Lindsey Dewhurst

Ms. Grant
UWRT 1103
6 November 2014
Medical Marijuana
As time progresses, the question of legalizing marijuana is becoming more and more of a
prominent debate. It is considered a Schedule I drug in the same category as heroine, yet it does
not seem like that dangerous of a substance. Cannabis has been around since the beginning of
time; according to Norml, the drug was found on textiles dating back to 7,000 BCE in northern
China, and it has been used medically and recreationally since around that time. I wanted to
inquire about this topic because I want to rebuke the negative opinions attached to cannabis and
expose all of its benefits. Personally, many members of my family deal with arthritis and other
pain-related illnesses, and I want an effective, natural pain-reliever to be available to them.
Though I highly doubt any of them would consider medical marijuana use, I know from research
what a positive impact the drug could have on their lives because of its medicinal properties. I
want to build a case for marijuana because I believe prescription drugs are getting out of control,
and no one should have to put chemicals in their body if not necessary. All individuals who
suffer with pain should have access to medical marijuana. What would the world be like if there
were less pain pills and more medical marijuana available? Though marijuana can be addictive,
pain killers have clearly become a negative aspect of peoples everyday lives, and I want to put a
stop to it. Despite the negative talk that is attached to marijuana, there are medical and economic
benefits to support the idea that medical cannabis should no question be legalized.
1

Through watching the progress of medical marijuana, it is obvious that it has been around
for quite a while, but the legalization fight has just begun. According to Marijuana Policy
Project, California started the spread of legalization, when it passed the first statewide ballot to
start the legalization of cannabis in any state in November of 1996. The next year in December
The American Medical Associations House of Delegates voted to agree to a report proving
marijuanas medical benefits and suggesting that doctors and patients should not be looked down
upon for seeing marijuana as a treatment. The report also urged the federal government to further
research medical marijuana. The following year in November, the Marijuana Medical Project
(MPP) with the help of local AIDS activists put medical marijuana on the local ballet in
Washington, D.C., but Congress did not let Washington, D.C. count the votes for 10 months.
The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a medical marijuana
report in March of 1999 that said they saw limited circumstances in which [they] would
recommend smoking marijuana for medical uses. Despite these negative findings, the MPP
encouraged many medical marijuana patients and researchers to testify at the IOMs hearings. In
June of 2000, Hawaii became the first state to pass a medical marijuana law through its
legislature instead of through a ballet. Medical marijuana patients were given more rights in
2003 when Congress voted for the Hinchey Amendment which prevented the DEA from
raid[ing] or arrest[ing] marijuana patients and caregivers in states that have medical marijuana
laws. This amendment also saved the DEA money from not having to make these arrests.
According to ProCon, many states have enacted laws to legalize medical marijuana 24 to be
exact. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware,
Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and

Washington. California was the first of these states to initiate change in 1998, and New York is
the most recent to allow medical marijuana. Though all of these states allow medical cannabis,
they have different conditions. Depending on the location, marijuana can be used for certain
conditions, and the amount of possession allowed differs also. Some states require a patient
registry fee and registration whereas others do not. Certain states accept other states registry ID
cards, and each individual state has a specific bill, amendment, proposal, etc. that resulted in
medical marijuana being available. Each state also has certain dispensaries it can use for its
supply of medical marijuana. Though each state has its own set of rules regarding medical
cannabis, they are all a part in helping patients find pain relief.
When analyzing the scientific and physical proof of marijuana, it is apparent that it has a
vast amount of medical benefits. According to Norml, medical marijuana can be helpful in
treating many health issues such as: Alzheimers Disease, ALS, chronic pain, diabetes mellitus,
dystonia, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, GI disorders, cancer, hepatitis C, HIV, Huntingtons Disease,
hypertension, incontinence, MRSA, Multiple Sclerosis, Osteoporosis, Pruritus, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, sleep apnea, Tourettes Syndrome, etc. Those who suffer from Alzheimers have no
medication available to stop the disease, and few pharmaceuticals have been FDA-approved to
treat symptoms of the disease. Knowing this, it is remarkable that cannabinoid therapy can
provide symptomatic relief to patientswhile also moderating the progression of the disease
based on recent scientific text. Norml also shares that medical marijuana can also be used for
ALS treatment; scientific literature also shows that the drug can help moderate the diseases
growth and help with symptoms such as pain, appetite loss, depression, and drooling. Another
illness that medical marijuana can benefit is chronic pain which is a widespread issue
considering one in five Americans suffers from it. Opiates and NSAIDS are standard
3

