Introduction
There has been great debate regarding the legalization of marijuana. Although many people are against the use of marijuana, some individuals have been advocating the legalization of marijuana. The protagonists of the use of marijuana base their arguments on two main aspects. The first and greatest factor is that the use of marijuana has considerable medical benefits. The second aspect is that the use of medical marijuana has no harm to its users (Bostwick, 2012). Arguments on the benefits of medical marijuana can easily be discredited by many research studies concerning the negative effects of its use, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes.
Opposing Arguments
Many leaders and people of goodwill who support the legalization of medical marijuana have been misled by highly funded and organized pro-drug activists. There is a deficiency of studies concerning the safety and effectiveness of medical marijuana. Most of the evidence given by the supporters of medical marijuana emanates from unscientific and unproven statements (Hall & Lynskey, 2016). It is not clear whether patients to whom medical marijuana is administered were cured by other drugs that they had used in advance or the medicines applied alongside it. Additionally, there is inadequate research to ascertain whether such patients had recent medical checkups, deceitfully justify the legalization of medical marijuana, had a placebo effect, or just experienced an intoxicating impact of the drug.
The use of medical marijuana will result in increased exposure to the drug, advertisements that make appealing to use, and teenagers having augmented knowledge about it. This might lead to a delusion among many individuals, mainly adolescents and young adults. Such misconception will increase the smoking of marijuana for nonmedical reasons, hence intensifying its negative effects. The smoking of marijuana has a high possibility of causing lung cancer. In the United States, lung cancer has the greatest mortality rate compared to any other type of cancer (Hall & Lynskey, 2016). Moreover, the use of marijuana will cause numerous issues such as short-term difficulties with thinking, memory, and reduced human function.
The use of medical marijuana will not have considerable health benefits. On the contrary, it will result in increased risks associated with the drug. Besides marijuana being highly addictive, its use, even for medical reasons, might make patients hooked to hard drugs. The government should bar the use of medical marijuana since it will translate to moral decadence and an increased level of criminal activities in the long-term. The use of medical marijuana for a long time has been associated with decreased motivation, sleep disorder, excessive vomiting, and anxiety to mention a few (Bostwick, 2012). Devoid of the generation of a standardized product and sufficient evidence-based research, the safety and remedial benefits of medical marijuana will remain unknown.
Although marijuana has for a long time been used for recreational purposes, supporters of its legalization affirm that it has medical benefits. Such people assert that medical marijuana offers remedial benefits to patients who suffer different diseases by reducing the symptoms of illnesses and preventing adverse side effects of several medications (Conboy, 2000). Consequently, medical marijuana is believed to improve the quality of life of patients and increase positive reactions to other treatment methods. Nevertheless, attributable to the addictive nature of marijuana, a high percentage of patients who use it for medical rationales eventually become dependent. Increased use of medical marijuana will translate to its enhanced use for nonmedical reasons and negative effects.
Supporters of the use of medical marijuana affirm that tetrahydrocannabinol, its major psychoactive component, is already lawfully allowed in the pharmaceutical capsule and is prescribed by physicians. However, such pharmaceutical products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol are rarely prescribed attributable to their possible adverse effects (Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, 2019). Moreover, there are plenty of other effective medicines that make the use of medical marijuana an inviable alternative. Medical marijuana is an unstable combination of different chemicals that encompass toxic and psychoactive elements. The deficiency of research has resulted in the components of the mixture existing in overly uncontrolled strengths that have negative effects on their users.
Protagonists of the use of medical marijuana assert that it helps patients with decreased pain and nausea, in addition to increased appetite. They affirm that attributable to such medical benefits, the use of medical marijuana should be legalized and prescribed by health professionals (Conboy, 2000). Cannabinoids in medical marijuana function as central nervous system depressants thus decreasing pain perception and tolerance. Regardless of its benefits, medical marijuana causes tremendous problems. The government should not legalize the use of medical marijuana because it is associated with numerous dangers such as fatal car accidents.
Conclusion
There has been great controversy regarding the authorization of medical marijuana. Affirmations on the benefits of medical marijuana can simply be discounted by research studies about the negative effects of its use. There is an inadequacy of studies regarding the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana. The use of marijuana has a high likelihood of causing lung cancer. Protagonists of the application of medical marijuana state that its benefits to patients include lessened pain and nausea, over and above increased appetite. The government should not authorize the use of medical marijuana since it is linked to many dangers such as car accidents.
References
Bostwick, J. M. (2012). Blurred boundaries: The therapeutics and politics of medical marijuana. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 87(2), 172-186.
Conboy, J. (2000). Smoke screen: America’s drug policy and medical marijuana. Food and Drug Law Journal, 55(4), 601-618.
Hall, W., & Lynskey, M. (2016). Evaluating the public health impacts of legalizing recreational cannabis use in the United States. Addiction, 111(10), 1764-1773.
Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program. (2019). The legalization of marijuana in Colorado: The impact. Missouri Medicine, 116(6), 1-2.