It is estimated that in 2016 there were approximately 1,246,170 medical marijuana users in 21 (out of the now 30) states where medical marijuana had been legalized. Today, medical marijuana is an extremely controversial topic. As of today there are 30 states that have legalized medical marijuana. Although some states have legalized marijuana, it is still illegal federally. The more we begin to explore medical marijuana, the more uses that we find when used conservatively. Many people argue that marijuana is a “gateway” drug. Many of these people that share this belief of musing marijuana are consistent that its users are lazy hooligans who just smoke to get “high”. Many of these people belief that marijuana is harmful, can be addictive and …show more content…
Ironically, it turns out that there are no deaths reported in history because of marijuana. As we dig deeper into this topic, it has been shown that there are handfuls of different uses for medical marijuana. Medical marijuana should be accessible for everyone because of its proven benefits for patients, the contribution to veterans well-being, and because it alleviates and reduces the symptoms for pregnant women. To begin, medical marijuana has been proven beneficial to many different types of patients. First, marijuana as been proven to reduce seizures drastically. For example, Bailey Sheldon from the Daily Utah Chronicle shares that a five year old girl named Charlotte suffered from Dravet Syndrome, which is a form of epilepsy that causes seizures. Nothing seemed to help when it came to treatment, so Charlotte’s parents had to make the incredibly tough decision to try medical marijuana. After he first couple uses, Charlotte’s parents shared that “She went from having 300 seizures a week to only having them once a week,” (Sheldon). As you can see, medical marijuana has been proven to reduce seizures by a long shot. Second, medical marijuana can be used to help cancer patients. For instance, Sheldon shares that The …show more content…
Fist, many veterans suffer from massive migraines and headaches from TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Medical marijuana can reduce these migraines. For example, Thomas Brennan, author of New York Times, mentioned that medical expert Dr. Frank Ochberg, a psychiatrist and former associate director of the Nation Institute of Mental health, shared that “medical marijuana absolutely belongs in the pharmacy for PTSD and TBI treatment.” The V.A., Dr. Ochberg said, “is failing veterans by not making cannabis a treatment option.” The V.A. has publically supported the evaluation of emerging marijuana research, and they have acknowledged the patients’ benefits (Brennan). Hence, medical marijuana would be the best treatment option for veterans that suffer from PTSD and TBI. Second, numerous veterans have trouble sleeping and some have exclusively frightening nightmares. But with the helping hand of medical marijuana, these tiring nights will fade away. For instance, Thomas Brennan, a former sergeant in the Marine Corps., shares “After a few tokes, I stretched out and fell asleep. I slept 10 hours instead of my usual five or six. I woke up feeling energized and well-rested. I didn’t have nightmares or remember tossing and turning throughout the night, as I usually did. I was, as the comedian Katt Williams puts it, ‘hungry, happy, sleepy.’”