Matthew Ross Medical Marijuana Part 1 For the topic of my exploratory essay I picked a very controversial topic.

The topic is should medical marijuana be legalized or not legalized? I know from common knowledge that marijuana is a natural plant that has the ability to affect a persons nervous system in which it slows ones reactions down. The reason for people using marijuana is to get the feeling of being high. It makes the user feel happy and relaxed while using the substance. As of right now marijuana is legal in only a couple of states and illegal in them rest of them. Off the top of my head I dont know much about medical marijuana but I do have a lot of questions about it. First off I would like to know the difference between medical marijuana and just the natural marijuana? Are they different if so how are they different? What kind of patients do the doctors prescribe medical marijuana too? What are the conditions of these patients and are there not any other alternative drugs that can be used instead? These are the questions that interest me about medical marijuana. Now Im going to talk about the legal side of the issue. As for legalizing medical marijuana brings a big legal issue to the society as well. Its not just about using the drug for medical use but its about all the effects it brings to the society. Like why is it illegal in the first place? If it is really going to help our society out then why hasnt it been legalized along time ago? In my initial opinion I thought the idea of legalizing medical marijuana is just a way someone was trying to get marijuana legalized. I feel its just a loophole to get one step closer to legalizing marijuana all together. I personally think that if medical marijuana were to be legalized then I think it wouldnt be used for just medical purposes. Its just like any other drug that gives one a head buzz. For an example, people use prescription drugs all the time to get that

Matthew Ross high feeling like painkillers or maybe codeine. People will try anything to get that high feeling, so what would be different about medical marijuana? I feel like if marijuana is illegal it should stay illegal because of the reasons that were used before when it was declared illegal. The medical marijuana issue I feel is bull crap because I feel like there is other alternative drugs that could do the same thing as marijuana. I feel a drug shouldnt be legalized just for medical issues especially if it will bring other problems to the surface. Since this is a very controversial topic it seems there are more reasons to why marijuana is not legalized besides the fact that marijuana has bad side effects on the body.

Matthew Ross Part 2 Both Sides of Medical Marijuana Marijuana aka pot or weed is a hallucinogenic drug, which alters the brains interpretation of sensations. Marijuana comes from a plant called cannabis sativa. The marijuana is actually found in the leaves and flowers of the plant. Marijuanas side affects are mild intoxication, mild sensory, hallucinations, and it makes one feel happy. Marijuana can be smoked like a cigarette or it can be baked in brownies or other foods (Ciccarelli). Sometimes marijuana is smoked through a water pipe called a bong (Marijuana). Most people smoke marijuana for recreational use to get that high feeling. This feeling makes one feel happy and relaxed. There is no difference between medical marijuana and natural marijuana. Its just called medical when a doctors prescribe it to a patient. So what is marijuana and what does it do to the body? Marijuana is a hallucinogenic drug it makes one sluggish or slow. It slows the reaction time down also it makes one hallucinate. When one hallucinates they are in a different world, they dont realize they are hallucinating until its over. While one hallucinates they will do some crazy things that one wouldnt do while in a sober state, like start screaming while sitting on the couch because he or she thinks someone is chasing after him or her. When smoking marijuana it increases the heart rate for about three hours, which increases the risk of a heart attack. (Drug Facts: Marijuana). Many People dont realize that smoking marijuana does have long term side effects such as, addiction, memory loss, and withdraw symptoms (Drug Facts: Marijuana). While some supporters still argue that marijuana doesnt have bad side effects on the body. Well in reality it doesnt have any bad short-term side effects but its the long-term side effects that are bad. For an example it has been proving that smoking marijuana kills brain cells if used over a long period of time. Also when

