Medicinal Marijuana
By: Anna • Essay • 363 Words • April 4, 2010 • 1,178 Views
Medicinal Marijuana
Medicinal Marijuana
For thousands of years, the drug known as marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments. It has been proven to help people suffering from many different types of diseases, including, AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. Medicinal marijuana is marked as illegal under federal law. This paper will explore the ongoing issue involving the medicinal use of the drug.
Ten states have legalized medical marijuana since 1996, these states are AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ME, NV, OR, VT and WA. The first step to getting it legalized lies in petitions and groups proposing the idea to put the question of whether it should be legal for medical purposes on the ballot, so citizens can vote on the issue.
Marijuana has been shown to relieve nausea, reduce muscle spasms, and also helps those suffering from chronic pain. This has been deemed as true and legitimate, by at least one court, legislature, or some sort of government agency in the United States.
There are groups and organizations fighting for the medicinal use of marijuana, because they feel patients should be able to treat their condition, especially if the doctor recommends it. Many groups such as the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), The International Association for Cannabis