Essay/Term paper: Legalization of marijuana

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Alcohol and Drugs

Legalization of Marijuana


The legalization of marijuana as a prescription drug should be allowed.
Medical research shows that marijuana has therapeutic value in patients with
various types of cancers, some neurological disorders, and AIDS patients. The
marijuana eases some of the effects of chemotherapy such as nausea and dizziness.
It also controls muscle spasms and contractions and aids in the relaxation of
patients with neurological disorders.
Many researchers and administrations of the government, such as the Drug
Enforcement Administration(D.E.A.) feel that legalizing marijuana is an
unnecessary approach in the treatment of patients. Many of them feel that not
only those people with the diseases and the disorders will use the drug, but
other people will want to use it for everyday problems. First, a doctor must
prescribe the marijuana in order for a patient to take it. It would be almost
impossible for a person to obtain the drug without a prescription. It is up to
the doctor whether or not the patient needs it. The D.E.A. also has fears about
the possible addiction to the drug and its effects in society. As with any
other drug, the possibility of addiction is a concern, but when a doctor
prescribes the marijuana, he will have the chance to control and monitor the
intake of the patient. There are many other drugs that are legal with the same
types of effects such as codeine, cocaine, and morphine. If drugs like those
are legal and are under control, then a drug like marijuana that is very similar
to them, should also be legalized and easily kept under control.
Many other complaints of the legalization of marijuana have been argued
and show no relevance in reasons of why marijuana should not be legalized. The
D.E.A. is trying to make the argument that by legalizing marijuana, the drug
problem in America will worsen. The way the DEA sees this issue is that if
they allow marijuana as a medicine, there is the fear that there will be many
more people using it. Then after using it, they will see how good they feel and
that they are functioning fine. When that effect hits the people, that will
raise questions of why marijuana is illegal at all. That is an invalid fear
because if that was the case, then drugs like morphine and cocaine, which are
prescribed legally, would be causing problems. Those legal uses are not adding
in any significant way to the country's drug problems, so marijuana should not
either.
Many of the government organizations have expressed their opinion that
the patients being used in these experiments by marijuana lobbyists to bring
attention to their real motive: legalizing marijuana in general. It is unfair
for the government to make the public try to believe that these medical
researchers are the bad guys and the government is trying to protect the public
from the evil.
As much research has conducted, it has be proven that marijuana has been
effective in treating sick patients with their discomforts. The many arguments
of the government and the D.E.A. have yet to be proven. Until those arguments
are proven and considered legitimate reasons for not legalizing marijuana, the
medical world should encourage their patients to use the marijuana as if it were
legal. Eventually, it will be proven that marijuana is a wise choice for the
sick.