To what extent is the legalization or prohibition of marijuana, harmful or beneficial to the society and the government, is a question that various interest groups are trying to address from multiple perspectives. It is important to analyze the pros and cons of marijuana use/abuse, in order to derive to a suitable conclusion.
Marijuana use from a medical perspective
Cannabis, commonly referred to as marijuana is a plant that has psychoactive properties as well as medicinal benefits. The main constituent responsible for its effect is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is classified as a Schedule I substance and according to the Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I substances are those which do not have an accepted medicinal use in treatment (Cannabis (drug)). In the paper - Medical marijuana laws in 50 states, the author states that physicians authorize/prescribe marijuana for alleviation of nausea, vomiting from chemotherapy, wasting in AIDS patients and chronic pain unresponsive to opioids. In my point of few, the indications that the author puts forth or more importantly, a physician authorizing marijuana use for pain or nausea, does not seem serious or life
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Dependence, or in strict terms, addiction, is definitely one of the prime factors why this drug is said to be a gateway drug for other lethal drugs. Legalizing marijuana for medicinal purpose would also have a side effect of euphoria or ‘high’, as it is commonly called. This is inherent because of its ability to pass the blood brain barrier and cause a psychotic effect. Therefore, will the patients use drug only for treatment or misuse it for pleasure? One of the classic examples of drug misuse is the case of sildenafil citrate or Viagra, a serendipitous discovery where clinical trial male patients stole the drug (initially intended to study hypertension and angina), when they had a side effect resulting in marked penile