This research paper will explore the controversial issue of the legalization of the medicinal use of marijuana. There are many different things that must be considered other than the morals of the government and its citizens, or the rights of seriously ill patients, such as the research of marijuana's medicinal values. Others include the governments' laws, distribution and dosage complications, and possible drug abuse problems. The purpose of this paper is to explore all of these issues and provide a strong argument in support of the legalization of medical marijuana.
Considering the research of the medicinal values of marijuana, much has already been done, yet there is still much to be done. The United States government has been against researching the positive values of marijuana for as long as prohibition has been in effect, and only supported studies researching the harmful effects of marijuana abuse. Regardless, many scientists and doctors have done private research and various studies, and found that marijuana has many medicinal values. In a book titled Marihuana: an Old Medicine of the Future, Dr. Lester Grinspoon states, "More than 7,600 annual deaths and 70,000 hospitalizations caused by NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are reported. Cannabis smoked several times a day is often as effective as NSAIDs or acetaminophen in osteoarthritis, and there have been no reports of death from cannabis.""(Grinspoon/Baklar, 1997, p.35). This statement clearly indicates that marijuana is a safer alternative medication to drugs already on the market for arthritis treatment. This, of course, is only one of the many beneficial uses of the drug, and properly funded and supported research would open many other possibilities for the potential of marijuana as an alternative treatment. Another well-known use for medical .
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marijuana is for cancer patients. David M.