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Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper

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Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper
The Legalization of Marijuana
Joseph LeClair
COM/205
September 28, 2011
Mary Mandley

The Legalization of Marijuana
Even though in the federal government 's view, marijuana is a gateway drug, it should be legal because medical marijuana has fewer side effects than other legally prescribed drugs and it can be prescribed for many symptoms. The controversy of marijuana has been going on since the United States Government has made it illegal in the 1930s. Alcohol is legal and causes problems with the law along with other legally prescribed drugs. This essay will show facts that marijuana is not as bad as the government makes it.

There are many reasons why it should be legal. This essay will focus mostly on the medical benefits, but will …show more content…
The complaints for doing this that cannabis had treated where neuralgia, gout, tetanus, hydrophobia, convulsions, mental depression, hysteria and insanity. This was supported by anecdotal input and not scientific data. Anecdotal reports are suggestive and do not constitute the firm scientific reports that is essential to justify the approval of marijuana to be completely legal.

A recent study suggests that marijuana may be a useful addition to chemotherapy for hepatitis C, a deadly infection. Drugs that are used to treat HCV are effective but have severe side effects such as extreme fatigue, nausea, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and depression. Sylvestre and colleagues found that smoking marijuana significantly ameliorated these symptoms. This enabled patients to complete treatment when patients who did not smoke opted to not complete treatment (Cohen, …show more content…
The information in this essay shows the risks of marijuana compared to other prescribed drugs are less. With all drugs there are side effects especially death which is almost nonexistent in marijuana, people can benefit more from it especially using vaporizers which cuts down the chance for getting lung cancer. For recreational use of marijuana when compared to alcohol there are fewer problems associated with marijuana. There are no drunk drivers and the accident rate is less than it is with alcohol. Most marijuana users get to lazy to drive which cuts down the accident ratio considerable. It still does impair reaction and control while driving but personally and from talking with friends, we just get to lazy to
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