Although the use of medical cannabis is still illegal under federal law, as of 2015, twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized its use. It is used to treat numerous conditions including: chronic pain, muscle spasms, nausea (often from chemo), appetite of those with AIDS/HIV, insomnia, neurological disorders, and glaucoma. The use of cannabis in the medical world is a controversial topic to begin with. The use of it for minors is even more so.
Medical marijuana has been shown to decrease the number of seizures for those who have epilepsy. Many children suffer from pediatric epilepsy, which some forms of do not respond to anti-seizure medication. With conditions causing patients to have one to fifty plus seizures a day,
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Would you stand by and just watch it happen, or would you do everything possible to ease their suffering? Similarly, what if it were you who had a condition that could be treated by the use of medical marijuana? If medical marijuana allowed you to have a higher quality of life, succeed at a career, take care of your family effectively, or improve an illness, would you like to have the choice to take it? How would you feel if you were being refused an option that could dramatically improve your life? That is how it is to the children suffering conditions medical marijuana can help. A child going through chemotherapy could have a chance at having a relatively normal childhood, instead of being in pain and constantly nauseous. If the science alone doesn’t convince you, look at the people out there who already support the idea of pediatric medical marijuana, such as Whoopi Goldberg. Support in the media has continued to grow within recent years as well. Even official organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recognize medical marijuana as a treatment option for children.
All in all, the facts prove that the benefits of using medical marijuana highly outweigh the risks. That being said, medical marijuana should be decriminalized and legalized for the use in treating pediatric patients. The decision if it ought to be used as a treatment should be among doctors, parents, and patients; not the federal