Vincent Dunston Jr

1/10/16
Glenn Spoth
Participation In Government

According to national reporter Matt Forner, debating whether marijuana should be

legalized completely has been occurring for over 3 centuries. Many have their interpretations on
the impact of marijuana and the effect it has had on those individuals who are users. Still, despite
all these studies conducted by experts, there are still numerous misconceptions on marijuana,
these misconceptions have sadly created a negative picture the minds of many opposers.
According to Jen Christensen, a recent study showed that medical marijuana can have an impact
on 10 new diseases. Other medical doctors such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta believes it's time for a
medical marijuana revolution. As a nation we need to prove that marijuana, if used properly, is
harmless and very effective!

Marijuana can be referred to as pot, weed, cannabis, or even dope. In the late 1400s,
Christopher Columbus introduced weed to America by bringing it into the New World. In the
1500s, the Spanish boarded marijuana while they came to the New World. When weed was first
referenced, its purpose was to medicate. This means it was used to cure the gout, any
inflammation in the joints and muscles, and malaria. Both hemp and psychoactive marijuana
were used frequently in ancient China. The herb was used as an anesthetic during surgery. In the
1800s, it arrived to the United States and doctors prescribed the weed to patients for numerous
reasons such as labor pains and nausea. By 1890, hemp has been replaced by cotton as a major
cash crop in southern states. During the early 1900s, after the Mexican Revolution immigration
spread Americans brought cannabis which they used for relaxation. Reefer Songs became the
rage of the jazz world and these marijuana establishments were tolerated by the authorities
because marijuana was not illegal and patrons showed no evidence of making a nuisance of
themselves or disturbing the community. In 1975, California was one of the first states to reduce
the maximum penalty for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana from incarceration to a

misdemeanor with a $100 fine. In 1996, California became the first state to allow marijuana to be
grown and consumed for medical purposes. Unfortunately, a campaign was conducted in the
1930s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics who portrayed marijuana as an addicting
substance. The Drug Enforcement Administration focused on marijuana farms in the United
States and in the early 1990s teenagers began using hemp more.

Numerous people criticize the use of marijuana! Researchers have noted differences in
the size of the part of the brain that's involved in consciousness and information processing of
those who smoked it. When tested on memory, attention, and learning the more pot you've
smoked, the worst you typically did. Marijuana smokers who constantly and frequently use can
have an extreme time stopping. Also, if overused, pot can lead to dependency and mess with
your emotions along with memory. A study found showed that adolescents who began smoking
are more likely to abuse other drugs and it's been argued that the legalization of weed will in fact
increase teen use. Some warn that marijuana legalization could bring more addiction and many
expressed that marijuana is as dangerous as heroin and LSD. Supporters see it as no more
dangerous than other drugs. Critics also expressed that marijuana should not be legalized as the
cost to supply it overweighs its benefit. Marijuana leads to criminal behavior and it makes you
lazy and unsuccessful says the National Institute of Alcohol. It has been indicated that higher
marijuana use has been prominent in criminal offenders. A survey conducted through the Paw
Research Center on March 25-29, 2015 pointed to the dangers of marijuana. About one in five
opponents say that marijuana needs to be policed and continue to be illegal. 11% of individuals
surveyed say it is definitely a gateway to more intense drugs and 8% say it is especially harmful
to young people! Kevin Sabet former senior policy advisor to president Obama's drug czar stated
that marijuana should not be legal as he states There are smarter ways to deal with legalization

than marijuana. Many other opposers side with the belief that marijuana is not effective. But
what about those who feel otherwise?

On the contrary of those opposers of marijuana, there are still millions out there who feel
otherwise. More than 20 states around the country have already taken that step and legalized
marijuana for medical purposes. There are at least two active chemicals in marijuana that
researchers think have medicinal applications. Those are cannabidiol (CBD) and
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can
result in loss of vision. According to the National Eye Institute, studies in the early 1970s
showed that marijuana when smoked, decreases the pressure inside the eye. These effects of the
drug may slow the progression of the disease, preventing blindness. It has also been proven that
marijuana use can prevent epileptic seizures according to a finding by a study that was conducted
in 2003. Robert J. DeLorenzo, of Virginia Commonwealth University, gave marijuana extract
and synthetic marijuana to epileptic rats. The drug rid the rats of the seizures for about 10 hours.
Medical marijuana users claim the drug helps relieves pain and suppresses nausea. Similarly, one
of the most well-known medical uses of marijuana is for people going through chemotherapy!
Crohn's Disease also known also inflammatory bowel disease is a disease of the digestive tract.
400,000 - 600,000 people in North America are affected by Crohn's Disease and suffer symptoms
such as abdominal pain, severe vomiting, weight loss and nausea. Investigators reported that
smoking weed cause a complete remission of Crohn's Disease. Still, the United States
government claims that marijuana is as dangerous as heroin and has no medical use.

On a personal level, I completely support the legalization of marijuana. Hemp has been
proven to be an aid for multiple health problems. ADHD, cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases,

depression and even arthritis has healed numerous individuals with problematic symptoms that
arose from those illnesses. If you have millions of patients out there who are suffering and the
only medicine that helps ease the pain is marijuana, why rob them of their happiness? I feel like
if you are not that person, then you have no clue nor any place to express what you may think
may or may not work for them. You also have to consider that doctors are imperfect humans and
as a result they unfortunately do not always have an answer immediately for the cause of your
illness. When that occurs, you become your own doctor. If you are one of those individuals who
suffers from unbearable pain but is aware that marijuana can and will eliminate your agony, how
would you honestly respond if that's taken away? Also, a common claim critics say is that you
cannot use marijuana to run away from you problems. If you are a pot smoker i'm sure you
would agree that the drug helps you cope with those problems that has a tremendous effect on
you. You wouldn't consider it as running away from your problems, you would likely agree its
helps you endure what you are going through while doing so in a positive manner. Marijuana
does a wonderful job in eliminating migrans, which has an affect on someone in the world every
ten seconds. I also strongly oppose the belief that marijuana can be addictive. Something simply
as eating a same type of food everyday can make you addicted. The point is anything can turn
into an addiction even medication. If you medical doctor prescribes you a medication and if you
are consist enough with taking that medicine, simply missing one day can result in serious
problems. Once your body is immune to something once it's withdrawn you can suffer from
different possibilites. Likewise, in regards to marijuana if someone has been an user for an
extended period of time, simply not having the usage of the hemp can result in withdrawal
methods. That does not mean you are addicted! It is a sign of your body letting you know i'm use
to this product & now that it's been removed I can not complete all of the functions that I would

have been able had I still had my medicine. Also, there are other outlets out there that can cause
physical harm on the human body such as alcohol. Consuming an excessive amount of alcohol
can result in death. On the contrary, marijuana has not been the cause of any deaths. Why
prohibit something that has been shown to have multiple positive benefits but allow something
that can be detrimental to one's health? Lastly, the United States spends so much of our tax
dollars on keeping marijuana illegal when the country could gain trillions if it were legalized,
taxed, and regulated. That is the primary reason why I support the need for a medical marijuana
revolution.

As we have seen many individuals worldwide have impacted from the use of hemp.
Marijuana should be legalized because it is very useful in the medical profession. Many patients
who have used marijuana have stated that either their symptoms were gone or completely
relieved. Thirteen states in the United States have legalized the use of marijuana for medical
purposes, and 15 states have pending legislation favoring its medical use. States that permit
medical marijuana are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Although some states
have legalized the medical use of marijuana, the federal government can still ban possession of
the drug in states. But the question remains, are you against or with the legalization of
marijuana?

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