The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is the most commonly used drug in the world. It is also a drug that is often misinterpreted by the public. Many people believe marijuana is a dangerous drug with only one purpose: destruction, when in fact, the complete opposite is true, especially in the medical field today. The United States of America was first introduced to the term “marijuana” during the Mexican Revolution when an influx of immigrants entered Texas and Louisiana. During this time, the media falsely represented Mexican immigrants and blamed their “disruptiveness” on marijuana. In 1937, the government passed the Marijuana Tax Act banning the use and sale of marijuana (Burnett). Recently there has been an increased interest in marijuana.

HIV, when left untreated, leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV kills a defense cell known as a CD4 helper lymphocyte. The purpose of these lymphocytes is to defend the immune system which fights infections. When these lymphocytes are destroyed, the immune system is weaker and people can get serious infections more easily. Once a patient’s CD4 cell levels drop extremely low, it is known as AIDS. With such a weak immune system, patients with AIDS are more likely to get rare infections and cancers. Although there are not medicines to cure HIV or AIDS, medical marijuana can be used to slow to process. In the journal article “Cannabis Use in HIV,” a study was performed on 500+ patients living with HIV and AIDS. This study investigated how medical marijuana helps with pain and symptom management. Many patients said medical marijuana helped relieve their muscle pains, nausea, and nerve pains. Up to one-third of the study’s patients said using medical marijuana helped with their poor appetite and restoring weight loss (Woolridge). Bailey Rahn, a writer for the largest cannabis website in the world: Leafly, interviewed HIV patients who use medical marijuana to gain first-hand knowledge of its effects. Daniel J. Kane tells Rahn about the side effects of the traditional legal option for helping relieve HIV and AIDS symptoms. He states, “I suffered severe nausea, chronic exhaustion, physical weakness, neurological complications, persistent anxiety and a total loss of appetite.” These are common reactions to HIV/AIDS medications, which tends to deter patients from continuing treatment. However, patients taking these medications along with medical marijuana are 3.3 times more likely to continue their treatment. Another interviewee, Keith Vines, stated, “I found that it took only two or three puffs from a marijuana cigarette for my appetite to return. Moreover, the