Marijuana Should Be Legal For Medicinal Purposes

"The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world." - Carl SaganAlthough there exist many benefits associated with the legalization of marijuana, including economic, moral, civil, and societal advantages, in this round I will attempt to build my case solely by focusing on only two primary contentions; namely, 1) the medical benefits of marijuana, and 2) the level safety associated with using marijuana. Ultimately, the criteria of a good medication is one that can provide a worthwhile medicinal benefit without resulting in any unreasonable side-effects; I believe marijuana fulfills this criteria, and should therefore be legalized for medicinal use.The Medicinal Benefits of Marijuana:The legalization of medical marijuana would undoubtedly result in the relief of millions of suffering people who seek to find an escape from their significantly numerous ailments; in fact, various authoritative studies have consistently confirmed that Marijuana treats and prevents glaucoma, epileptic seizures, cancer, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle tension, muscle spasm, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, chronic pain, and various other medical problems [1] [2]. Marijuana has also surprisingly been observed to help consumers increase their lung capacity, as well as provide them relief from the symptoms that accompany treatment of hepatitis C [3]. These studies have been performed, reported, and confirmed by non-partisan medical organizations and universities [4]. For example, Business Insider has reported on the following findings related to the medical benefits associated with marijuana use:Cancer: "One chemical found in marijuana, called cannabidiol, prevents cancer from spreading, researchers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco reported in 2007. Cannabidiol stops cancer by turning of a gene called Id-1, the study, published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, found. Cancer cells make more copies of this gene than non-cancerous cells, and it helps them spread through the body. The researchers studied breast cancer cells in the lab that had high expression levels of Id-1 and treated them with cannabidiol. After treatment the cells had decreased Id-1 expression and were less aggressive spreaders [5]."Alzheimer's: "Marijuana may be able to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a study led by Kim Janda of the Scripps Research Institute suggests. The 2006 study, published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics found that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, slows the formation of amyloid plaques by blocking the enzyme in the brain that makes them. These plaques are what kill brain cells and cause Alzheimers [6]."Multiple Sclerosis:"Marijuana may ease painful symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in May suggests. Jody Corey-Bloom studied 30 multiple sclerosis patients with painful contractions in their muscles. These patients didn't respond to other treatments, but after smoking marijuana for a few days they were in less pain [7]."Arthritis: "Marijuana alleviates pain, reduces inflammation, and promotes sleep, which may help relieve pain and discomfort for people with rheumatoid arthritis, researchers announced in 2011. Researchers from rheumatology units at several hospitals gave their patients, sativex, a cannabinoid-based pain-relieving medicine. After a two week period, people on Sativex had a significant reduction in pain and improved sleep quality compared to placebo users [8]."Of course, this isn't to say that there are no negative side-effects of Marijuana -- there are; however, the negative properties of cannabis pale in comparison to its positive ones. In any case, it's no secret that the vast majority of legal medications possess at least one or many negative side-effects themselves.Therefore, despite the potential downfalls of marijuana, I submit that its abundant positive properties make it a justified candidate for legalization, especially considering the fact that many other legal medications possess similar or even worse side-effects [9].Marijuana Compared to Alcohol and Tobacco:One of the most perplexing realities surrounding the illegalization of medicinal marijuana is the fact that many other legal substances and are much more dangerous, particularly alcohol and tobacco; for example, http://www.saferchoice.org... provides the following comparisons between alcohol and marijuana:1) People die from alcohol overdoses; there has never been a fatal marijuana overdose2) Alcohol use damages the brain; marijuana use does not3) Alcohol use is linked to cancer; marijuana use is not4) Alcohol is more addictive than marijuana5) Alcohol use contributes to aggressive and violent behavior; marijuana use does not6) Alcohol use contributes to the likelihood of domestic abuse and sexual assault; marijuana use does notFurthermore, the following comparisons can be drawn between marijuana and tobacco:1) Over 400,000 people die every year from tobacco; no one has ever died directly from the use of marijuana [10]2) Tobacco causes cancer; marijuana does not [11]3) Marijuana is not as harmful to the lungs as tobacco smoke [12]Therefore, considering the fact that alcohol and tobacco are legal for recreational use, I submit that marijuana should certainly be legal for medicinal use, especially considering the fact that alcohol and tobacco are significantly more dangerous.________________________________________________________________________________________________[1] http://health.howstuffworks.com...[2] http://www.businessinsider.com...[3] Ibid.[4] Ibid.[5] Ibid.[6] Ibid.[7] Ibid[8] Ibid.[9] http://www.opposingviews.com...[10] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...[11] Ibid.[12] Ibid.