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Angela Gilbert
Aughenbaugh
English 12
13 March 2015
Medical Marijuana a new medicine
Everyone deals with their illnesses and pains in different ways. Cannabis has been around
for a long time and people are now realizing the amazing health benefits of this plant. Cannabis
is a more politically correct term is also known as marijuana, pot, weed, reefer and a bunch of
other names. Marijuana is the term for dried leaves, flowers or stems off of the cannabis plant.
(Medical Marijuana. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection.) Marijuana or Cannabis is used
by smoking or it is put in foods and candies then consumed. 94 million people have admitted to
using marijuana at least once. (Foundation for a Drug Free World.) Cannabinoids are found in
the cannabis plant. A foundation for a Drug Free World says that 94 million people have
admitted to using it at least once. Marijuana has a numerous amount of benefits and the benefits
can help a wide range of people. People who benefit can suffer from cancer, appetite issues, and
even people with everyday pain. Marijuana treats lots of other health issues too such as
glaucoma. Marijuana commonly looked at as a drug is now looked at being a herbal medicine by
a growing number of people. There are some people who still look at it as a drug and see no
medical value. They focus on the negatives such as disorientation, rapid heartbeat and temporary
sterility in men. Marijuana just as any other medicine has some downfalls. There are so many
prescription drugs that doctors prescribe every day that have far worse effects than the effects of
marijuana.

Marijuana has mainly good effects but what users have to remember is everyones

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body responds differently to certain chemicals. Cannabis farming is when people cultivate and
harvest the cannabis plant. Many people find planting peaceful which is another benefit even if
you are not smoking or eating cannabis. Currently cannabis is federally illegal, but there are a
few states that have legalized cannabis for medical purposes. Laws in states where cannabis is
not legalized have very strict laws. A person caught with even a seed or small amount in some
states can do jail time over it. By legalizing medical marijuana less people would be put in jail.
Marijuana is a solution and should not be viewed as a problem. The medical legalization of
marijuana would be greatly beneficial to society through its viability treat illnesses, along with
being associated to a direct reduction in crime.
Many people are diagnosed with all forms of cancer. Cancer patients experience nausea
and vomiting, along with many other side effects. Cannabinoids help with the effects cancer
patients experience. The cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant ease nausea and vomiting,
which makes the patient feel a lot better while they are going through chemotherapy.
Cannabinoids also are helpful to anorexic people. Anorexia is a lack or loss of appetite for food.
Anorexic people lose a lot of weight from not eating and it can even result in death. When a
person suffering from anorexia uses cannabis it stimulates their appetite so they get hungry and
eat. Many people experience severe pain for many different reasons, using cannabis can help
ease the pain.
Farming for many people is very relaxing. Since marijuana is a plant people can relax
while cultivating and harvesting the plant. The cultivation of marijuana reduces stress as well as
smoking or consuming it does. New farming technology and techniques have led to higher levels
of THC. Cannabis farmers have brought their crops inside and put them in a room where they
can control the lighting cycle, temperature, water intake levels and nutrients to increase the THC

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level. There are two types of the cannabis plant sativa and indica, each one gives you a different
feeling. Sativa usually has higher THC levels than indica. A patient using medical marijuana
could choose to smoke a type of indica with a lower THC level if their medical issues are not that
serious. An estimated 36.1 million people have been diagnosed with aids. Smoking marijuana
helps greatly with the painful symptoms of aids. If an aids patient was prescribed marijuana their
doctor could prescribe them a type of sativa to help with the pain. Even though cannabis has so
much medical value many people use it for recreational use too. Cannabis users that use it for
recreational use instead of medical use enjoy using it for their own personal reasons.
Despite all of the medical benefits the NIDA does not endorse marijuana as a medicine
(Medical Marijuana. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection.) Many Politicians will not vote
to legalize marijuana because of the possible harmful side effects. Prescription medicines that
doctors prescribe on a regular basis have side effects, some of them very serious and can even
result in death. Possible side effects of smoking marijuana are a high risk of a lung infection and
cough. If you eat foods or candies with marijuana in them then you eliminate the possible cough
and lung infection. Studies have shown using it may lower your sperm count, cause depression,
and sleepiness. Marijuana has been believed by some people to cause schizophrenia but there is
no way to tell that they did not have schizophrenia before using marijuana. Marijuana is also
looked at being addicting. Users can experience anxiety, phlegm, respiratory problems, and
depression. People who are against medical marijuana focus on the negative aspects, see no
medical value for marijuana and view marijuana as a drug instead of a medicine.
There are a growing number of states that are considering marijuana to be a medicine
instead of a drug and legalizing it for medical purposes and even recreational use. Marijuana can
help individuals with all kinds of health issues from cancer to glaucoma. Marijuana is safer

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alternative than prescription drugs. Marijuana does have some downfalls just like any other
medicine, but either way it should be legalized to benefit society.

Works Cited
Bearman, David. Marijuana Has Been Proven to Effectively Treat Many Medical Conditions.
Medical Marijuana. Ed. Nol Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Current
Controversies. Rpt. from Medical Marijuana: Scientific Mechanisms and Clinical
Indications. www.davidbearmanmd.com. 1-18. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24
Feb. 2015.
Belville, Russ. Research Shows That Marijuana Is Not Dangerous. Medical Marijuana. Ed.
Nol Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Current Controversies. Rpt. from Sanjay
Gupta: What the Next Surgeon General Doesn't Know About Pot. AlterNet. 2009. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2015
Croft, Jennifer. Drugs and The Legalization Debate. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group,
Inc., 1998. 17-24. Print.
Does Marijuana Kill Brain Cells? Harmful Effects on The Brain-Drug-Free-World. Does
Marijuana Kill Brain Cells? Harmful Effects on the Brain Drug Free World.
Foundation for a Drug Free World, 2006. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. <url>
Medical Marijuana. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.