Medical Marijuana

Persuasive Essay # 23805

Criminology > Drugs Enforcement
Ethics
Medical and Health > Drugs

Medical Marijuana

An argument for the case of marijuana to be legalized for medical purposes.

1,939 words () | 15 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the issues of marijuana, currently classified in the U.S. as an illegal substance. It examines the case for making it legal by prescription for medical purposes and why it is unethical to deny a sick person of the medical benefits. In persons undergoing cancer therapy, marijuana can ease the nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite caused by chemotherapy treatment. It describes its constituents, its effect on humans and the avid campaign over the years to have it decriminalized.

From the Paper:

"Marijuana is derived from the flowers and dried leaves of the cannabis plant, which at varied potencies contains the non-narcotic chemical called Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC. The different strengths of this herb produce various physical effects, ranging from a tranquilizer to a stimulant. Preceding to the 1930s, when marijuana was believed to be a problem it was a legal substance for over one hundred and thirty years. (Grinspoon) The potential unsafe effects of marijuana usage became public knowledge when Harry J. Anslinger, the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotic wrote the book Marijuana Assassin of Youth. Anslinger's book gave examples of Mexican and Negro criminals, as well as young boys of other races, who, while under the influence of marijuana, became serial killers. Some of the serious adverse side effects Anslinger mentioned included premature cancer, hostility, depression, coordination and perceptional reproductive disabilities, memory loss, and impairment to both the respiratory system and the immune system."