Benefits of Medical Marijuana and Its Legality

Introduction

Marijuana or cannabis is a soft drug which has psychoactive substances, and the drug is illegal in most countries in the world. The legalization of Marijuana is a debatable and prominent issue in our society today. As we grew up, we were repeatedly told that drugs are dangerous for us, but as children, we did not understand the reasoning behind it and what we did was to listen and obey our authorities. However, as we age the more we begin to research and question the authorities for the reasons behind it before drawing our conclusions. Most opponents against Marijuana legalization argue that Marijuana should not be legalized for medical purposes since it has various adverse effects on the human body. These negative effects include but not limited to, Marijuana impairs an individual motor function when operating machinery, and especially when driving. Many accidents are associated with Marijuana since it leads to poor hand-eye coordination and poor signal detection. However, studies also show that Marijuana has some positive effects in that it makes the drivers to be more cautious, not to feel sleepy while driving and drive at a decreased speed. ("Marijuana use, driving, and related cognitions." 2013).Although many defamatory assertions have been made about the adverse effects of cannabis, the medical advantages of marijuana outweigh the many slanderous claims made about the drug. The debate for medical Marijuana legalization in some states of the United States has gathered momentum, and over the years, Marijuana use has been legalized in about 20 states for medical applications, and even the punishment for Marijuana users has been lessened. The usage of marijuana for various medicinal purposes has been the major reason for Marijuana prohibition laws to be loosened. The use of marijuana for various medical purposes has been the major reason for Marijuana prohibition laws to be loosened. Therefore, marijuana has emerged to be of greater usage which has necessitated its legalization in some countries due to its medical, economic and crime reduction benefits.

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Even though many people disapprove drug abuse, the medical benefits of Marijuana has proven and justified its legality and that medical marijuana is worth legalizing. This is because medical Marijuana has proven to have a positive impact on the users' health, and the negative effects of marijuana on the user's body are minimal as compared to the effects of other drugs such alcohol and cigarette smoking. This paper focuses on the benefits of medical marijuana and how they justify its legality. Some of the main reasons why I think medical marijuana should be legalized is that medical marijuana can be a helpful alternative for doctors to prescribe for medicinal purposes. Marijuana constitutes of chemical substances known as the cannabinoids which give therapeutic relief for various illnesses such as, cancer, suppressing severe nausea, and treating eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and multiple sclerosis. Marijuana also helps in the treatment of psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress depression, and acts as a mild sedative to the user and it is also used in mood enhancement (Stone,2011).

Additionally, medical marijuana can be of great help to a countries economy when legalized, and some of the benefits are; creation of employment hence reducing the rate of unemployment in the country, positive impact on the countries income tax and creation of investment opportunities in the country. Another benefit of medical marijuana legalization is that it can help in combating crime rates associated with its legalization in the country such as drunk driving, homicides, and assaults. Most violent behaviors such as assaults associated with the illegality of medical marijuana will also reduce with regards to medical marijuana legalization (Morris, TenEyck, Barnes & Kovandzic,2014).

Health Benefits Medical Marijuana

Most individuals think of ruined lives, drugs, and drug addicts when they hear of the word Marijuana. However what they do not know is that medical marijuana has its positive right side which most people are not aware of and, if medical marijuana can be legalized in the world it can be of great help in the pharmaceutical sector. Marijuana has since long been known in its effectiveness in combating and treatment of various sicknesses especially those affiliated with pain. Examples of these sicknesses include multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, cancer, and glaucoma. Besides its medical benefits, medical marijuana also has its psychological benefits in that it can be used in mood enhancement and the drug is not as addictive as most people believe it is. Similarly, medical marijuana does not alter the basic structure of an individual's personality nor are marijuana users criminals (Solomon, 1966). Most people have trouble believing and accepting the health benefits of medical marijuana since most individuals still think that pot has more negative effects as compared to its medicinal benefits.

Medical marijuana is beneficial in the treatment of various illnesses such as chronic pain, nausea, eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and arthritis (Stone,2011). Anyone aged 18 years and above and he or she are suffering from the diseases mentioned above can effectively use medical marijuana, and his or her symptoms will effectively go away. Cannabis is known for in its effectiveness in preventing the spread of cancerous cells in the human body, and many doctors have recommended the use of medical marijuana in cancer patients where the drug is used for therapy purposes and also to suppress nausea experienced by cancer patients during the chemotherapy. Many cancer patients have shown an improvement in their health condition after using marijuana for medical purposes. Marijuana can also be used in patients with lung problems and facing breathing difficulties where the drug helps in reversing the carcinogenic effects of tobacco in tobacco users; it also helps patients suffering from asthma. However, strict rules and regulations from the federal government have made it difficult for people to obtain the drug for medical benefits which when legalized will be able to help many people suffering from various diseases in the world.

