Essay on "Nursing and the Law"

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Benefits of Medical Marijuana

Marijuana was used for a variety of medical purposes until the 1940's to include: it helps increase appetite, relieve pain, to treat asthma and migraine headaches. Since that time, there has been a consistent effort within the U.S. government itself to curb usage. Where, billions of dollars were spent highlighting the dangers and arresting / prosecuting those who are using or selling the drug. (General, 2007) Yet, the overall number of people using marijuana has continued to remain the same. A good example of this can be seen in the total number of people who are using the drug regularly. Where, there are currently 3.1 million people using medical marijuana daily. (General, 2007) Because such a large amount of the population is continuing to use the drug, has helped fuel many of the arguments that proponent of medical marijuana will make to include: it has been proven to treat numerous diseases / ailments. One of the biggest reasons why medical marijuana has been decriminalized in many states is: because of the overwhelming evidence of the various disease and ailments that it has been known to treat. To include: nausea / vomiting (a common ailment for chemotherapy), appetite loss and reduce stress / pain. Together, these different ailments are common in conditions such as: cancer, depression, HIV / AIDS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Then, when you combine this with the fact that marijuana has been used to treat ailments through out the centuries and it is not addictive, has meant that there is increased pressure to decriminalize medical marijuana. (Morrow, 2004) as a result, many doctors have begun prescribing marijuana to treat a number of different conditions. With, Dr. Donald Abrams a cancer specialist at San Francisco General Hospital saying, "Every day I see people with nausea secondary to chemotherapy, depression, trouble sleeping and pain. I can recommend one drug [marijuana] for all those things, as opposed to writing five different prescriptions." (Foreman, 2009) What this shows, is how the medical community has found that marijuana can be used to treat a number of different conditions. Because it is less addictive, means that the overall amounts of pain and suffering are less.

Drawbacks of Medical Marijuana

While proponents make a compelling argument about the true benefits of medical marijuana, the opponents have their own view points the most notable would include: it can have a number of negative effects on your health. Marijuana is a drug, which changes the chemical balance within the brain. When this takes place, it means that there are going to be a number of negative side effects from its use… READ MORE