Legalization Of Marijuanna Essay
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The Legalization of Marijuana
Marijuana is a drug that comes from a variety of common hemp known as cannabis indica. The much more potent hashish is also derived from the plant cannabis indica. What is sold on the street as marijuana, hemp, weed, pot, or bud are the dried leaves and the flowering tops of the plant. The primary psychoactive component in marijuana is the trans-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. By 1937, marijuana had become illegal in 46 states. Penalties for its use were similar to those for morphine, heroin, and cocaine. The attitude toward marijuana was so negative that it was wrongly classified as a narcotic and a schedule I drug. However, much of the public's thinking changed as marijuana began to be perceived, especially by the young, as a relatively harmless substance whose adverse effects had been greatly exaggerated. Unfortunately, that thinking never influenced the law enforcement agencies, which continued to consider marijuana as dangerous as other illicit substances.
One of the most controversial topics in the United States is the legalization of marijuana. Many people who argue for the legalization of marijuana say that it should be available by prescription for disorders that can not be treated effectively with existing medications. Others feel that purchasing marijuana should be as easy as purchasing a pack of cigarettes. There are many benefits that could be derived from the legalization of marijuana in the United States.
There are many medicinal purposes of marijuana. "In 1988, the DEA's own administrative law judge concluded that 'Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man'" (Sony 14). The government allows only twelve Americans the prescription of marijuana. Serious illnesses such as: glaucoma, the AIDS wasting syndrome, muscle spasms of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia, and paraplegia have been successfully treated with marijuana. The symptoms of chemotherapy which are nausea and vomiting are also treated well with marijuana. Marijuana has also been useful in treating migraines, menstrual cramps, and toothaches. Thirty six states have passed legislation allowing medical marijuana, but none of these treatment programs can be put into effect until the federal law is changed (NORML 2). Ronald Shaw, who suffers from Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS), is one of the few Americans with FDA approval to smoke marijuana, but he has been waiting for more than a year for FDA to deliver his legal supplies of medical marijuana (Shaw 2). When Linda, Shaw's wife, was asked about her husband using marijuana to treat his illness she replied, "You can see the difference marijuana makes. It reduces his muscle cramps and let him get out of bed. And marijuana doesn't leave him doped up like those terrible narcotics he's forced to take. His doctor can prescribe morphine, but not marijuana, that's insane" (Shaw 3). Ron Shaw purchases about an ounce of illegal marijuana every week if he has the money.
It has been recently discovered how the psychoactive chemical in marijuana works on the brain. The discovery of a THC receptor site in the brain may be viewed as the event that will one day lead to the legalization of marijuana. The dominate fear about marijuana in the 20th century has been that its effects were some how similar to the dangerously addictive effects of opiates such as morphine and heroin. This concern has remained the basis for federal law and policies regarding the use and study of marijuana. Until the 1980's technological limitation obstructed scientific understanding of how the active ingredient in marijuana actually affects brain functions. The discovery of THC receptor sites and the subsequent research and observation it has inspired refuted the idea that marijuana is dope (Gettman 29).
The neurotransmitter dopamine is involved in many important brain functions which affect human behavior. Drugs such as heroin and cocaine, interfere with the brains use of dopamine in manners that can seriously alter an individuals behavior. Over the last ten years research has proved that marijuana has no effect on dopamine brain systems (Gettman 27).
Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli researcher who first isolated the structure of THC asked the question, "Why do we have cannabinoid receptors" (Gettman 27)? He also observed that...
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