Should marijuana be legal for medicinal purposes?

Question

I had a friend who lived with terminal cancer for 2 years.

The last 4 months of her life she wouldn't have eaten anything without marijuana.

As it helped to curb her nausea so she could hold food down.

Can we agree on this aspect of legalizing marijuana use for medical purposes?
Prescribed by a doctor?

Answer 1

Interesting. Every benefit of "medical" marijuana is available through other legal prescription.

Why do you advocate making harmful drugs legal?

Answer 2

Yes, it should be legalized for medicinal purposes, and I'm very glad your friend was able to make use of it. I have a health condition that falls under the guidelines and I used to live in a state where my doctor could prescribe it for me. I was a little wary, hadn't smoked pot since college, but I was desperate. It made my life once again seem liveable. I was able to substantially decrease the amount of pain pills the doctors had me addicted to for years. That was a blessing worth just about anything to me. Now I live in a state where I cannot receive it and it has been a struggle ever since. It has wonderful properties for certain illnesses and diseases and it's a tragedy that this country can't get over it's crusade against all drugs long enough to recognize that marijuana can be safely administered by doctors and provide many benefits.

I know how you feel about your friend. My aunt has cancer and part of the gutshot about chemo is that it takes away your appetite just when you need your strength the most. In turn, because you can't eat, your body's immune system loses even more strength. It's beyond sad to watch. Out of desperation I have offered to find my aunt marijuana, but she will not accept it unless it is legal. I respect her for that, and I know I shouldn't have offered, but I love her too much to watch her waste away faster than she needs to. Sorry to go on so long, this subject is a sore spot with me.

One more interesting side note. When I got off the regular regimen of my high profile pain meds I went through some awful withdrawal. When I moved and had to give up the medicinal marijuana I had no withdrawal effects at all. Doesn't that say something in itself? I still get the pain meds, but I only take them when I can't stand it anymore, and that isn't very often. I refuse to become addicted to them again.

Answer 3

well why just stop there,,,

why not legalize/decriminalize for personal use ???

why not give permits to grow up to 3 plants per house hold ???

why not let states Have the states rights with out interference from the federal government , so people that have dispensaries don't have to live in fear of the feds kicking in the door and placing them under arrest for what there state say they can legally do??

why not use common sense instead of paranoia and propaganda,

There's more money in keeping it illegal than there is in legalizing it

Heart and troll,
You implying that marijuana is a harmful drug is about as valid as saying cigarettes are not addictive, the war in Iraq is a beaming success, President bush never told a lie, alcohol is not addictive, and so on,

as far as the prescribed meds, well as soon as you convince the drug companies to reduce the prices that they charge well then it will give you point a little more validity, but until i can buy the medication needed to cure the nausea and appetite problems that kemo causes for 80$ a month, or grow them in a closet in my home for free, I wont be advising anyone with those HORRIBLE side effects to not smoke up,

its truly amazing to me that people who were once law abiding citizens become people that just want to get high once they are diagnosed with what ever,

Answer 4

Yes I believe it should be. I live with chronic pain due to a Dr.'s slip-up and do take alot of meds for pain,sleeping..If I were to smoke some marijuana I would not need pills to sleep and I'm sure it would cut down on some of my narcotic drugs. I know it helps cancer patients alot too with the munchie factor side of so yes, our government should legalize it for medicinal purposes, good luck on the paper!

Answer 5

Yes I believe all states need to legalize cannabis for medical purposes. I have included a web link that tells of the the uses of cannabis for medicinal purposes. And anyone who does not agree with this has not personally watched a loved one suffer from an incurable disease and watch them suffer needlessly. But yet they are ok with other pain medications that have far more adverse side effects than cannabis.

I believe that if this will improve the quality of life of a patient and it reduces suffering then they should be allowed to use cannabis as a form of medical treatment.

