Marijuana is а substance with many well-documented beneficial, medicinal properties, including analgesia, muscle relaxation, bronchodilation, appetite stimulation, and sleep induction, among others. 1-11 Marijuana has remarkably low toxicity and lethal doses in humans have not been described. This is in stark contrast to а number of commonly prescribed medications used for similar purposes, including opiates, anti-emetics, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants, not to mention legal substances used recreationally, including tobacco and alcohol.
Arguably, marijuana is neither а miracle compound nor the answer to everyone’s ills. Yet it is not а compound that deserves the tremendous legal and societal commotion that has occurred over it. (Simons et. all 255-74) With regard to the medicinal use of marijuana, our legal system should take а similar approach, using science and logic as the basis of policy-making, rather than political views and societal trends that are more reflective of the ongoing debate over any potential harmful effects of recreational marijuana use.
The argument for decriminalization of marijuana was boosted in1938 by LaGuardia report in New York which stated that marijuana was not а neuro-toxin, showing it to be less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. Anti-legalisation activists would counter this by arguing that allowing teenagers to freely smoke marijuana would lead to an increase in consumption and an increase in the consumption of other drugs. (Hawe & Shiell 871-85) However this is not the case. According to the US Institute of Medicine, marijuana is not addictive and is not а gateway drug.
The US Department of Health also backs this up saying in 1995 “Most marijuana users do not go on to use other drugs. ” Since marijuana is not а toxin, it does not have а fatal dose; indeed it has been estimated the user would have to smoke 100 pounds of marijuana а minute for fifteen minutes to induce а lethal response. (Ogborne et. all 435-43) Discussion The medical argument for the decriminalisation or legalisation of marijuana is one that is becoming stronger and more difficult to criticise.
It is well documented now that smoking marijuana for а sustained period in moderate doses is found to have no detrimental effects; indeed this was the conclusion of The Wooten Report in the UK in 1968. Since then tests have revealed that the Cannabis plant can be used to treat а number of medical conditions, including Multiple Scleroses , glaucoma, alcoholism, asthma and even Aids, indeed one of the chemicals in marijuana; THC, is widely prescribed in the US under the name of Marinol. (Belle-Isle & Hathaway 5000-506)
Those familiar with the arguments in favour will also be aware of the work of Dr Gabriel Nahas, an anti-legalisation campaigner, who describes medical marijuana use as ‘а fraud’. His studies in to the effect of high doses of marijuana on the immune system found that cell structures were disrupted and the animals developed infertility problems and brain damage. According to The Legalise Cannabis alliance though; “the scientific community reject the claims. In the case of the animals, they all returned to normal after 30 days. ” (Grinspoon 3-15)