Criminalization of Medical Marijuana

Paper Summary:

The paper asserts that to a great degree, drug policy in America has been irrational, based more on fear than evidence. The paper presents research that proves that marijuana does have medicinal value and explains its many therapeutic uses. The paper contends that the federal government is so dedicated to its policy of marijuana prohibition that it ignores all evidence to the contrary, ignores the expressed will of the electorate and ignores all appeals in favor of protecting the policy, not the public. The paper argues that legislators and drug enforcers are not physicians and should not substitute their belief system for demonstrable scientific studies showing that medical marijuana does indeed benefit patients.

From the Paper:

"To a great degree, drug policy in America has long been irrational, based more on fear than evidence. Drugs are targeted when someone perceives that they are a problem, and once they are listed as a controlled substance, the listing becomes a self-perpetuating phenomenon. All evidence to the contrary is dismissed. Marijuana is listed as a controlled substance and has been demonized as a pernicious evil ever since. Growing evidence of the health effects of marijuana for people suffering from certain maladies has not been sufficient to change federal policies, and the irrationality grows as some states have adopted laws allowing for the medical use of marijuana even as the federal government has refused to do so and has sought to criminalize the medical use of marijuana specifically."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Demmer, Bryan. "Arrest Suffering, Not Medical Marijuana Patients." The Humanist,. Volume 61, Issue 6 (November-December 2001), 35-37.
• Gold, Mark S. The Good News About Drugs and Alcohol. New York: Villard Books, 1991.
• Lowery, Richard. "Weed Whackers - the Anti-Marijuana Forces, and Why They're Wrong. Magazine." National Review, Volume 53, Issue 16 (20 August 2001). December 12, 2007. http://www.questia.com/read/5002408640.
• Maykut, Madeliane. Health Consequences of Acute and Chronic Marihuana Use. New York: Pergamon Press, 1984).
• Nadelmann, Ethan A. "An End to Marijuana Prohibition: The Drive to Legalize Picks Up." National Review, Volume 56, Issue 13 (12 July 2004), 28.

More papers on Criminalization of Medical Marijuana:

• Persuasive Essay # 144553 : "Jury Nullification and Medical Marijuana"
• Research Paper # 91337 : "Legalizing Medical Marijuana. "
• Essay # 9573 : "The Criminalization of Marijuana"

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