The Bioethical Issue
The global society is facing numerous issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and medical marijuana. Bioethics is “a powerful field that encourages people to deal with different controversial issues” (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2011, p. 36). The issue of medical marijuana is a topic that matters a lot to me. Some health practitioners support the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
Bioethicists should use the best ideas in order to deal with the controversies associated with medical marijuana. I personally believe that marijuana is a dangerous drug. For instance, marijuana “causes psychological addiction” (Pfeifer, 2011, p. 342). The drug has been associated with lung cancer. The American society promotes the best strategies in order to deal with this drug. That being the case, marijuana remains a prohibited drug in many parts of the world.
Kantianism
Kantianism is a useful ethical theory that can be used to address this issue. According to the theory, people should focus on the best duties and obligations. This theory can encourage medical practitioners to support the best social behaviors. According to the theory, citizens should not use marijuana because it is illegal (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2011). Medical practitioners should focus on the best practices in order to protect their patients from the negative effects of this drug.
Utilitarianism
On the other hand, the utilitarian theory deals with the ethical issues associated with medical marijuana. To begin with, utilitarianism seeks “to maximise human happiness” (Pfeifer, 2011, p. 348). This ethical theory focuses on happiness for the greatest number of people (Pfeifer, 2011). The “decision to prohibit the use of medical marijuana infringes upon the rights of many patients” (Pfeifer, 2011, p. 341). The “use of medical marijuana will improve the lives of terminally ill patients” (Pfeifer, 2011, p. 354).
Reference List
Pfeifer, D. (2011). Smoking Gun: The Moral and Legal Struggle for Medical Marijuana. Touro Law Review, 27(1), 339-378.
Thiroux, J., & Krasemann, K. (2011). Ethics: Theory and Practice. New York, NY: Pearson.