Similarly, legalizing medical marijuana can also be used in the treatment of patients who have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition which affects more than individual joints. Studies show that medical marijuana can be used to relieve pain caused by the situation and also reduce symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis since the cannabis medicine has less adverse side effects as compared to painkillers recommended for the conditioning treatment. Modern science has developed various methods in which the medical marijuana treatment can be administered in the body to avoid direct inhalation which can be harmful to an individual's health and cause lung problems. The benefits of medical marijuana in the treatment of various sicknesses are overwhelming, and there is evidence that this drug can be used to cure certain illnesses and therefore it should be legalized for medical purposes and help in healing and combating various illnesses (Compton, Han, Hughes, Jones & Blanco, 2017).

Economic Benefits of Medical Marijuana

Although many Republicans and citizens in the United States are opposed to the law and have mixed views about the legalization of marijuana, it is because many are not aware of the various economic benefits the medical marijuana can have if it is legalized. There are numerous economic reasons why the legalization of marijuana will make sense to most people and especially if we look from the monetary point of view. The reason being the legalization of marijuana will help bring money to the country. Many countries have gone ahead to legalize marijuana for both medical purposes and also for recreational reasons. This has led to the improvement of the country's economy. Legalization of medical marijuana in most parts of the world will have a tremendous positive impact on the countries tax revenue. It will raise a considerable amount of income for both the state and the federal government. According to the report released by the ("Cannabis data analytic firm New Frontier in 2017"), about $131.8 billion will be collected by the federal government between 2017 and 2025. If marijuana is legalized on the federal level, the economy of the country will significantly benefit from this legalization.

Marijuana legalization will also lead to the creation of job opportunities for most people in the states. The New Frontiers estimation is that medical marijuana legalization will lead to about 1.1 million job creations by the year 2025. This will lead to the improvement of the living standards of the people and also a change in their quality of life since the poverty level will be very minimal. These job opportunities include farming, retailing, distribution and any other job associated with medical marijuana. Medical marijuana dispensaries and nurseries will also be started up, and this will also provide job opportunities for many people. These job opportunities will boost the country's economy to greater heights. California and Nevada are good examples of how medical marijuana legalization can lead to cumulative job creation and advancement in the economy.

The legal pot (marijuana) industry growth as a result of medical marijuana legalization will create investment opportunities and benefit the investors in the United States. Marijuana legalization will lead to enormous growth in both the national and local economies. But as long as marijuana remains illegal, many investors will not be able to profit from marijuana industries. However, if medical marijuana becomes legal, many investors will show their great interest in the marijuana industry hence the United States will be opened up to more investors. Legalizing marijuana will also help in saving money which most of the times is wasted on trial cases against people arrested for using marijuana. It will also lead to dropping of medical marijuana prices hence benefiting most people who prefer the use of cannabis products for either medical purposes or recreation purposes. It will be easily accessible to use for medical purposes, and since the price will go down, many individuals suffering from different illnesses will be able to use marijuana medicines to cure several diseases. The above mentioned economic benefits of medical marijuana are compelling reasons enough to make both the federal and the local government to consider the legalization of medical marijuana countrywide.

Medical Marijuana and Crime Rate Reduction

Legalization of medical marijuana in the United States will lead to a reduction in assaults, violent crimes and property crimes associated with drug trafficking in the country and especially at the Mexican borders. Most countries where medical marijuana has not been legalized are experiencing increased crime rates and drunk driving since people go for other drugs such as alcohol and cigarette smoking which are readily available and have more negative effects on the user's body as compared to the cannabis drug. Legalization of marijuana for either medical purposes or recreational purposes will help in reduced criminal activities associated with the production, distribution, supply, and use of medical marijuana (Morris et al., 2014). This will enable people to be able to legally assess marijuana hence the position for the medical marijuana cartels will be threatened, and marijuana usage by miners will be also be reduced.

A lot of money and resources are wasted every day in court cases for people who have been arrested a...