Legalize
Bryan, a writer residing in Illinois, grew up with parents who were uncompromising when it came to illegal drugs. Given the strict circumstances of his childhood, it seemed unlikely that he would become associated with narcotics. However, now in his middle ages, he is a marijuana supplier for even more unlikely recipients: his parents. His father had a heart ailment and his mother had dizzy spells and nausea, and both were stressed about Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Plagued with illnesses, the two turned to their son who began making them brownies and ginger snaps laced with marijuana. Although marijuana is considered a gateway drug, they were not concerned about it leading to more dangerous and addictive substances due to their age; in fact, the drug became the gateway to a closer family. “Instead of parental warnings and punishment, there are questions about how to light a water pipe.” This increased bond was just a bonus to Bryan’s parents’ alleviated physical pains. His mother’s biliousness receded substantially (Leland). Because marijuana spurs not only physical and mental growth for individuals but also economical and social development for our nation, the use of the drug should be fully legalized.
The current legal status of marijuana is hindering its potential as a medical treatment, a prospect that the federal government barely recognizes. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency deems the drug a Schedule I drug – a category reserved for the most dangerous substances with no known medical uses (Webster). Dr. Seddon R. Savage, a pain specialist and the president of the American Pain Society, would beg to differ. According to him, cannabinoids, the active agents in marijuana, have shown promise as pain relievers (Leland). Studies performed in 2010 by the University of California’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research further legitimize Savage’s claim; inhaled cannabis smoke and inhaled tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in marijuana, should be considered a frontline treatment for neuropathic pain – widely recognized in the medical community as being extremely difficult to allay (“Medical Marijuana”). This pain, as well as nausea and lack of appetite, are constant companions of cancer. Bryan’s parents aren’t the only individuals who suffered before taking advantage of marijuana. Gustin L. Reichbach, a pancreatic cancer patient, dealt with months of brutal chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Every drug prescribed to ameliorate one problem led to other side effects; anti-nausea medication escalated glucose levels – a serious problem considering his already compromised pancreas. Sleep became elusive. To assuage his agony, Reichbach’s friends introduced to him inhaling marijuana. “[A] few puffs of marijuana before dinner gives [him] ammunition in the battle to eat. A few more puffs at bedtime permits desperately needed sleep.” He is one of tens of thousands of patients who either already physically benefits or could physically benefit from marijuana’s therapeutic use, yet is legally denied medical cannabis. Having been a man of the law for 40 years as a New York State judge, Reichbach understands that doctors cannot be expected to do what the law prohibits even when they know it is in the best interests of their patients (Reichbach). In addition, since marijuana increases users’ heart rates and decreases their blood pressure, doctors need to weigh in those effects alongside other medications that the users might be taking. However, patients do not always confess their illicit drug use (Leland). The full legalization of marijuana would allow those in need to fully enjoy its curative potential without being in fear of its legal consequences.
Aside from in its medicinal applications, the use of marijuana produces other physical benefits, such as strengthened lungs. Researchers at University of California-San Francisco and University of Alabama at Birmingham examined 5,000 people ages 18 to 30 over a