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Debate about legalizing marijuana
Debates on legalizing marijuana
Debates on legalizing marijuana
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The State of Medical Marijuana in Arizona
Medicinal marijuana use continues to be a widely debated topic throughout America which has divided America’s professional and moral opinions on the matter. It has been proven to offer many benefits to patients who use it; however there are also side effects and civil obligations which need to be considered, as with any drug used for medication.
States continue to weigh in on the possibility of decriminalization and even recreational legalization. Currently, the District of Columbia and twenty states have laws in place that have legalized marijuana in some form. New states continue to chime in daily about their intent to change their own current legislation. Additionally, leaders are now discussing how to exonerate those who currently sit in U.S. prisons for cannabis related charges.
Medical Marijuana
In states where medical marijuana is legal, card holders are given their permits if they suffer from any of a large variety of health issues. There are two types of Qualified Patients that can receive a Medical Marijuana Card, Adult Pati...
Legalization of Marijuana has quickly become a controversial issue in America. In the United States, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is spreading to the state level. For example, in November 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons. As a result of Proposition 215 in California, patients now smoke marijuana provided their physician recommends its usage. A prescription is not required, and marijuana continues to be illegal to prescribe. The Clinton administration responded that it “would not recognize these decisions, and would prosecute physicians who recommend or provide marijuana to their patients.” Although California and Arizona are the only two states to have already passed laws regulating marijuana usage, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have laws and resolutions regarding marijuana usage. These laws and resolutions range from establishing therapeutic research programs, to allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana, to asking the federal government to lift the ban. Despite the states’ desires to have marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes, the US National Institutes of Health examined all existing clinical evidence about smoked marijuana and concluded that, “There is no scientifically sound evidence that smoked marijuana is medically superior to currently available therapies.”
Also known as California Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 made headlines around the country as the first law ever to change the legality of medical marijuana for public consumption statewide. Originating in San Francisco, it was passed by 55.6% of California voters on November 5, 1996 (Human Rights and the Drug War). The ideology behind passing Prop. 215 is that marijuana contains a number of legitimate medical uses and should be made available to those who would benefit from it. The text of the proposed law states that “seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate” (NORML, 2009). All patients possessing a reasonable amount of marijuana are protected and may use it at any time as long as it is done privately. However, before patients can begin using marijuana they must seek approval from a physician who are also protected under the law and cannot be persecuted for issuing a recommendation. The authors also realized there would need to be a safe and reliable source to obtain marijuana and intended Prop. 215 to encourage both “the federal and state governments to implement a plan to provide for the safe and affordable distribution of marijuana” (NORML). In addition to purchasing it, Prop. 215 also allows patients to cultivate their own plants but strictly for personal use only. Any evidence of distributing marijuana or growing more plants than needed for personal use carries a high risk of prosecution.
In order to lower our incarceration rates and move towards a country that the average American can call free there needs to be a federal change in marijuana laws. Today’s younger (and sometimes older) culture and society uses marijuana. A step in the right direction is decriminalization of marijuana, and possibly legalization.
Medical marijuana is becoming increasingly popular with patient with chronic pain, cancer, HIV patients, and patients with epilepsy. Patients who use medical marijuana are able to use many different forms of
According to this article, more than 20 states have already legalized medical marijuana. It also points out that some experts have been changing their minds on this issue and believe that the medical marijuana should be legal. In addition, new laws could help researchers study the medicinal uses of the drug and better understand how medical cannabis impacts the body.
"State Medical Marijuana Laws." Legislative News, Studies and Analysis. National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014. Web. Apr. 2014. .
There are two laws in California, which permits the use of marijuana for medicinal reasons. The first one is Proposition 215-The Compassionate Use Act th...
Simoni-Wastila, Linda, and Francis B. Palumbo. "Medical Marijuana Legislation: What We Know-- And Don't." Journal Of Health Care Law & Policy 16.1 (2013): 59-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
The debate on Medical marijuana has been a controversial subject mainly because people have an abundance of opinions and very little scientific research to back up either side of the debate. The most important question here is “will medical marijuana be used for medical purposes or will it be used inappropriately?”
Despite the 1976 ruling by the federal government that marijuana has “no acceptable medical use”, sixteen states have passed medical marijuana laws that allow for patient use o...
Pierce, A. (2014, March 17). Medical marijuana Archives - The Stoner's Journal. The Stoners Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from http://www.stonersjournal.com/tag/medical-marijuana/
In 1996 ,the state of California passed a ballot that allowed doctors to use medical marijuana for different health cases and not get penalized for doing so. Other states such as Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington also allowed the use marijuana. Several medical organizations support the use of medical marijuana and even endorse it, but Congress has passed “a resolution condemning the medical use of marijuana and because federal law still outlaws marijuana use,” ( McFarling p.2). As a result of Congress’s actions , the few physicians that are allowed to use medical marijuana are very hesitant to prescribe marijuana to their patients.
Right now in this country (and many other countries for that matter) we are experiencing a transitional period that is dependent on legislation, legislation that is bound to reinforce or oppress marijuana legalization. It’s not every day that states have policy that conflicts with federal laws and everyone seems to have an opinion. There are many options on the table for law makers. We could see the federal government enforce their current marijuana laws by cracking down and increase their raids on dispensaries, or they could make marijuana a higher priority with agencies from the DEA to local law enforcement. Another option is to loosen up on what some would deem a “futile” war on drugs; the end result would be each individual state deciding if medicinal marijuana would be ideal for their state. Last but not least there is the route that the states Colorado and Washington took which is to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Every option has their pros and cons. However I believe the option where the pros most heavily outweigh the cons is legalizing recreational use.
Shohov, T. (2003). Medical use of marijuana: Policy, regulatory, and legal issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Marijuana has been a problem since the early 1900s and continues to create problems. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics created a law which prohibited marijuana use in 1937 (Reinarman 128). Twenty years later, THC was discovered to be the main psychoactive component in marijuana causing its negative side effects (Reinarman 129). Almost seventy-five years later, the United States is still battling the problem with illegal marijuana use. Although scientists discovered the negative effects fifty years ago, the information has gone practically unnoticed and the amount of users continues to increase. Approximately half of the United States population has used marijuana at one point (Reinarman 129). Instead of outlawing marijuan...