There is no doubt that the opinions of those against and for the legalization of marijuana have grown since the Controlled Substances Act was changed in 1972. In 1972, the Controlled Substances Act stated that marijuana has no accepted medical use. However, thousands of people in the United States of America think otherwise. This is why around fifteen states have already legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. There are many different reasons why medicinal marijuana should be legalized. The main reason is the fact that it has been proven that medicinal marijuana can help those who are sick with certain ailments.

Medical Marijuana Can Help Sick Men and Women

There is no doubt that the medical use of marijuana can help men and women who are sick with specific diseases. For example, medical marijuana can help those who are sick with HIV, AIDS, Cancer, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, and epilepsy. Medical marijuana is often known to help sick men and women who have to deal with pain and nausea. Medical marijuana is also commonly used as a last resort when everything else fails to work. There are many different sick men and women who cannot keep down the nutrients that are needed to fight their specific ailments. These men and women often cannot keep down those nutrients without the use of medical marijuana.

Advantages of Medical Marijuana

There are many different advantages to using medical marijuana. For example, marijuana has the ability to ease the suffering of men and women who are sick. In addition, marijuana has other useful purposes. For example, the THC that is commonly found in marijuana has been found to kill brain tumor cells. Other research shows that the THC found in marijuana can also kill breast tumors, pancreas tumors, and liver tumors. This means that marijuana can prove to be extremely useful for men and women who have cancer. Other men and women also say that the legalization of marijuana could help the economy. If the United States of America legalizes the drug, regulates the drug, and taxes marijuana, there is no doubt that it could potentially lessen the overall federal debt.

The receptors in a person's brain can allow the acceptance of cannabinoids like THC. These receptors are also a large part of the body's receptor system. Having said this it is known that the THC in marijuana can reduce pain and other stressful symptoms of specific diseases. For example, it can reduce symptoms that are commonly associated with chemotherapy regimens.

Health Risk Myths

Although there are some health risks to smoking marijuana, there is no doubt that many of the stated health risks are simple myths. For example, no one has ever overdosed on marijuana. In addition, while others believe that marijuana is addicting, research shows that marijuana is not physically addictive.

Marijuana is a known dangerous drug that is kept illegal alongside other dangerous substances like cocaine, PCP and heroin. To some people, it should remain that way, however, there are some who strongly insist that marijuana should be legalized. This is because they believe that this herb brings no danger to one's self or anyone. There are even groups of individuals pointing out the medical benefits of marijuana, which should not be denied to people. Still, there are some people who believe that marijuana should be further explored before making any actions.

As debates and arguments regarding medical cannabis continues to drag on, more and more researchers are continuing with their tests regarding the use of medical marijuana. Others have even come up with various strains of marijuana, which can help in treating certain illnesses. As more of these tests and researches provide scientific and credible results, more and more medical experts are seeing the potential of medical marijuana. In fact, many states today are supporting the use of it for medicinal purposes.

Indeed, every drug has a risk, including the most common ones that are found inside medicine cabinets. Medical experts and doctors would often balance the risks against the good these medicines would bring. It is now being done with cannabis as well. The truth is many researchers and experts have found out that marijuana has a lot of medical benefits. It can provide relief to ailments that has symptoms of chronic pain like cancer and severe arthritis. Moreover, it is said to provide relief to AIDS wasting syndrome as well as the nausea during chemotherapy sessions.

Science has also proven the risks of marijuana, but these risks are outweighed by the benefits for the risks are very small. According to several research, medical marijuana's side-effects would be the euphoric mood swings, relaxed and/or impaired motor functions as well as increase in appetite. Compared to other medications that may provide the same results as medical marijuana, this herb doesn't have long-term side-effects and has no risks of overdose.

With all the good talk about medical cannabis, doctors would still say that the danger of using cannabis is not gone. The main concern they have is the effect of cannabis smoke. This smoke has more harmful chemicals and tar as compared to a regular cigarette. Though, this is a proven thing, there's no way you can smoke 20 sticks of marijuana per day. Moreover, many gadgets have been introduced in the market today, which vaporizes marijuana instead of smoking it.

