Marco Cardenas
Dr. Hankinson
English 110 Mon. /Wed. 11-12:15
28 March 2013
The Plant of Controversy “Should medical cannabis be legalized?” a question that many have debated over the years. Much cannot even fathom the idea of medical cannabis and the word legal in the same sentence. But numerous amounts of people in our older generation have been swayed by propaganda on television or were not fully informed. Some states have legalized medical cannabis because they saw the massive beneficial side of this cash crop. A multitude of Americans fear that if medical cannabis was legalized that it would harm our fabric of society, but I believe legalizing it can change lives for the better. Yes, it is true that there are effects that medical cannabis gives if it so happen to catch on fire and vapors are inhaled, but the effects is not as harmful as other drugs if taken irresponsibly. Unlike prescription pills which is easier than ever for anyone to get their hands on be it teens, adults, or seniors. Also, pills have become a lot stronger than it was in the 90’s, early 2000’s and being abused mostly by the youth of America which could cause severe consequences, but it’s legal. What baffles me is how alcohol has been legal for the many years and is responsible for countless deaths. Whens the last time was anyone heard on the news that medical cannabis was the cause of death. This is bewildering because both medical cannabis and alcohol is a drug; one would think the one that causes more death would be illegal.
Even though there are many harmful legal drugs out there, what is really disappointing is how the government in Sacramento does not want to recognize how California can benefit greatly. If medical cannabis was legal it could help California’s debt tremendously which could then probably stop some of the drastic budget cuts. It would also aid the law by taking money from the gangs, drug dealers, and other people selling it illegally, crippling their income. In addition it would decline the issues and violence throughout the neighborhoods in California. Police would not waste their time or hassle anyone who possessed a small amount of cannabis. For example from 1994-2009 cannabis related arrests were rocketing sky high, but most were non-violent offenders. Medical Cannabis advocates despise the fact that the United States grew and harvested cannabis or hemp to make a profit once they found a use for it. What is asinine is when it comes to legalizing medical cannabis, is how state laws never matter when federal laws come into play which is hypocritical of the United States government, even though the majority of the people voted for it. Despite the fact that officially legalizing cannabis would greatly benefit California, what is really frustrating is how every state government needs to acknowledge how medical cannabis can change people lives. For instance medical cannabis has been known to help symptoms of epilepsy by preventing seizures. Also some prescription drugs to treat epilepsy are not as effective as medical cannabis. Numerous Americans utilize medical cannabis for glaucoma to live normal everyday lives. By letting the effects get rid of the internal eye pressure, which rids the pain or halts the pain of glaucoma. Another illness that affects more than 21 million adults and teens annually are people with depression, one of America’s bigger concern, some of those adults have been known to use medical cannabis