Medical Marijuana

Jordan Puzey
English 11H 6th Period
Thompson
Argument Essay
Spring Semester 2017
Table of Contents
 Puzey 1

Table of Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………...2

Magazine Ad …………………………………………………………………………………….3

Marijuana is Not Medically Beneficial

……………….…….…………………………………...4-6

Bumper Sticker …………………………………………………………………………………..7

Marijuana is Medically Beneficial …………………………………………………………..8-10

Compromise …………………………………………………………………………………....11

Works Cited ………………………………………………………………………………...12-13

 Puzey 2

Introduction

Medical marijuana has been a controversial topic for quite a while with two main sides:

(1) it is a beneficial drug that can reduce the symptoms of many various illnesses and (2) it is

detrimental to our health and has no medical value. These two sides-one as marijuana being

healthy and the other as marijuana being unhealthy-might seem very clear cut. But the truth is,

they are both partially right as far as we can tell at this point. It does help with some illnesses, but

it is also detrimental to some individual’s health.

 Puzey 3

Magazine Ad

Doc prescribed marijuana to them all, but only 

one turned out! Marijuana does not produce the 
same results each time. 
 
 
 Puzey 4

Marijuana is Not Medically Beneficial

Marijuana is harmful to the body and has no medical value, therefore it should not

be legalized. Through studies and research we have found that it causes harm to the baby if the

mother smokes marijuana during pregnancy, it impairs the ability for an individual to function

normally within society and it also hinders the individual’s ability to learn properly at school.

Marijuana use also has been shown to strengthen the characteristics of autism.

Ugo Uche is a professional licensed counselor who specializes in treating young adults

and adolescents and firmly believes that marijuana is harmful to those with autism. He believes

this because “There are three significant symptoms an autistic child suffers from, and these are

problems in socially relating to others, qualitative impairments in communicating and restrictive

repetitive, stereotyped patterns of behavior. Marijuana does not improve any of these

symptoms.” (Uche, 2) The National Drug Association (NDA) also suggested that marijuana can

lead to a decline in a person’s ability to learn and retain information. Autistic children already

have social and communication impairments and then when adding terrible memory retention on

top of that they are just being setup to look like a mental case when oftentimes they are highly

intelligent and often just want to do their own thing. “Furthermore, in a 1978 research study

conducted by Paul Clopton and his colleagues on “marijuana and the perception of effect.” The

results of this study strongly suggested that consumption of marijuana significantly reduced an

individual’s ability to perceive emotions in others.” (Uche, 2) When the emotional perception of

other drops, one can’t interact with others as well and can’t determine if what they are saying to

others is harmful or not which can cause them to get in trouble more often which can create a

lower self esteem.

 Puzey 5

Similarly marijuana during pregnancy through “...recent well-conducted studies suggest it

might have subtle negative effects on neurobehavioural outcomes, including sleep disturbances,

impaired visual problem solving, hyperactivity, impassivity, inattention, and increased

delinquency.” (Kozer, 1) By women smoking marijuana during their pregnancy they are putting

their child at risk for sleep disturbances which will most likely keep them awake too, increased

delinquency levels which could lead to them dropping out of school, and impaired vision among

other things which means that if severe enough, their child might not be able to drive when the

time comes. Also even after the mother has given birth, she will most likely breastfeed the baby

which also causes harm to the baby if the mother has been smoking marijuana. Research has

shown and the American Academy of Pediatrics advises to not breastfeed after taking marijuana

because the “Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is transferred into breast milk and levels can be up to

eight times higher than in the mother’s bloodstream. Exposure to marijuana through breast milk

might delay infants’ motor development.” (Kozer, 3) Because of this it puts a lot of stress on the

mother with worrying about how to get their child to catch up with normal children and get them

to level that they are supposed to be at. And higher stress levels create more tension in a

household which could come between the mother and child and separate them which could lead

to a higher level of delinquency in the child.

Marijuana also impairs the ability to function properly as well as raising delinquency

levels. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has done studies that show that marijuana

has “Impaired short-term memory (memory of recent events)...” (“Marijuana’s Dangers”, 1)

When short-term memory in impaired, it makes learning and retaining any information very hard

which makes for poor students and later in life, poor workers. NIDA studies have also shown
 Puzey 6

that marijuana can play a role in “Slowed reaction time and impaired motor coordination…”

(“Marijuana’s Dangers”, 1) Slow reaction time affects driving and can also hinder athletic

performance. Impaired motor coordination along with slowed reaction time can increase the risk

for personal injury and also injury towards others, even accidentally.

