Legal Marijuana - Busting the Myths of Medical Cannabis

There are many myths concerning the effects of marijuana. Of all the ones you've heard, how many came from a reliable source? Do you REALLY trust what your friend's uncle says about the subject? Let us explore these myths in greater depth.

1. Marijuana is addicting.

False! Marijuana is not addicting. Medical studies have shown alcohol, nicotine, and even caffeine to all be more addicting than marijuana. Compare this to the drug OxyContin. Both medicines are used to treat severe pain, but in 2006, 20.4 million Americans illegally used OxyContin. Medical marijuana is a much safer alternative.

2. Marijuana has a negative effect on health.

There are thousands of deaths each year from various drugs approved by the FDA. Interestingly enough, there are ZERO reported cases where marijuana was listed as the cause of death. Many people fear the smoking of marijuana, relating it to the cancers cause by cigarettes. Keep in mind, smokers will go through twenty or more cigarettes a day, every day. Medicinal levels of marijuana are nowhere near that high.

3. Even if it doesn't cause death directly, marijuana weakens your immune system.

This claim is based on a test performed in 1980, stating that white blood cells transformed slower in reaction to threats when exposed to THC. Since then, such results have never been able to be replicated. The FDA has even approved Marinol, a synthetic form of THC, for the treatment of diseases that attack the immune system, such as HIV.

4. There is no medicinal use for marijuana.

Quite the opposite! Marijuana is used medically in California in the treatment of cancer, AIDS, arthritis, migraines, and anorexia. Studies show it can also be used alongside, or even instead of, current medications for those diagonsed with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and insomnia. Research is currently being conducted to test its effect on Alzheimer's disease.

5. Legal marijuana will be abused/illegally sold.

The idea of banning a medicine because others will abuse it is preposterous. Drugs such as sleeping pills and pain medications are abused daily, yet are sold over-the-counter. Also, if someone is unfortunate enough to have AIDS, and are depending on a medicine to prevent extreme pain, why would they willingly get rid of it?

These are only a few of the common myths about medical marijuana. Think about all the information you have about weed, and then decide if your sources are really that reliable. The stigma around this medicine is wrong, and needs to be reversed, for the sake of patients who could benefit from it. Learn the facts about marijuana and its medicinal purposes for yourself.

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Decriminalizing Common Sense: Why Marijuana Ought To Be Legal

For over 4,800 years, marijuana has been safely used to treat a "whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, [and] headaches" (i). The ancient doctors prescribed marijuana because it had proven to be a safe and effective herbal treatment. Today, marijuana is also widely used as a recreational drug comparable to tobacco and alcohol. Unfortunately, this time-honored substance is considered illegal by the U.S. government. Despite abundant evidence of the benefits of marijuana use, those who partake continue to be prosecuted as common criminals. It is high time for marijuana to be officially recognized as the safe, medicinal substance that it is. It ought to be at least as legal to buy, sell, possess, and consume as tobacco and alcohol.
Over the last few decades, marijuana has slowly returned to its rightful status as a useful and legitimate herbal treatment for various ailments. Those who suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting have much to gain from a daily marijuana regimen. In studies conducted in New Mexico, researchers found that, "More than ninety percent of the patients who received marijuana...reported significant or total relief from nausea and vomiting" (ii). With such a high success rate, it is no wonder doctors are clamoring for the right to prescribe marijuana to their patients.
The government has tried to characterize marijuana as a dangerous drug by declaring that marijuana smoke causes cancer. However, most of the carcinogenic chemicals associated with marijuana smoke come from the paper it is often rolled with. Federal statutes outlawing the possession of marijuana "paraphernalia" like pipes and bongs constitute the prime reason why marijuana is smoked through a tube of paper rather than via other methods that filter out most of the carcinogens. Furthermore, if marijuana were legal, users could opt to consume it in tea form, which is totally non-carcinogenic (iii).
Indeed, a reasonable person is hard-pressed to find reasons why marijuana should continue to be classified as a Schedule I drug, since it is demonstrably less addictive than nicotine and causes significantly less harm to the body than alcohol. Despite the proven health risks, these two latter substances remain legal while the former is falsely labeled a dangerous narcotic. However, a growing chorus of respected voices in the medical community is now speaking out in defense of marijuana. The editors of the prestigious British medical journal, Lancet, have stated, "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health...It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat...than alcohol or tobacco" (iv).
The much-maligned miracle of marijuana has been denied for far too long by the U.S. government. For the sake of the suffering, and for the sake of those who choose marijuana as their recreational drug of choice, the time has come for a real reevaluation of U.S. marijuana policy. Rather than the dangerous, community-destroying menace it has been made out to be, marijuana has been proven to be not only safe for human consumption but also beneficial for those who seek to tap its medicinal and recreational usefulness.
Notes:
i) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_marijuana
ii) [http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/science/pierson.bhtml]
iii) http://www.drugtext.org/sub/marmyt1.html
iv) http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3476



Josh Smith is a telecommunications data analyst and aspiring writer. He is a regular contributor to the political debate on [http://www.politipoll.net].