get high. Studies say that it helps people get relief from their illness but that does not make it a medicine. There have been many debates over legalizing this “medicine” or not. But there has to be a decision…

Words 608 - Pages 3

medical marijuana Essay

debated and infamous. The topic of using Marijuana for medical purposes is so controversial that even federal and state legislatures are left at opposite points in dealing with legality. Policies regarding marijuana differ in several degrees from state to state and thus public or government human service agencies have to act within the regulations that envelop them. This in turn brings us to the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act. To better understand…

Words 803 - Pages 4

Medical Marijuana Essay

in the United States that have medical cannabis laws in place. The patients suffering from ailments that are most widely cited to benefit from the uses of medical cannabis include: sufferers of glaucoma, nausea, and chronic pain sufferers. Cannabis is widely regarded as an appetite stimulant. This appears to be a short list of reasons for legalizing a drug that has been illegal for nearly 80 years, however, this short list contains common symptoms of countless medical conditions. People who suffer…

Words 1803 - Pages 8

medical marijuana Essay

Medical Marijuana: The Good, the Bad and the Truth As Americans, we have come to greatly rely on modern medicine and prescription drugs. According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly seventy percent of Americans use one or more prescription drugs. This percentage has shown a steady increase in the past ten years. Each of these drugs come with a list of possible side effects. Sometimes these side effects can be very serious depending on the medicine being used. Even causing the patient experiencing…

Words 1742 - Pages 7

Medical Marijuana Benefits

up on my own”’ (qtd. In “Medical Cannabis Helped a Cancer Survivor Live Again” n. pag.). Furthermore, the pain effects of medical marijuana helped Kelly to resume doing regular daily activities such as gardening and landscaping. In addition, medical marijuana is a great resource to go to for those dealing with pain and other medical problems. Medical marijuana is beneficial for the world because it has positive psychological effects, has promising research regarding medical treatment, and reduces chronic…

Words 754 - Pages 4

medical marijuana Essay

Legalization of marijuana: The present The legalization of marijuana is a controversial topic that has an impact on today’s society. A lot of people want to ban the use of marijuana in the United States for medical and recreational use the main group of people is the federal government. Marijuana activists think otherwise. They think that smoking weed is a way to get in touch with their spiritual side. Currently 18 states have legalized marijuana for medical use (medical marijuana pros and cons.org)…

Words 541 - Pages 3

Medical Marijuana In California

De’Monte Smith CRJC 450 Medical Marijuana in California Introduction Marijuana has been used for many centuries all over the world. It has been used for recreational, religious, and for medical purposes. Medical marijuana has been used quite often in California for decades now. California was one of the first to enact against marijuana. The principal activity came in the Poison Act of 1907, which added marijuana to a rundown of poisons that, albeit considered perilous and unsafe, could even now…

Words 794 - Pages 4

Metonymy In Medical Marijuana

when they say, “The AAN supports all efforts to conduct rigorous research to evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of marijuana-based products” (Patel, et al). This statement reaffirms what they stand for. The American Lung Association uses metonymy when they say, “the ALA is concerned about the health impacts of marijuana use, especially on lung health” (“Marijuana and Lung Health”). They attribute this statement to the mindset of the association. The White House uses metonymy when they…

Words 1354 - Pages 6

Essay on MEDICAL MARIJUANA

LINDO MEDICAL MARIJUANA Should Marijuana Be Legalized? Medical Marijuana Initiative Section 1. Section 11362.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 11362.5. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. (b) (l) The people of the State of California hereby find and declare that the purposes of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 are as follows: (A) To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical…

Words 1410 - Pages 6