Weed is not a drug, it’s a plant, therefore I’m not a drug dealer but I’m

a florist. Weed seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. Legalization

doesn’t mean unregulated distribution. Why is marijuana against the

law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Most likely, everyone has

heard of marijuana and know what it is. However, many people hold

misconceptions of marijuana because of inaccurate news and reporting,

numerous studies have proven the health benefits of medical marijuana

when it is used in moderation. The Government of Guyana should

legalize marijuana for medical purposes only because of its medical

benefits, a new source of revenue and the creation of jobs.

Medical marijuana helps to treat a range of illnesses and symptoms and

relieves many people from pain and suffering. Illnesses and symptoms

such as muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer

chemotherapy, poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illness,

such as HIV/AIDS, or nerve pain and seizure disorders. Based on the

Ministry’s data, Cancer has been identified as the third leading cause of

death in Guyana, cervical cancer alone kills an estimated 100 women

every year, making it the leading cause of cancer mortality among local

women. According to Chronicle News, some 247 new cases of the

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have been recorded at the end

of May 2018 in Guyana. A wide-ranging survey in California finds that

medical marijuana patients agree: 92 percent said that medical

marijuana alleviated symptoms of their serious medical conditions,

including chronic pain, arthritis, migraine, and cancer. As a result,

medical marijuana can be used to treat and save the lives of people thus

increasing their life expectancy reducing the public expenditure cost on

health and gaining a new source of revenue in the country

simultaneously.

In addition to legalizing marijuana for medical purposes only will

upsurge gross revenues, tourism and overall purchasing powers of the

country. Simultaneously the government of Guyana can impose taxes on

selling marijuana thus increasing tax revenue and dismantling the black

market if marijuana is sold at a cheaper price. California, exceeded $15

billion in sales revenue and $3 billion in tax revenue for medical

marijuana, according to an April 2016 study by ICF International. Tax

revenue collected off those sales can be used to fix and build more

infrastructures, fund public projects, improve and build schools,

hospitals and universities thus for the betterment of Guyana.

Simultaneously, more jobs will be created such as a Bud Doctor, who

knows how to treat patients’ symptoms with cannabis, Grower or

Breeder, who must watch over all the development phases of the

marijuana plant and perform all the task during growing. The hiring of

private security professionals specialized in vast marijuana plantations,

a Marijuana Educator who gives seminars, workshops, and courses that

provides the best training for the new professionals as well as patients,

etc. Guyana has the 7th Highest Unemployment Rate with 12% Among

the CARICOM Member States of 2018, according to data from the

World Bank. As a result, legalizing medical marijuana would reduce the

unemployment rate significantly in Guyana and increase the minimum

wage of the country which is currently at $65,000 due to the high

demand for medical marijuana.

On the other hand, the opponents of medical marijuana use commonly

argue that there are already drugs available that work better than

marijuana, Marijuana can be the most effective treatment or the only

effective treatment for some patients. For example, existing prescription

drugs often fail to relieve neuropathic pain, pain caused by damage to

the nerves whereas marijuana has been shown to provide effective

relief, even in patients for whom the conventional drugs have failed.

This type of pain affects millions of Americans with multiple sclerosis,

diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses. They also say that marijuana is

bad for you, so is fast foods and carbonated drinks, marijuana is not

bad once patients used the prescriptive amount recommended by their

doctor they should be fine. Also, alcohol and cigarette are way more

dangerous. According to Center for Disease Control, around 37,000

deaths every year to alcohol (not including accidental deaths), while

prescription drugs kill one person in the United States every 19 minutes.

In conclusion, using marijuana for medical purposes only benefits

everyone, the ill patients to relieve them from their pain and suffering,

the unemployed citizens of the country and the government which can

receive a lot of tax revenue. Thus the government should legalize

marijuana for medical purposes only because of its medical benefits, a

new source of revenue and the creation of jobs.