Medical Marijuana - Essay Example

A bright young woman has just completed her high school first year, and the next few years are set to be her most exciting. However, she is diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma aged sixteen and has to undergo chemotherapy. Instead of being involved in ordinary sixteen-year-old girl activities, she has to worry about how to hide the effects of her chemotherapy. Melinda is also at the hospital to receive blood transfusions because she has depleted white blood cells resulting from the chemotherapy. The chemo that she is under comes with a lot of side effects, which are; pain, nausea, and a loss of appetite. The only drug that has the potential to depress these symptoms is marijuana. However, because of its illegality, it cannot be given to patients. This paper seeks to explore the various viewpoints regarding the medical marijuana issue and its legalization.

Doctors believe that marijuana is an appetite builder, a great painkiller, and reduces nausea. Many patients in California, which legalizes medical marijuana use, claim that it relieves symptoms related to chemotherapy (Beau 12). Patients even report the enhancement of prescription drugs by marijuana. However, not all doctors believe in the use of marijuana, in the treatment of cancer patients. Dr. Hiebert, a hypnotist who helps people kick marijuana, claims that marijuana worsens glaucoma and increases MS symptoms (Beau 13).

The final decision on marijuana use for medical purposes lies with the judicial system and lawmakers (Beau 21). The US Supreme Court has opened hearings into whether marijuana distribution for medical use should be legalized under federal law. This case was prompted, by legislation, to legalize marijuana for medicinal use in California. This shows that some courts are becoming lenient toward the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Federal courts, however, are very serious on the illegality of marijuana and aim to keep it this way. A judiciary panel resolved that marijuana should not be legalized for medical purposes. They labeled it an addictive and dangerous drug as it is under the Controlled Substance Act. Because of this, marijuana has been labeled as psychologically and physiologically damaging without reference to the manner of its use. The federal judicial branch prefers not to legalize it, according to the annual report on alcoholism, as they consider it just as dangerous as cocaine (Beau 23).

Law enforcement and the government’s approach have a lot of influence on the possibility of the legalization of medical marijuana. In states that have legalized it, government officials still use their power to convince people not to use it. Attorney Janet Reno, after Arizona approved propositions to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients, announced that doctors doing so could be stopped from giving prescriptions altogether (Beau 41). This shows that the federal government, which has extra powers compared to state governments, does not approve of medical marijuana. Law enforcement also has an influence on the debate. The police face a difficult task in determining individuals who can possess marijuana legally (Beau 40). In states that have legalized the smoking of marijuana, it is still illegal to smoke it under federal law. This is confusing to law enforcers who do not know who is allowed to consume or possess marijuana, so they arrest all smokers.

The debate regarding the legalization of medical marijuana possesses arguments emanating from three perspectives: the medical approach, the law enforcement and government approach, and the lawmaker approach. Arguments from these sides prove that the issue is complex and affects a large number of citizens in the country. The citizens need to include themselves in this conversation as it is their lives at risk in case of cancer, and thus they need to educate themselves to make smart decisions on this topic in the future.