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Juan Escalante
Professor George
1010 D 9:00
Arguing a Position
Medical vs. Recreational use of Marijuana
Twenty-three states and also Washington D.C. have legalized Marijuana for medical use
and out of the twenty-four palaces, four including Washington D.C. legalize Marijuana for
recreational use. But what is Marijuana? Marijuana also known as Cannabis gives out a chemical
called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or also refer as THC which gives out the sensations what
people called as getting high. When people intake Marijuana, they users experiences dry
mouth, red eyes, an increase in appetite, less coordinated, drowsiness, the feeling of well-being,
and anxiety. According to the ADAI 7.3% of Americans aged 12 or older had used marijuana
within the previous 30 days. The average age at first use was 17.9 years (par. 5). Norml.org
reports Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America and has been used by
nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans
have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh
laws against its use (par.1). Marijuana should only be legalized for medical purposes because
Marijuana is still a drug when Marijuana is used it changes a persons state of mind and physical
abilities even though its physically impossible to overdose or die from Marijuana, Marijuana
affects the humans neural system heavily.
Marijuana have been proven to treat serious illness. Glaucoma for example, Glaucoma is
a condition where theres an increase in pressure within the eyeball which causes a lost in
eyesight over time. National Eye Institutes studies in the 1970s showed when marijuana was

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consume, decreased the intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with
glaucoma. Marijuana have been proven to prevent epileptic seizures, according to Robert J.
DeLorenzo, of Virginia Commonwealth University, Robert experimented using epileptic rats by
giving the rats Marijuana extract and synthetic Marijuana. The experiment shows that Marijuana
got rid of the rats seizures for up to ten hours because THC controls seizures by binding to the
brain cells responsible for controlling excitability and regulating relaxation (par.16).
Researchers at California Pacific Medical Center reports CBD may prevent from cancer from
spreading (par.22). Cannabidiol or CBD is the second most active ingredient in Marijuana
unlike THC, it does not produce a psychoactive high. CBD has nonetheless long been known
to have useful anti-spasmodic, anti-epileptic, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic properties
(Canorml). Cannabidiol stops the cancer gene called Id-1 by suppressing the gene. The
researchers studied breast cancer cells in the lab that had high expression levels of Id-1 and
treated them with cannabidiol. After treatment the cells had decreased Id-1 expression and were
less aggressive spreaders (par.24). Also THC can prevent Alzheimer by slowing amyloid
plaques by blocking the enzyme forming in the brain. These plaques are what kill brain cells
and cause Alzheimer's (par.30). according to the 2006 study, published in the journal Molecular
Pharmaceutics. Thats only few example out of many, Marijuana can help a serious illness
medically.
Marijuana is a lot of beneficial factor when its use for good, but like every drugs it has
its negative effects. Marijuana is known to cause panic or anxiety attack to some of the people
who try it. Also marijuana short term effects are lack of coordination which can causes new
havoc on the road when people are driving under the influence of marijuana. Marijuana is the
second substance found in the blood of impaired driver who were involved in a car accident.

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Additionally, the higher the THC concentration, the more likely the driver was to be culpable
(Drug Abuse). Marijuana long term effect are suppression of the immune system, personality
and mood changes, and increase of abnormally structured cells in the body. Increase of
abnormally structured cells in the body found in men is a decrease in testosterone levels and
lower sperm counts for men (par. 23), and for women is an increase in testosterone levels for
women and increased risk of infertility (par. 23) according to the research done at the Answers 4
Families. Marijuana causes addiction; more than 150,000 people enter rehab for a marijuana
addiction each year. Marijuana is considered as the gateway drug because long term users create
than change in the brain to make the person more at risk to be addictive to other drugs. One study
shows someone who tried marijuana are 104 times more likely to try cocaine, compared to those
who havent tried marijuana.
Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. On the Drug Policy
website states 750,000 people were arrested for marijuana law violations in 2012 according to
the Federal Bureau of Investigations annual Uniform Crime Report. States spent an estimated
$3.61 billion enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010 alone (par.6). Prohibiting marijuana
cause a lot more problems than it solves. America had to address the issue of making marijuana
in some way legal, either making marijuana legal for medical or recreational use, but what are
the states laws when marijuana becomes in some way legalized? In the state of Washington
where marijuana is legalized for recreational use allows any person who is twenty one or older to
purchase marijuana up to an ounce from a state-license retail store. Marijuana cannot be
consume in front of the general publics view. It is illegal for a person to take marijuana out of
Washington's state boundaries. Its a Class C felony if a person resell or give way marijuana. In
States where marijuana is legalized for medical use, regulate the plant by first giving the patient

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an ID which prescribed by a doctor. Patient qualify by having a serious illness like cancer, AIDS,
and multiple sclerosis except states like California, Massachusetts, and Maryland where a doctor
can prescribe the drug for any conditions which marijuana provides relief. Patients must renew
their marijuana license annually or biannually. ProCon.org released a study of teen use from the
ten states who legalized medical marijuana between 1999 through 2006. Three states out of ten
states showed an increase the year after the law was passed, among teens between the ages of
twelve to seventeen. All being said the eight of ten states actually showed a decrease in teen use
of marijuana in 2006 than 1999.
One last thing that marijuana is beneficial is the decrease in crime rates. In Colorado
where marijuana is legalized for recreational use found there was a 6.9% decrease in violent
crimes like homicide and assault. As well as an 11.1% decrease in poverty crimes like burglary
and auto theft. Almost half the country have legalized marijuana in some way and nine other
state having pending legislation this year. It is up to us with we want to make marijuana to be
legalized for medical use or recreational used. People are scared of the legalization of marijuana,
but the truth is, legalizing marijuana will open doors for other uses of marijuana. Marijuana can
be used as a new source of paper. Marijuana can produce twice or more fiber than a tree. Hemp
paper will outlive even the best quality wood pulp paper or papyrus paper (par.10). according to
CCGuide.org. Marijuana can use to make furniture, not only marijuana is stronger and more
flexible, but as well as more financially and environmentally beneficial (par.12). Marijuana is
good when its use for good.
Work Cited
Johnston, Joni E. "Operating Under the Influence." Idiot's Guides: Psychology, 5th Edition
Psychology, 5th Edition. 5th ed. Indianapolis: Alpha, 2014. Print.

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Rinehart, Wilda, and Diann Sloan. "Psychotic Disorders." Exam Cram NCLEX-RN. 4th ed.
Indianapolis, Ind.: Pearson Education, 2013. Print
Fennell, Lawrence, and Timothy Crowe. "Implications for Public Action." Crime Prevention
Through Environmental Design. 3rd ed. Butterworth-Heinemann. Print.
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"What Is Marijuana? How Is Marijuana Used? Street Names for Marijuana - Drug-Free World."
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