I suffer from a rare incurable disease and I haven't even thought about asking the doctors if this would be a possibility to help with the pain I am in on a daily basis. Thanks for your posting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_Cannabis

Answer 6

Honestly, I don't see the issue. Forms of cocaine, under direct supervision and at low concentrations, are used extensively in health care as it relieves pain, constricts veins to reduce bleeding, and increases the heartbeat without many of the side-effects of other medicines. Morphine, derived from opium, is used frequently in surgery for its pain relieving properties as are variations of many other controlled substances.
These drugs are kept out of public use because they are so strong and can have such strong side effects including addiction. In a hospital, the medicines are administered by staff who know how to handle a poor reaction. From what I have read it is nigh impossible to overdose on marijuana alone, so many of the safety concerns governing the strict control of other medicines are pointless.
I think the public's main issue with using marijuana as a medicine is the method of delivery. In a joint form it is visually identical to the illegal use and has the same issues present in cigarettes (ex. secondhand smoke). If it could be made more precise or could be used (marketed) in a way that visually separates it from recreational drug use, I think a lot of the opposition from the more conservative side would disappear.

Answer 7

I would agree with legalizing marijuana anyway,
tho particularly with its proven medicinal purposes...

Do you know why Marijuana was Illegalized in the first place?... its a very long story but i shall sum it up,

Well a while back, when there was no Drug Program for the U.S. lived a man who desperately wanted to help the problem in the U.S. with Cocaine, Heroin, Opium, etc.

however, he had a bit of trouble trying to launch his new Drug branch for the United States... coke, smack were'nt really major national problems.... (crack didnt exist either)

HOWEVER there was one "drug" that was VERY popular amoungst the population, called jive, reefer, or Marijuana

so... (since there was no research and no information) in an attempt to get the US's butt in gear in the war against drugs, he made up a bunch of lies about marijuana...

Reefer Madness was used to inspire public fear... they characterized it like shooting cocaine, and since the US was still in a very very racist period and since the grass was coming mainly from black jazz musicians and immigrants.... people were ready to believe anything that was thrown in front of them....


in all

marijuana has been proven

NOT to cuase brain damage (alters brain cell structure which eventually {not long at all} revert to normal structure,

TO prevent alchimers

TO improve moral and mood, help Cancer patients

NOT to cause lung or throat cancer,

*the only problem i have noticed that marijuana can arise are throat lesions after excessive smoking*

compared to alchohol, this is nothing (more than a small glass of wine a day causes holes in the brain and memory problems)

and if you are afraid of lung damage, you can solve that problem with a vaporizer....

anyhoo, after all the B.S. associated with marijuana was exposed... the U.S. still had problems legalizing it,

many still have distorted views on the drug,

all mass marijuana farms are grown and managed by types that the U.S. gverment does not want to get involved with,

***************************
now that it has been legalized medicinally in states such as California and Colorado, there are major taxes on the plant....

not to mention all that is being sold is fairly poor in price and potency,

educate yourself..!

Answer 8

Of course. If it has a therapeutic use, if there are medical benefits, it should be legal...either with or without a prescription, subject to reasonable considerations.

Marijuana is legal in Canada and in other countries, if prescribed. Doctors do not prescribe marijuana for recreational use any more than they prescribe Valium for recreational use.

Answer 9

Not only should marijuana be used medically, it should be treated the same as alcohol. Responsible adults can and should make the choice to use or not for themselves. Alcohol is WAY more harmful to the body, mind and society itself. I have personal experience. My mother is functioning alcoholic. Her body is deteriorating, her personal relationships are failing, she repeats the same things over and over, she has bottles hidden even from herself, and she even tried to physically harm me when I was 7 months pregnant. She would never do that to me sober. I can't even trust her alone with her own grandson. Alcohol is a slow poison changing your entire being, until you die horribly. Marijuana just makes you feel better, gives you the munchies, makes music sound 10x better, and gives you a funny, fuzzy tickle in your brain. IT DOES NOT KILL. If anything should be illegal it should be alcohol. Furthermore, I firmly believe it helps terminal patients process what is happening to them and accept it gently, without fear. Since when do doctors need to prescribe naturally occurring plants in their natural form to us. What's next prescriptions for fruits and vegetables?

Answer 10

Ours is a very cruel and evil society. Politicians would lose votes if they did something sensible like legalize marijuana for suffering and dying people. It is far easier to grandstand against drugs and perpetuate the mythology that the war on drugs is worthwhile and that it is working--it appeals to the fear of the masses. Fortunately a lot of people are going to get cancer and will suffer for their stupidity. Its the world they are making for themselves, let them suffer in it.