medications for this condition, and they have proven to be ineffective in helping with
neuropathic pain. Using pain killers long-term can cause many negative side effects such as
stroke, erectile dysfunction, heart attack, hepatoxicity, or accidental[drug] overdose.
Knowing these dangerous factors, it is a miracle to hear about when the FDA did clinical trials.
The results showed that inhaled marijuana helped relieve neuropathic pain in the participants.
Knowing that medical marijuana can assist individuals with great pain can hopefully result in a
reduction in the amount of pain relievers used and help patients to get relief without having to
worry about as many dangerous side effects. The University of California at Davis also did
clinical trials with medical marijuana and found that both high and low doses of inhaled
cannabis reduced neuropathic pain of diverse causes in subjects unresponsive to standard pain
therapies. This proof furthermore shows why cannabis should be a resource for chronic pain
and other pain-related illnesses. Not only can marijuana help with neuropathic pain, but also
according to Norml, the drug can have a positive impact on individuals with HIV. A recent study
shows that more than 60 percent of HIV/AIDS patients identify themselves as medical
cannabis users. This statistic shows how greatly cannabis can affect individuals suffering with
this disease. HIV is known to cause anxiety, nausea, and loss of appetite, and medical marijuana
is proven to help with these symptoms.
Not only does marijuanas history and health benefits prove why it should be legalized,
but also its economic benefits leave little reason to not legalize the substance. Jeffrey A. Miron
proves this point when he shares research found from The Marijuana Policy Project report:
legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government
expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5.3 billion of this savings would

accrue to state and local governments, while $2.4 billion would accrue to the
federal government (2-3).
Clearly, this is a large amount of money that the United States desperately needs when
considering the federal deficit. The report Miron discusses also projects profits of $2.4 billion
annually if marijuana [is] taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco. Legalizing
marijuana would also get rid of costs associated with arrests and incarceration of individuals
having the drug. To be more specific Miron explains that cannabis could potentially save the
state and local government from reduc[ing]police resources from eliminat[ing]marijuana
arrestsreduc[ing] prosecutorial and judicial resources [by] elimin[ating]marijuana
prosecutions[and] incarcerations(4). There are three costs associated with marijuana
prohibition; the first deals with the state police budget for handling marijuana arrests. The second
cost has to do with the prosecutorial and judicial budget which involves marijuana prosecutions.
The report Miron refers to says that 2.7% of trafficking violations are associated with marijuana
out of the 22%. The last portion of cannabis prohibition cost is involved with incarcerating
criminals associated with marijuana. The total expenditure for marijuana prohibition in 2000 was
$5.1 billion (8). This source makes it quite clear that not allowing marijuana use costs the United
States and its tax payers too much money and could potentially be a vital economical resource if
used made legal.
When looking at medical marijuanas history it is clear that the drugs legalization is a
recent pursuit but has made great progress. Hopefully one day medical marijuana will be
available for all patients in the U.S. who can benefit from its medicinal properties. If medical
marijuana becomes widespread, it can potentially help the United States financially and possibly
help U.S. citizens financially.
5

Works Cited
Norml. Recent Research on Medical Marijuana, 2013. Web. 10/20/14.
Miron, Jeffrey. The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition. 2015. PDF File.
Marijuana Policy Project. Our History, 2014. Web. 11/04/14.
ProCon. Laws, Fees, and Possession Limits, 2014. Web. 11/05/14.