Matthew Ross considering the side effects of marijuana and comparing that to what the marijuana is doing to help the person with his or her health problems. Then the bad side effects might be worth the health benefits of the marijuana. As for the medical use of marijuana it has been proven that marijuana can help with health problems. Although many have called for the legalization of marijuana to treat conditions including pain and nausea caused by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other conditions, the scientific evidence to date is not sufficient for the marijuana plant to gain FDA approval, for two main reasons (Drug Facts: Marijuana). First off there needs to be hundreds of thousands of clinical studies to clarify that the marijuana benefits out number the risk of the patients health with the certain circumstances they are trying to benefit from marijuana (Drug Facts: Marijuana). Also, to be considered a legitimate medicine, a substance must have well-defined and measureable ingredients that are consistent from one unit (such as a pill or injection) to the next. This consistency allows doctors to determine the dose and frequency (Drug Facts: Marijuana). As for marijuana it is very inconsistent as for the plant has hundreds of chemicals that can vary from plant to plant. There is no way to be consist with the amount a doctor can prescribe because each plant is different (Drug Facts: Marijuana). However if marijuana were legalized for medical use then how can anyone know it wouldnt be used for recreational use as well. Its reasons like these that are making the decision questionable about whether its worth legalizing marijuana for medical use. Since marijuana is illegal as of right now its making it so much easier to control marijuana use as opposed to when legalizing it and then the government has no control over it. This is because it allows easier access to everyone. If people could grow it in their back yard then its uncontrollable to know how much they are growing and if they are selling it.

Matthew Ross From the view of the economic standpoint it seems that legalizing marijuana would help the economy. Taxing marijuana would definitely bring in a lot of money that we didnt have before. These profits are very large and can help with the money issues in the economy today. However theres always people who are going to try and go around the tax laws in which could hurt the profit. Marijuana is a very controversial topic in which everyone has his or her own opinion on legalizing marijuana. There are pros and cons to both sides of the topic. It just comes down to which side is going work better in our society and benefit us the most.

Matthew Ross Part 3 Medical Marijuana Should Not Be legalized. I feel like legalizing medical marijuana is a terrible idea; I feel that legalizing medical marijuana will do more harm then good. This is because the side effects it has on the body of the user, the issue of legalizing marijuana all together, and allowing easier access to the drug. First off if medical marijuana were to be legalized then the key question is what will the medical marijuana be used for? Will it be used for medical purposes like its supposed to be used for or other uses such as recreational use? Its issues like these that make me question is medical marijuana worth legalizing if it will be used in other ways that its not suppose to be used for. In my opinion I think that medical marijuana should not be legalized because I believe it will find its way to the public and it will be used for recreational use. Its just like any other prescription drug, people will find a way to get their hands on the drug so they can get that high feeling. Which brings me too my second reason for why medical marijuana should not be legalized. If medical marijuana were to be legalized then the medical marijuana would be uncontrollable because people would grow it themselves and maybe sell it. Then everyone would have easier access to the drug, which could cause more problems. Such as illegal recreational use, selling of illegal substance, and any other issues that come along with using marijuana. Another reason why I medical marijuana shouldnt be legalized is because I feel it is just another angle of trying to legalize marijuana all together, I think marijuana supporters are using medical marijuana as a stepping-stone to try to legalize marijuana all together. I feel like medical marijuana is just a loophole to legalize marijuana. Medical marijuana is the same drug as natural marijuana its just called medical marijuana because its being prescribe by a doctor. So therefore its the same drug and shouldnt be legalized.

Matthew Ross

Finally my last reason for why I think medical marijuana shouldnt be legalized is because the effects it has on the body. When smoking marijuana it increases the heart rate for about three hours, which increases the risk of a heart attack. (Drug Facts: Marijuana). Many People dont realize that smoking marijuana does have long term side effects such as, addiction, memory loss, and withdraw symptoms (Drug Facts: Marijuana). Another long-term side effect is the killing of brain cells if marijuana is used over a long period of time. From the bad side effects, to allowing easier access, and the issue of legalizing marijuana all together I feel like there is more cons then pros to legalizing medical marijuana.

Matthew Ross Work Cited Ciccarelli, Saundra K., and J. N. White. Psychology. third edition ed. N.p.: Prentice Hall, 2012. 158-59. Print. "Drug Facts: Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse. N.p., Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. "Marijuana." NIDA for Teens. N.p., Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.