Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medicinal Purposes Essay -- Argument

Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medicinal Purposes How would most Americans react if the law allowed the use of heroin, LSD, or amphetamines for medical purposes? Many of us would react in disbelief mainly because of the effects of these powerful and addictive drugs. However, in Arizona the law permits the use of heroin, LSD, and amphetamines for medicinal purposes, yet the medicinal use of marijuana remains illegal in the United States ("Facts"). Because marijuana is categorized as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substance Act ("Issues"), physicians cannot legally prescribe it. The national debate on the effectiveness of marijuana as medicine is divided between those who advocate marijuana's medicinal value and those who dismiss the claim that marijuana poses any medicinal value. Although many regard the use of medicinal marijuana as a hoax, there is evidence to the contrary that helps to create a substantial argument as to marijuana's ability to provide effective relief from certain symptoms of disease. Patients of t erminal or critical illnesses should be allowed, under the care and supervision of a physician, the option of using marijuana for medicinal purposes. First and foremost, the medical value of marijuana is primarily a means of relief from the symptoms associated with diseases themselves and their treatments, not a cure. Therefore, its therapeutic values are not based on a particular disease, but rather the symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and anorexia caused by loss of appetite and chronic pain. The exact reason why marijuana relieves such symptoms is not known but most likely lies in its organic composition and ingredients. Marijuana is made up of over 400 organic chemicals, 60 of which are... ...arijuana: the struggle for legalization." CNN Interactive. 1 Dec. 2013. http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9702/weed.wars/issues/background/index.html. * "What is the treatment cost of medical marijuana vs. the cost of Merinol?" 2 Dec. 2013. http://medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database. * "Clinical Pharmacology of Marijuana." Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana. 1 Dec. 2013. http://www.nih.gov/news/medmarijuana/MedicalMarijuana.htm#clinical. * "Medical Value and Use: Do many physicians support medical marijuana?" Medical Marijuana procon. 1 Dec. 2013. http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5-B-Subs-1.db&co * "Medical Value and Use: What are the benefits and risks of Merinol vs. marijuana?" Medical Marijuana procon. 2 Dec. 2013. http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database