Should Medical Marijana be legalized?

Medical Marijuana is an idea that has been around for years. Science has proven that Marijuana has lots of health benefits; others believe that it will do more harm than good. I believe Marijuana is great for medical and recreational use.

What gives Marijuana health benefits? Well, to answer in short is the CBD and THC properties. According to Health Europa "Cannabis contains CBD which is a chemical that impacts the brain, making it function better without giving it a high along with THC which has pain-relieving properties. Both substances can be extracted and enhanced for use through short path distillation." (Health Europa). I have known many people that have used Cannabis for their medical properties.

Some question lung health from smoking marijuana. Many assume that smoking Marijuana has the same effects on your lungs as smoking cigarettes. Well, this idea is a myth. According to Maia Szalavitz, Marijuana does not impair lung function—at least not in the doses inhaled by the majority of users" Researchers working on a long-term study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults or CARDIA study) tested the lung function of 5115 young adults over the course of 20 years, starting in 1985 when they were aged 18 to 30. They found that marijuana use was almost as common as cigarette smoking in the sample, which was designed to reflect the U.S. population. Among participants, the average marijuana user toked 2-3 times a month, while the average tobacco user smoked eight cigarettes a day. Those who smoked both tended to do so slightly more frequently than those who smoked only cigarettes or only marijuana. The study was “well-conducted” and is “essentially confirmatory of the findings from several previous studies that have examined the association between marijuana smoking and lung function,” says Dr. Donald Tashkin, professor of medicine at UCLA and a leading scientist in the area. He was not associated with the new research." "While tobacco smokers showed the expected drop in lung function over time, the new research found that marijuana smoke had unexpected and apparently positive effects. Low to moderate users actually showed increased lung capacity compared to nonsmokers on two tests, known as FEV1 and FVC. FEV1 is the amount of air someone breathes out in the first second after taking the deepest possible breath; FVC is the total volume of air exhaled after the deepest inhalation." So the idea that Cannabis smoking causes lung damage is invalid.

What medical properties does cannabis have? Some of the health benefits are relief of chronic pain, weight loss, regulation, and prevention of diabetes, fight cancer, regulation of seizures, mending of bones, treatment of depression, treatment of anxiety, treatment of glaucoma, treating symptoms of PTSD, and many more. Others will argue that we have medications to treat these diseases. Yes, there are man-made medications for these diseases but the side effects are worse than cannabis.

There are arguments that cannabis is addictive. Yes, it can be addictive. That’s why if it does become legalized there have to be regulations as to how much you can purchase. For example, Xanax is used to treat anxiety. Xanax is a highly addictive drug. Users can become addicted in as little as 1 to 2 weeks. I personally have met people who have met people who have struggled and fought with their addiction to Xanax. I have seen it first hand it is terrible to watch our loved ones struggle. I personally suffer from Depression, anxiety, and PTSD and I smoke Marijana for medicinal purposes and I find it to be helpful. So before you go judging others for their choices pass the bowl and take a toke.

Citations

Health Europa. “20 Health Benefits of Cannabis That Everyone Should Know.” Health Europa, 22 July 2019, www.healtheuropa.eu/health-benefits-of-cannabis/92499/#:~:text=Cannabis%20contains%20CBD%20which%20is%20a%20chemical%20that,health%20benefits%20of%20cannabis%3A%20Relief%20of%20chronic%20pain. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.