Legalization of Medical Marijuana
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Medical marijuana has long been a topic of many discussions, from heated debates among lawmakers and government authorities to friendly exchanges of opinions among family members, friends and colleagues. Probably one of the main reasons this is a favorite topic of several discussions is the fact that, until this very day, people are still divided on whether or not the legalization of medical marijuana will really benefit communities, and if these benefits would outweigh any risks that may be involved. Many have expressed support for the legalization of marijuana, but still a good number have maintained that legalizing marijuana will only cause more problems rather than solve existing ones. Thus, the seemingly endless debate continues. The objective of this study is to gather arguments for and against the legalization of medical marijuana in order to get a clearer picture of how the community in general responds to the issue at hand. This study gathered over 5,000 comments and ideas from concerned individuals and categorized the different points raised by its advocates and its critics. The arguments presented here are taken from various websites and blogs that discussed the legalization of medical marijuana. The following table shows the top points presented by those in favor of the legalization of medical marijuana (PRO) and the top points presented by those who oppose it (CON) as well as the number of individuals sharing the particular argument with respect to the total number of individuals included in this research (presented in %).
| PROS | |
| Medical usefulness | 48% |
| Crime Prevention and Law Enforcement | 41% |
| Potential Positive Impact on Economy and Public Finance | 33% |
| Safer to use than some other prohibited drugs and alcohol | 24% |
| Industrial use | 15% |
| CONS | |
| Mental and Physical Health Risks | 68% |
| Availability of Legal and Safer Substitutes | 32% |
| Social Effects | 32% |
| Increase in Crime Rates and Accidents | 26% |
| Tendency to Lead to the Use of Other Drugs (Gateway Drug) | 16% |
PRO SIDE One of the most important arguments presented supporting the legalization of medical marijuana points out that the use of marijuana for medical purposes should be allowed as an option to patients suffering from certain illnesses. Supporters see that offering it as an option, without really forcing patients to use it when they don’t want to, may be the best way for everyone involved. Those whose illnesses and pains are relieved by medical marijuana can avail of its benefits while those who feel that the risks involved are too much may opt to use other medicines and treatment methods. In terms of safety, supporters believe that “marijuana is a safer substance than alcohol or other controlled prescription drugs” and patients using it do not suffer from “withdrawal symptoms or terrible side effects” that go with many available treatment methods or medications. The legalization of medical marijuana would also generate taxes and revenues as well as minimize “public (spending) on building and staffing new prisons for marijuana offenders.” For this reason, many supporters believe that the legalization of medical marijuana may actually help the economy, if only properly utilized. Advocates also foresee that the legalization can reduce crime rates, by “crippling Mexican cartels that smuggle marijuana and other drugs into the US,” which may lead to a low supply of funds to drug syndicates and terrorist groups. Many in favor of the legalization, however, share the opinion that certain limitations should be put into place, such as imposing appropriate age limits (like in the case of alcohol and tobacco) and prohibiting the sale of medical marijuana near schools. CON SIDE Those who oppose the legalization of medical marijuana focus on the ill effects of marijuana use. Some of the effects mentioned are “paranoia, increased aggressiveness and social disruption” as well as “hallucinations and paranoid delusions.” Critics also claim that marijuana “ranks third in drugs that lead to emergency room visits, may have an 8% chance of inducing schizophrenia in users under 15 and a 2% chance of doing so in adults, (and) mimics schizophrenia in the brain.” These conditions also lead to more concerns for critics, such as increase in road accidents due to diminished motor skills required for driving or operating heavy equipment or machines. These are situations that affect not only the marijuana user, but also the people around them. Critics are also concerned about the effects of smoking marijuana on the IQ of young adults, stressing that “young adults who smoked five or more joints a week had lost an average of four IQ points, compared with IQ gains in light users and nonusers.” Non-supporters also think that the open use of marijuana will only lead to the abuse of other dangerous drugs and that “while a small percentage of the population may benefit from marijuana, there will be a larger percentage of the population who will manipulate laws and illegally obtain marijuana for personal use without being ill.” They believe that legalization could result to a rapid increase in drug abuse and in crime rates. It seems, though, that those who oppose the legalization of medical marijuana, just like those who are in favor of it, are open to meeting the other side somewhere in between. While advocates accept that certain limitations must be in place for the legalization to be effective and beneficial, some critics agree that if legalization is to be done to address the needs of patients suffering from certain illnesses, strict regulatory measures must be adopted, such as requiring a legal medical prescription before anyone can get access to medical marijuana. Seattle Drug Screening References: • http://elections.firedoglake.com • http://stopthedrugwar.org • http://www.huffingtonpost.com • http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com • http://www.cbsnews.com • http://reason.com • http://blog.al.com • http://www.nj.com • http://blog.seattlepi.com • http://www.medicalmarijuanablog.com • http://religionnewsblog.blogspot.com • http://serendip.brynmawr.edu
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July 1st, 2010 at 5:35 pm
[...] of the analysis, along with the partial list of blogs and articles used for content can be found at Legalization of Medical Marijuana | TestCountry Articles . About TestCountry.Org TestCountry.org is a website dedicated to health and drug testing [...]