What are the Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana?

Leonardo

Medical MarijuanaQuestion: What are the Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana?

The debate over medical marijuana is festering and coming to a head. Fourteen U.S. states have active medical marijuana laws but the federal government still classifies it as a Class I controlled substance, which is illegal to possess. With strong supporters on each side of the debate and a new administration, the arguments for and against the legalization or marijuana are hot topics.

What are the debated pros and cons of medical marijuana?

Answer:

Pros of Medical Marijuana

The legalization of marijuana for medical reasons is viewed favorably by many Americans, including members of the medial community and congress. Some of the pros to medical marijuana that they argue:

     

  • Marijuana is effective at relieving nausea and vomiting, especially caused by chemotherapy used to treat cancer.
  • Marijuana can relieve spasticity of the muscles that is sometimes associated with multiple sclerosis and paralysis.

     

  • Marijuana can help treat appetite loss associated with HIV/AIDS and certain types of cancers.
  • Marijuana can relieve certain types of pain.
  • Marijuana is safe, safer in fact than most other prescribed medications to treat the same symptoms.
  • Studies show that smoking marijuana alone (without the concurrent use of tobacco) does not increase the risk of lung diseases.
  • Marijuana has been used for centuries as a medicinal agent with good effect.

 

Cons of Medical Marijuana

 

For every person who is for legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, there is another who argues against it. Some of the arguments from the opposition include:

     

  • Frequent marijuana use can seriously affect your short-term memory.
  • Frequent use can impair your cognitive ability.
  • Smoking anything, whether it's tobacco or marijuana, can seriously damage your lung tissue.
  • Not enough evidence supports marijuana as an effective pain relieving agent.

     

  • Marijuana carries a risk of abuse and addiction.
  • Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds.
  • Smoked marijuana has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents.

Unfortunately, clinical trials to evaluate of the effectiveness of marijuana to treat certain conditions have been restrictive and limited. Until marijuana is downgraded from a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), widespread clinical trials are unlikely to happen. If we really want a conclusive answer whether marijuana is valuable for symptom management, it needs to be evaluated using the same standards as other medications.

 

Source:

ProCon.org.

 

Source: About.com

Replies to this Topic

Konstantin

Personally I for marihuana use in the medical purposes, but!!! with strict observance of rules of appointment and sales. A problem at all in not medical ethics, but in knowledge of history and cultural traditions. Marihuana, in the same way, as well as many other things supplementing (complementing) means: mushrooms (fly agarics), a henbane (datura), conium, aconítum etc. plants it was long time used in alternative medicine and first of all, at treatment of a cancer pain and reduction of weight of sufferings. This tradition of hundred, if not thousand years. For this reason there is no sense to refuse that has been checked up by time. The same alcohol as "the legal drug", has not less negative consequences, but in force to dominating social traditions is not forbidden. In the relation marihuana, as well as of some other complementing means of medical appointment clinical tests are necessary. And also it is necessary to make at legislative level accurate definition complementary (and integrative medicine) and to define those means which efficiency is proved also which can be used everywhere in palliative and complementary purposes.

Unfortunately substantially it is defined by level of civil culture of a society which not everywhere is identical...

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