Medical Marijuana: Good or Bad?

On April 14, 2011, I read an article in the New York Times that read Pat Robertson Questions Prison for Pot Convictions. (Shear) The article had caught my eye because of who Pat Robertson is and how you wouldn’t think he would be for the legalization of Marijuana. I would have to agree with what Pat goes on to say and how I feel a lot of it makes sense. â€Å"I’m not exactly for the use of drugs, don’t get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kind of thing, it’s just, it’s costing us a fortune and it’s ruining young people,† Mr. Robertson said. Young people go into prisons; they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That’s not a good thing. † That is what Pat Robertson, the televangelist who once ran for president, said on his show â€Å"The 700 Club† while mentioning how thought marijuana being legalized can be a good thin g. I am a 41 year old wife and mother who has had her fair share of life experiences. My past experiences include using marijuana from time to time when I was younger. I never became an avid user and only remember having a good time when I used. I distinctively remember how its effects relaxed me more and put me more at ease. Unfortunately, prison and jail are also in my past experiences and that’s where I have to agree with Mr. Robertson and what he says in this article. I do believe that people being put in jail and prisons for minor marijuana charges is doing nothing but costing us millions in dollars in prosecuting them and subjecting these people to offenders who are there for much more dangerous offenses. My marijuana use and jail time had nothing to do with one another. I was sentenced for something wrong that I had done and was rightfully sentenced for that crime. I took it very serious and did what needed to be done to get back home and start over. If it’s not taken seriously and it’s not used as a positive stepping stone it can be very easy to get caught up with the wrong people and negative drama that jail brings and the bad things good people can learn and take with them when released. Each year, some 750,000 Americans are arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Is that really what we want our police force to focus on? I am not a Cannabis activist, but the real truth is, I would much rather have pot in bars than alcohol any day. I am so tired of the fights that break out or all the DUI’s that people get all the time. In most my research, I haven’t found any real statistics on how marijuana poses the same result? Alcohol, which can cause one to become violent and even cause death does not compare with marijuana, where one can’t OD or cause death by over-intoxication. A spokesperson for Mr. Robertson goes on to say that Mr. Robertson did not intend to suggest support for the legalization of marijuana, but rather to question the severity of how our government punishes those who use or possess a small amount of the drug. Sarah Palin, who is against the legalization of marijuana, has said how she feels that our police force shouldn’t spend a lot of time hunting down these offenders. The drug policy that our government currently holds also plays a significant role in creating crime and empowering gangs. â€Å"The only groups that benefit from continuing to keep marijuana illegal are the violent gangs and cartels that control its distribution and reap immense profits from it through the black market†. That is what a group of current and former police officers, judges, and prosecutors wrote last month in an open letter to voters in California. Kristof) I would have to agree with that statement wholeheartedly. I strongly feel that if marijuana was legalized it would cease some of the violent and criminal activity in society. Legalizing marijuana for medical use is a huge debate within Americans and our government here in the United States. There are 15 states that allow medical marijuana to be distributed legally to its consumers. Here is a list of some of the medical issues that can be helped by the use of marijuana: * Pain Relief ( all types of Pain one might have) * Increases appetite (Cancer) * Decreased Nausea (AIDS/Cancer) Muscle relaxation (Multiple Sclerosis/Epileptic Seizures) * Enhances mood and senses (Depression and anxiety) * Encourages drowsiness and sleep (Multiple Sclerosis, Depression, Cancer and more) These are only some of the many medical issues that can be improved and benefited by the medicinal use of Marijuana. (Uddin/Hurd) After reading all the great ways marijuana can help someone when suffering from a medical problem makes you wonder why more states haven’t joined in on legalizing it. There is more evidence in backing up the pro than the con side of this litigation. I now want to introduce to you, Don Lisk, 57, and Sarah Baugh, both from Montana and both being prescribed medical marijuana for medicinal purposes, tell us of their experiences. In short, Don suffers from chronic back pain he has had for 20 years and tells us marijuana dulls the back pain enough to let him sleep better at night. He also says how pot takes the edge off the pain and he doesn’t suffer the withdrawal he experiences with the opiates such as Lortab. Sarah Baugh, 25, of Billings suffered 12 seizures a day while taking 14 medications that cost $2,000 a month. By using marijuana, she weaned herself off most of her medications and now takes just a small dose of anti-seizure medication. Baugh trimmed her drug costs from $2,000 to less than $600 a month. She dropped 150 pounds, lost the tremors and seizures. (weedblog. com) I have come to find out that marijuana can be used to produce green fuel for autos. How, because of its root structure, it makes the best erosion control. The oils from the seeds can be great for cooking. Just some other ways that marijuana can benefit within our society. I strongly agree that medical marijuana should be legalized and I also agree that marijuana use can be made safe and profitable for all parties involved. The economy would benefit by adding revenue and tax money. By providing it in a safe and regulated way it benefits those who need medical relief, and last but not least it would benefit society by allowing police to concentrate on more violent crimes and criminal activity. The only true losers to the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana are those who stand to make great deals of money from the illegal sales of pot and the transportation of it into the United States.