Essay - Legalization of Marijuana the Purpose of This Paper is to...

Legalization of Marijuana

The purpose ***** this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of the legalization of marijuana. Specifically, it will contain an argumentative essay stating why mariju*****a should be legalized only for medicinal purposes.

The debate over medicinal marijuana usage and legality is a controversi*****l one. Many experts argue ***** drug costs society too much money in terms of law en*****cement and incarceration costs when the monies could be better spent in other ***** enforcement areas. A large majority of the American people does believe marijuana should be decriminalized for medical usage. In 2001, 34 percent of adult *****s believed marijuana should be legal, at least in small amounts, the largest percentage since 1969, and up to 70 percent of adults approved ***** using medicinal marijuana ***** certain ailments (Cauchon 01A). However, several questions regarding medicinal ***** ***** that must be addressed.

First, is marijuana a s*****fe and effective medicine? Proponents maintain marijuana has been used medicinally for thousands of years and ***** a variety ***** uses. They claim that it ***** safe, no one has ever "died of an overdose," ***** that it is safe, effective, and helpful in a variety of serious ailments, from multiple sclerosis to cancer ***** AIDS. In fact, even the Drug Enforcement Adm*****istration's (DEA) chief administrative law judge maintains ***** ***** ***** decriminalize marijuana partly because of its medicinal benefits ("Briefing Paper"). Clearly, a variety of ***** agrees that ***** has numerous medicinal benefits, and can help a wide variety of patients.

Second, are other drugs available that are as effective? While there may be other drugs available ***** ***** aid in some of the medicinal uses marijuana is currently ***** for, ***** seems to have more medical uses than many other drugs. Some studies have shown that marijuana is more effective in treating some cancer patients because they cannot tolerate the ***** drugs *****, while *****y are able to *****lerate marijuana. One doctor notes,

It's true that ***** ***** are available for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, but he and other advocates contend that some patients can't take those drugs -- or any drug, including Marinol, ***** must be swallowed. In such cases, unrelenting vomiting ***** lead patients to drop out of a potentially lifesaving chemotherapy regimen (Fackelmann).

Therefore, there may be other drugs capable ***** treating the debilitating affects of illnesses ***** as *****, but many of *****se ***** have harsh symptoms of their own, and many patients find they get more relief ***** marijuana, and can tolerate its ***** much more e*****ily.

Third, should the FDA approval process be circumvented with leg*****lation? Having the FDA approve medicinal ***** is simply another stepping stone in the process, and it ***** be ***** w*****h legislation because ***** have already been numerous studies as to the benef***** of medical marijuana that can be used ***** illustrate the importance of *****ization. Patients who use marijuana medicinally show improvement over those who do not in ***** areas, and these *****, along with studies