Medical Marijuana has been used for healing for thousands of years. In ancient China, India, the Middle East and even America the herb had been identified as having medicinal properties. Even in more modern times Queen Victoria and her personal physician did some groundbreaking work into the medical application of marijuana. The herb had also been in common use in the United States prior to the passing of the Stamp Act in the 1920s and other marijuana laws. Today patients suffering with asthma, A.I.D.S, cancer and many other illnesses extol the virtues of marijuana use.

The History

Marijuana, or Cannabis Sativa as it is known scientifically, is an herb that grows wild in temperate climates. Long before teenagers and counter culture activists were experimenting with cannabis many Asian countries had long since included medicinal marijuana on their list of healing herbs. The earliest documented use of this medicinal weed is among the Chinese. The therapeutic use of medicinal marijuana was documented by Emperor Shen-Nuan in the 28th century B.C. He wrote of its value for treating malaria, constipation, rheumatism, gout and other maladies.

How Is It Used?

Medical weed can be used in a variety of ways. Some medicinal marijuana physicians prepare it as a liquid for drinking. Other health professionals feel pot is more effective when it is eaten. Smoking is another means of getting the healing properties of medical pot into the body of the person who needs healing. Some marijuana doctors crush the weed and use it as an ointment or in a poultice.

Related California Laws

Today California is ground Zero in the battle for marijuana legalization. Since the passage of Prop 215 California residents have set up a series of medicinal marijuana shops. There are also a number of marijuana vending machines in several locations throughout the state. With a California medicinal marijuana card or a cannabis club card California residents can legally obtain medical marijuana from any of the medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. To obtain a card Californians must receive a marijuana evaluation by one of the medical marijuana doctors in the state.

Opening a medical marijuana dispensary is not very difficult in California. This has led to a string medical marijuana evaluation centers where California medical marijuana licenses can be issued. While decriminalization of medical marijuana has been an important step many marijuana activists have vowed to stop at nothing short of making weed legal in California. Large segments of the population are pro medical marijuana. This has made members of the marijuana legalization movement confident they will eventually be successful.

Even with no pun intended it is hard to ignore the thriving business environment surrounding the production and sale of medical marijuana. With MMJ now legalized in 15 states and the District of Columbia, the market is expanding vigorously.

Treating a Variety of Ailments

THC, the active ingredient in marijuana has been shown to effectively treat a number of conditions. It can reduce nausea, insomnia, neurogenic pain and movement disorders and the symptoms of glaucoma. It may be useful in controlling the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, migraines and fibromyalgia. Recent studies have indicated that THC prevents the formation of deposits of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Of course more research is essential in determining which conditions medical marijuana can help, but even this short list is encouraging.

Not Just Smoking

Medical marijuana opponents object strongly to the most common method of ingestion: smoking. However, there are many safer ways to ingest marijuana. Marijuana can be inhaled in a vaporized form and added to food after being processed into hemp oil. Both methods bypass the potential risks involved in any form of smoking.

Who Can Grow It?

One of the challenges of getting medical marijuana is figuring out who is allowed to grow it, and how much they can grow. The states which have legalized marijuana for medical use have implemented standards for whether and how much marijuana an individual is allowed to grow or possess. Things are a bit more complicated for dispensaries.

California allows patients and caregivers to form cooperatives to grow the plants, but much of the product which reaches the market is grown on small "farms" which still operate outside the law.

Recently a large store specializing in information and supplies opened in Sacramento, CA. The store doesn't sell any marijuana, nor any plants. There are some plants on display but they are owned by licensed individuals and will be removed before they bud.

Licensed Dispensaries

Opening a medical marijuana dispensary involves a bit of work. In each of the states where the sale of medical marijuana is legalized the requirements are a bit different. Businesses must apply for a license and provide proof that the storefront is either owned by the business or that the leaser has approved the business. Some states require a safety plan to be drawn up, or request tax documents and so forth.

One of the biggest challenges facing these legal businesses is obtaining the full range of business services, such as merchant accounts for processing credit card sales or bank accounts, since marijuana is only legal on the state level, not at the federal level.

Perhaps the strongest argument that the government will respond to is the potential tax base that medical marijuana will generate. In tough economic times it is hard to turn away any source of much needed income.