Legal Alternative to Marijuana - Essay Example

Legal Alternative to Marijuana Marijuana use is a controversial topic in America. It is already proved that marijuana can help patients in relieving their pains from certain diseases and hence many people argue that the use of marijuana should be legalized. They are arguing that we are living in a world in which legalization of physician assisted suicide or mercy killing is gaining grounds all over the world; under such circumstances, there is no point in denying the patients the luxury of pain relief with the help of marijuana. Some states legally allowed the use of marijuana for some diseases for which the doctors prescribed it as a medicine whereas some other states are still not allowing even the patients to use or keep marijuana under their possession. However, according to medical experts, marijuana use should not be encouraged because of the side effects it can generate later in the user’s life. “To date, marijuana is still classified as an illegal Schedule 1 drug by the Controlled Substances Act. It is defined as having "no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States" (Roth). American Federal courts are still convinced about the usefulness of marijuana. For them, marijuana is still an addictive and dangerous substance which can damage a person physically and psychologically. Spice, a herbal smoking mixture, is sold on the internet and in some shops in America labeled as legal and nicotine-free smoke. Many people in America are using Spice at present as a substitute to Marijuana. However, scientific studies shown that Spice is also harmful to human health. Professor Leslie Iversen, chairman of the technical committee of the Advisory Council, said: “It is a very clever product, sold as a herbal smoking mixture from China, but containing chemicals which can be a lot more potent than cannabis” (Ford). This paper analyses the Spice as legal alternative to marijuana. Cannabis has been used for relaxation and meditation purposes for many thousands of years, and studies carried out today tell us the number of users is rising. Young people especially seem to be attracted to experimenting with mind-altering drugs, such as cannabis, and this can result in abuse, addiction, mental health problems, and prosecution. While cannabis itself is not physically addictive it can be dangerous for those with mental health issues and is often supplied by dealers who also have access to harder, highly addictive drugs (Casundara) “Herbs or blends of herbs that one can smoke as alternatives to marijuana or tobacco- The term marijuana alternatives mean just that. It does not mean we are offering legal marijuana or a marijuana substitute” (Legal Alternatives To Marijuana And Tobacco). Many people who are using Spice like alternate products instead of Marijuana have feeling that these products are less harmful than marijuana and it is legal to use these products in America. In fact Spice like substitute products for marijuana has not been prohibited in America yet and hence no criminal cases can be charged against such users. However, it doesn’t mean that these substitute products are less harmful or superior to marijuana. The only advantage of using spice like alternate product is that the user can escape from any kind of legal formalities in using it. According to a shop owner, “the demand for spice has doubled each month, and its sales now represent a third of his revenue. On some Fridays, his two District stores can bring in $10,000 from the sale of spice alone”(Savage). The growing popularity of Spice over marijuana can be attributed mainly to the fewer barriers in getting it in America. No drug screening tests can detect Spice which made it one of the favorite substitutes for marijuana. Many of the Spice users believe that it is less harmful. However, “Nationwide, the American Association of Poison Control Centers logged 567 cases across 41 states in which people had suffered a bad reaction to spice during the first half of 2010. Just 13 cases were reported in 2009” (Savage). It is a fact that Spice is manufactured both in America and in some external countries like China. However, nobody knows anything about the manufacturer’s details. Even in Spice packets, such information were not displayed which makes this drug highly controversial. If the manufactures are so confident about the usefulness of this drug, they would have definitely affixed the labels showing their addresses or whereabouts. Instead of such vital information, the spice labels warn the public against human consumption of spice and smoking using spice. The labels state that spice is intended for the use only as incense. "Smoke inhalation may cause light-headedness and be harmful to your health, reads one package of spice” (Savage). There are many reports which show the side effects of Spice. According to police reports cited in news accounts, one person in Texas suffered seizures after smoking two types of spice together. In Iowa, an 18-year-old suffered a panic attack and committed suicide after smoking spice with friends last month, police said. "We're getting extreme anxiety in many patients, agitation, heightened heart rate and blood pressure," said Anthony Scalzo, medical director of the Missouri Poison Center. "I've done emergency medicine for 28 years and toxicology for 22, and I don't see that kind of effect generally from a patient who comes in having taken marijuana" (Savage). The above statistics clearly show the controversies surrounding Spice or marijuana alternatives. The side effects of Spice have not been researched thoroughly yet in America. The public is going after spice with a belief that it is safe and less harmful. It is the duty of the government and the criminal justice system to educate the public about the problems associated with spice or marijuana alternative use. “In June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against medical use of marijuana, but emphasized the decision was not over whether marijuana is effective for pain relief” (Medical Marijuana - Medicinal Marijuana - Medical Uses Of Marijuana, 2010). The Supreme Court’s finding itself reveals that the court is not sure about the consequences of marijuana use. The court upheld the traditional belief by the continuing support extended towards the marijuana prohibition rather than looking deeply or analysing the issue more comprehensively. It is the duty of the court to analyse the legality and usefulness of using marijuana or any other substitute products with the help of medical experts rather than keeping this topic under suspense. To conclude, Marijuana use is a controversial topic in America as even the judiciary is not unique in their opinions and verdicts. Even though the Supreme Court still prohibits the marijuana use in America, many state courts allowed the marijuana use under their jurisdiction. Marijuana alternatives or spice have no legal restrictions in any of the states in America and hence the sales of such products growing every day. However, medical experts and police officials are of the view that these substitute products are creating lot of physical and mental problems to the public and hence it should be avoided. Marijuana alternatives have not been studies extensively yet. Moreover the marijuana manufacturers are not disclosing their whereabouts to the public. Under such circumstances, it is better to prohibit these alternative in America in order to save the people. Works Cited 1. Casundara. “Why Line The Pockets of Dealers When There’s a Legal Alternative to Cannabis”. 2009. Web. 30 January 2011. 2. Ford, Richard. “Spice’ Ban as Tests Show Legal Herbal Drug is as Potent as Cannabis”. 2009. The Times. April 12, 2009. 3. “Legal Alternatives To Marijuana And Tobacco” Web. 30 January 2011 4. “Medical Marijuana - Medicinal Marijuana - Medical Uses Of Marijuana”. 2010. Web. 30 January 2011 5. Roth, Rebecca. “Medical Marijuana”. 2008. Web. 30 January 2011 6. Savage, Michael W. “The Growing Buzz on 'Spice' -- The Marijuana Alternative. 2010. Washington Post. Web. 30 January 2011 Read More