College Writing Assignments

Lucifer's Lettuce: Should the Drug Be Legalized or Banned?

             Pain is an undesirable feeling that many despise. Finding something to relieve that discomfort can be quite hard. People around the world are debating on whether or not marijuana is a safe pain reliever. While some see no wrong in using it, others believe the drug should be banned. American Addiction Centers argues that the drug has

the impression of being a harmless, fun substance, [however,] it is still a drug that changes what goes on in the mind, sometimes with significant consequences. The long-term effects on the brain and body make marijuana a dangerous drug to a lot of people (Lautieri1).

  Although the American Addiction Centers proposes an intriguing point, the drug's beneficial factors seemingly outweigh the cons. Therefore, marijuana should be legalized in every state. Not only by doing so will it help many, the drug will also be safer for users to buy in stores. The tranquilizing substance eases physical pain, soothes distress, and has been proven to be a safer alternative for mitigation.

         Marijuana is a familiar term to many. Studies show that about "85% of Americans support legalizing medical marijuana, and it is estimated that at least several million Americans currently use it" (Grinspoon1). What exactly is it? How did it get so popular? According to The Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science, it is a "psychoactive substance derived from the plants cannabis sativa or indica." The drug contains "D9-tetrahydrocannabinol(THC)", which causes a high feeling for users during consumption (marijuana1). There are numerous ways to consume marijuana—edibles, smoking, vaping, tablets, and oils are just a few out of the many ways to. Since the beginning of time, the substance has been used for both recreational and medical purposes across the globe. Chinese emperor Shen Nung had wrote about the drug in 2737 B.C. Places like China valued its healing properties. Marijuana was used there for medical conditions such as "rheumatism, gout, [and] malaria" (Naracon1). Whereas countries like India and Africa mostly used the illicit drug recreationally.

         Marijuana has positive physical health effects on the human body. Cannabinoid(THC)—the active ingredient in marijuana—has been proven to alleviate chronic pain. The chemical compound

mimics substances called endocannabinoids that the human body produces on its own...[The] endocannabinoids relax muscles, reduce inflammation, protect damaged tissue, and regulate appetite and metabolism, among many other functions. (Lautieri1)

Due to the drug's ability to imitate natural endocannabinoids, it can serve as an alternative for pharmaceutical drugs that offer relief. Dr. Grinspoon, a primary care physician, shares a similar presumption. He believes Marijuana is

clearly safer than opiates (it is impossible to overdose on and far less addictive) and it can take the place of NSAIDs such as Advil or Aleve, if people can't take them due to problems with their kidneys or ulcers or GERD (Grinspoon1).

            Focusing specifically on pain, people suffering from conditions such as Hepatitis C, Crohn's disease, Arthritis, and multiple sclerosis will benefit from using marijuana from time to time. Cancer patients can also find relief during their chemotherapy when consuming marijuana as it subsides symptoms and "considerably reduce[s] tumor growth in [the] brain, lung and breast." It can also lessen frequent seizures.