If we were to get rid of marijuana and make harsher punishments for those who use it, we

might be able to discourage people from using this drug and therefore will be able to create a

healthier, safer and happier society. Without marijuana there is the possibility for fewer

delinquents, safer roads with people driving, less addiction to this drug and other harmful

substances, and we have a higher possibility of becoming a more advanced society. And, while it

may help in some cases, appearing to treat that individual’s illness, we still do not know the side

effects and long term effects which could potentially be harmful to those individuals and to our

society as a whole.

Marijuana is a harmful drug that is causing an unhealthy society that has the potential to

become addicted to it. But it is currently illegal and it is on that list of illegal substances for good

reasons. One of them being that it doesn’t help with some illnesses, but instead has adverse

reactions and causes them to accentuate the original problems and make the situation worse and

cause more damage than before.

 Puzey 7

Bumper Sticker

Vote for​ M
​ edical Marijuana​, it
saves lives​!
 Puzey 8

Marijuana is Medically Beneficial

Marijuana is medically beneficial and should be legalized for such purposes. Through

studies and research we have found that it helps women through tough pregnancies and can save

the mom and baby’s lives. It also has been shown to help reduce the effects of autism and can

help with violence disorders. It also can help reduce the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD) which could help our war veterans who suffer from this illness.

PTSD is a disorder that many people in our country suffer from, especially our war

veterans who so bravely fought for our country’s rights and freedom. In 1988, the Drug

Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) chief administrative law judge, Francis Young, wrote:

“‘Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to

man….It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between

those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record.’” (Fox, 4)

Marijuana is a natural drug that can help reduce the effects of PTSD, potentially helping our

veterans be able to cope with the horrors of war and live a decent life. “Israeli physician Irit

Akirav published a study in the ​Journal of Neuroscience​ that alluded to the potential benefits of

marijuana for PTSD patients. He found in an animal study that cannabinoids-the active

chemicals in marijuana-may reduce the effects of PTSD.” (Fox, 3) Marijuana reduces stressors

and some of the effects of PTSD which means that it can help our war veterans be able to cope

with daily life and live a more normal life than they would be able to without marijuana.

Marijuana has also been shown to help during difficult pregnancies and can be a large

factor in being able to save the mother and baby’s lives. “According to the Mayo Clinic’s Mary

Murry, anywhere between 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women experience some nausea-to

 Puzey 9

varying degrees.” (Newman, 1) Some women vomit so much and so often that they are

diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum which is basically just excessive vomiting during

pregnancy which then causes malnutrition. Because of the excessive vomiting and malnutrition,

the mother and baby become very sick and can die if they do not receive the treatment that their

bodies need. Marijuana has been shown to calm the vomiting and stimulates the women’s diet so

that they can eat and remain healthy along with the baby. “In a study carried out in Canada,

“Survey of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Childbearing Women,” researchers looked

specifically at how 84 women who used marijuana during pregnancy to treat nausea, vomiting

and hyperemesis gravidarum rated the effectiveness of “cannabis therapy.” . . . The authors

found that almost all of the women-92 percent-found cannabis to be “extremely effective” or

“effective” . . .” (Newman, 5-6) When these women were able to stop vomiting and eat and keep

the food down through the help of marijuana, they were able to be healthy and happy and deliver

happy and healthy babies.

Marijuana has been shown to help with autism and violence disorders along with tough

pregnancies. One example is J. Lee who has severe autism and was always aggressive towards

himself and others. “For the past year, he’d consistently had 30 to 50 aggressions in a school day,

with a one-time high of 300. The charts for June through July, by contrast, showed he was

actually having days-sometimes one after another-with ​zero​ aggressions.” (Lee, 2) June through

July was when J was doing marijuana treatment and his acting out and aggressions dropped

significantly because marijuana was able to calm him down and suppress his autism symptoms

some. Another similar example is seven year old JJ who has been hyperactive and aggressive for

almost his whole life and has been diagnosed with PTSD, bipolar disorder, and impulse control
 Puzey 10

disorder. “In the past four years he has seen sixteen physicians, who have prescribed over

nineteen medications…” (“Mother and son”, 1) With severe side effects “Often he has been

overmedicated, to the point of slobbering, slurring his words, and being unable to walk.”

