The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana

Marijuana is a topic that is highly debated across the U.S. and is legal in very few states for medical reasons. Marijuana is a drug that people smoke to feel more relaxed and to relieve anxiety or stress. According to drugabuse.gov, “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant.” Another fact that this website mentioned was that there are many side effects that most people are not aware of. The facts that are not as well known, however, are the reasons that the use of marijuana being used for medical purposes is so highly debated.

Because weed is a depressant, it can be used to calm down patients and help them relieve stress, anxiety, and to assist in the healing of someone who has been traumatized. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) patients are some of the most common people to be recommended for marijuana licenses because weed has shown to calm down the patient effectively. While PTSD patients don’t always respond in the way intended to marijuana, many patients find that, in recommended doses, weed had been shown to help lower PTSD patients’ anxiety, calm panic attacks, and sometimes even reduce

A doctor from the Stanford University Medical Center said that “‘The average number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) tried before using cannabidiol-enriched cannabis was 12. Sixteen (84%) of the 19 parents reported a reduction in their child's seizure frequency while taking cannabidiol-enriched cannabis. Of these, two (11%) reported complete seizure freedom, eight (42%) reported a greater than 80% reduction in seizure frequency, and six (32%) reported 25-60% seizure reduction. Other beneficial effects included increased alertness, better mood and improved sleep. Side effects included drowsiness and fatigue. Our survey shows that parents are using cannabidiol-enriched cannabis as a treatment for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy.’” On top of this, a medical correspondent for CNN has said that “‘There is now promising research into the use of marijuana that could impact tens of thousands of children and adults, including treatment for cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's, to name a few. With regard to pain alone, marijuana could greatly reduce the demand for narcotics and simultaneously decrease the number of accidental painkiller overdoses, which are the greatest cause of preventable death in this country... Marijuana is a medicine, that should be studied and treated like any other