Running head: MEDICAL MARIJUANA 1

Do the Benefits of Medical Marijuana Justify its Legality?

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Do the benefits of medical marijuana justify its legality?

The legality of Marijuana for medical use varies from country to country.

Different nations have different rules to govern the cultivation, distribution, and

possession of marijuana. Moreover, different nations have different laws governing

the specific medical conditions this product can be used for (Cohen, 2010). In many

jurisdictions, the policies guiding the use of Marijuana follow the United Nations

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Some countries treat the simple possession of

Marijuana as a serious offense punishable through the imprisonment of the offender

for several years. However, other nations embrace a policy of decriminalization to

treat the possession of marijuana as a non-criminal offense. Marijuana has many

medical benefits which justify its legality (Ludlum & Ford, 2011).

Marijuana is effective when utilized in the relief of chronic pain. Chronic pain is

a leading cause of disability in countries such as the United States of America (Cohen,

2010). Studies show that this type of pain afflicts up to 25 million people in America.

Also, products containing Cannabinoids, the active ingredients in Marijuana can

effectively treat chronic pain as they act on the same brain receptors as marijuana.

Moreover, marijuana helps people who addicted to opioid and alcohol to successfully

overcome their addiction (Hill, 2015).

Marijuana serves as a good tool for reducing the severity of various symptoms of

mental illness including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medical experts however caution against using marijuana for other mental conditions

such as bipolar disorder and psychosis. Again, people battling with cancer find

marijuana effective in treating some of the complications associated with

chemotherapy including nausea and vomiting (Hill, 2015).

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In the United States of America, states which regard marijuana as illegal witness

a biased implementation of this law with people of color being targeted . Also, owing

the disproportionate use of the law to crack down those in possession of the drug,

massive levels of violence and corruption occur. As such, these vices are best

defeated by the legalization of marijuana (Ludlum & Ford, 2011).

Indeed, marijuana delivers various medical benefits hence the need to legalize it.

As seen, it is effective in reducing the severity of various symptoms of mental illness

including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, can effectively treat

chronic pain, and efficient in treating some of the complications associated with

chemotherapy including nausea and vomiting.

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References

Cohen, P. J. (2010). Medical marijuana 2010: it's time to fix the regulatory vacuum.

The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 38(3), 654-666.

Hill, K. P. (2015). Medical marijuana for treatment of chronic pain and other medical

and psychiatric problems: a clinical review. Jama, 313(24), 2474-2483.

Ludlum, M., & Ford, D. (2011). Colorado's 2010 update to the medical marijuana

law: Three problems, three solutions. Mustang Journal of Law and Legal Studies,

2, 73.