(“Mother and son”, 1) When he was on the prescription drugs, he often acted out as well and

continued to be angry and have the symptoms of his various disorders. Now, after being on

marijuana however, he is calm, happy, polite, and hasn’t had any adverse side effects from

taking it. It has helped him be able to fit into society a bit better and it has reduced the stress and

worry of his mother and increased the safety for them both.

By legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, it allows individuals who have the need to

make use of medicinal marijuana not have to hide their use and be worried about the law.

Because of this, more people with have access to it which will create a happier and healthier

society if they are able to use it to treat their various illnesses. True, when marijuana is used

without doctor’s orders it can be harmful. But if marijuana was only available through doctor

prescription it would be beneficial to treat the illnesses of those who qualify to be able to have

access to it.

With all the current prescriptions that are meant to help treat these illnesses, marijuana is

getting overlooked. However, it is the healthier drug choice with fewer to no side effects

depending on the illness and person and it has proved to be more useful and beneficial in the case

of these illnesses and individuals.

 Puzey 11

Compromise

Marijuana is a highly controversial topic, especially in the case of whether or not it is

medically beneficial. Through limited studies and research by the National Institute on Drug

Abuse and other various organizations we have found shocking results and from those results

there have been varying reactions. Some say that marijuana is medically beneficial and should be

legalized for such purposes. Others say that marijuana is dangerous and not medically beneficial,

and therefore it should not be legalized. But the truth of the matter is, there just simply isn’t

enough research to be able to come to a logical conclusion. More research and clinical studies

need to be done to accomplish our goal of finding out whether or not marijuana is medically

beneficial.
 Puzey 12

Works Cited

Benson, John A., Jr., et al. "From marijuana to medicine." ​Issues in Science and Technology​, vol.

15, no. 3, 1999, p. 27+. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​, Accessed 10 Feb. 2017.

Fox, Steve. "Medical Marijuana Should Be Considered as a Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder." ​Behavioral Disorders,​ edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2014.

Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context,​ Accessed 8 Feb. 2017.

Originally published as "Marijuana May Help PTSD. Why Won't the Government Find

Out for Sure?" ​Washington Post​, 14 Oct. 2011.

Kozer, Eran, and Gideon Koren. "Marijuana Use During Pregnancy May Have Adverse

Outcomes." ​Marijuana,​ edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing

Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​, Accessed 8 Feb. 2017. Originally

published as "Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Marijuana," ​Medication Safety in

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The Evidence-Based, A-to-Z Clinician's Pocket Guide,​

edited by Gideon Koren, McGraw-Hill, 2007, pp. 266-269.

Lee, Marie Myung-Ok. "Marijuana Helps with Autism." ​Marijuana,​ edited by Noah Berlatsky,

Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context,​

Accessed 8 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Why I Give My 9-Year-Old Pot, Part II,"

Slate,​ 5 Oct. 2009.

"Marijuana's Dangers Make It a Poor Candidate for Medicine." ​Medical Marijuana​, edited by

Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Current Controversies. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​, Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Marijuana," ​Topics in Brief,​

National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010, pp. 1-2.

 Puzey 13

"Mother and son: the case of medical marijuana. (case study)." ​The Hastings Center Report,​

Sept.-Oct. 2002, p. 11+. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​, Accessed 9 Feb. 2017.

Newman, Amie. "Marijuana Can Help with Nausea During Pregnancy." ​Marijuana​, edited by

Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​, Accessed 8 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "When Getting Baked Means

More than Just a Bun in the Oven," ​RH Reality Check,​ 20 Dec. 2010.

Peters, Joey. "Some Experts Disagree That Medical Marijuana Should Be Considered as a

Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." ​Behavioral Disorders​, edited by Roman

Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context,​

Accessed 8 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Pot Shots," ​Santa Fe Reporter​, 9 Oct.

2012.

Uche, Ugo. "Marijuana Is Dangerous for Autism Sufferers." ​Marijuana,​ edited by Noah

Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​, Accessed 8 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Does Marijuana Really Help

Autistic Children and Adolescents Cope with Their Symptoms?" ​Psychology Today,​ 30

Nov. 2009.