Medicinal marijuana is a controversy in the United States due to it being largely misunderstood. Medical marijuana uses the marijuana plant and chemicals in it to treat diseases instead of recreational use. Although opponents relate it to recreational use and argue that it can be harmful to the patient, research has shown its medicinal and economic value. By looking at the beneficial health effects, the research that addresses fears, and the potential for United States’ healthcare and economy of marijuana usage we can see the positive effect legalizing medicinal marijuana can have. This is important because hundreds of patients could be receiving relief to attempt to live normal lives. 

Medical marijuana is largely misunderstood due to it being associated with the recreational drug and not enough studies being done on it. The plant contains 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids, each has its own effect on the body; the main ones used in medicine are Deltra-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) (Medical Marijuana FAQ). The cannabinoids are similar to chemicals in the body that are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain which is why they help with some diseases and medical issues. According to Marcel Bonn-Miller, PhD, a substance abuse specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, “the greatest amount of evidence for the therapeutic effects of cannabis relate to its ability to reduce chronic pain, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and spasticity [tight or stiff muscles] from MS,” but the drug has been known to help with many other conditions: Alzheimer's disease, appetite loss, cancer, Crohn's disease, eating disorders such as anorexia, glaucoma, mental health conditions like schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), muscle spasms, wasting syndrome (cachexia) (Medical Marijuana FAQ). Though there is not a lot of scientific evidence, patients that have used medical marijuana often give good reviews. A survey done in California by the Public Health Institute and Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that out of 350 adults who used medical marijuana 320 said it helped their medical condition, a 92% success rate (Ingraham). There are thousands of success stories all over the internet of children and adults over coming cancer, epilepsy, autism, and many more using cannabis oils and edibles. One major success story posted by CNN reported a young girl, Charlotte, who was born with a very rare intractable epilepsy (cannot be controlled by medication) called Dravet Syndrome. From birth she had extreme seizures that were hours long; she eventually lost her ability to talk, eat, and walk, and even had her heart stopped numerous times. Her parents traveled around the country and world to find out what was wrong with her and how to help their little girl but after trying countless heavy medications and talking to many specialist, they couldn’t find anything that would help calm her seizures. Then the idea of using medicinal marijuana was put out there since studies have shown it to help other patients with epilepsy. Since her parents consistently voted against marijuana use, the idea did not come to mind until there was no other option. They found cannabis in Denver called R4 with high CBD levels and low THC, and it worked. For the first time in years Charlotte didn’t have seizures for days. When they ran out of that, they found a company with a whole strain that was high in CBD and low in THC levels that nobody wanted, so the company could not sell it. The company now gives it to Charlotte’s parents for close to nothing and actually named it Charlotte’s Web after her. Today Charlotte is 6, receives a dose of cannabis oil twice a day in her food and is thriving, only having seizures two to three times a month almost only when she is sleeping (Young). Her parents misunderstood the effects of medicinal marijuana when it turned out being more useful than any other drugs they tried. Success stories like these show the life changing effects medical marijuana can have on patients with chronic disease. 

Despite the obvious benefits of medical marijuana, there is still heavy controversy due to the effects it could have on the patient and the world around them. One concern is the increase in accessibility to the drug if legalized medically. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States due to it being inexpensive, unable to cause overdoses, and easily accessible in all socio-economic communities (Medical Marijuana). The drug is also already legalized medicinally in 25 states plus the District of Columbia (Medical Marijuana FAQ) and recreationally in 8 states plus the District of Columbia (Robinson), so legalizing across all states would not increase the accessibility any more than it already is. A part of the accessibility argument is that members in the household of a patient will be able to access the drug. This issue is an issue with any other prescription drug even some that are much more harmful, such as oxycodone. Oxycodone is given for pain relief and is highly addictive so it is commonly abused by the patient or members in their households. This would not be a concern because marijuana is not an addictive drug, and as Physician David Casarett argues in his Ted Talk, medicinal marijuana dispensaries give much more education on the product and how to regulate it and use it safely, which will help decrease the likeliness of non-patients getting the drug or abusing it. Another opposing view is the fear of negative effects such as lung cancer or long-term dependency (Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized). A potential way to receive marijuana chemicals is to smoke the plant, which can cause other negative health effects to your lungs; but there are also many other ways to receive the treatment, such as “inhale it through a device called a vaporizer that turns it into a mist, apply it to your skin in a lotion, spray, oil, or cream, place a few drops of a liquid under your tongue,” (Medical Marijuana FAQ), or eat edibles that contain the oils. Ultimately, though, the patient has the right to autonomy which means they have “the right to make decisions regarding their bodies and to seek any and all medical treatment to alleviate pain and suffering and preserve life” (Pfeifer). So, if the patient wants to risk the side effects of smoking to feel relief and live a happy life then we should allow that right for the patient in need. Lastly, a huge concern with legalizing the drug is an increase in traffic accidents (Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized). This is a fair concern considering it will be harming others who may not even support medicinal marijuana but have no say in it affecting them. Driving under the influence is illegal now and we still allow people over 21 to drink, even when they sometimes make the decision to drive after drinking. Studies show that “experienced smokers who drive on a set course show almost no functional impairment under the influence of marijuana” (Sewell). Detrimental effects of cannabis on driving functions vary depending on the dosage but ultimately are more noticeable with automatic driving functions than “with more complex tasks that require conscious control” (Sewell), whereas alcohol has the opposite effect on deficiency. Marijuana users tend have an “increased awareness that they are impaired” (Sewell) so they use a variety of behavioral strategies that allow them to compensate effectively while driving. During an experimental study drivers that were given a dose of 7 mg THC “rated themselves as impaired even though their driving performance was not” (Sewell) whereas drivers with a BAC of .04% rated themselves as unimpaired even though their driving performance was impaired. In multiple driving simulator studies comparing cannabis and alcohol use, cannabis was associated with decreases in driving speed, increased “following distance”, and less likely to lane-change or pass others than those under the influence of alcohol (Sewell). Since medicinal marijuana is given in small dosages and is not used to get “messed up” or to party like alcohol is, there is less of a chance of someone making the decision to drive while impaired, and even if they did they would not be as incapable as a drunk person. Also since the marijuana user will be prescribed by a doctor they would be told not to drive impaired or if they did drive it would be once they have used the drug for a long time and are aware of its effects. Ultimately these small fears of legalizing medical marijuana are largely outweighed by the possibility of thousands of patients receiving a treatment that could cure their illness and help them live happy, normal lives.

The government is greatly limiting our country by having medical marijuana illegal. Legalizing medical marijuana will open up a whole new dimension to the medical world that we are missing out on. Not only is the government infringing upon a patient’s fundamental right to autonomy and preventing thousands of patient’s relief from life changing illnesses, they are limiting themselves from a potentially better healthcare. From Casarett’s personal investigation of patients and clinics of medicinal marijuana he found one thing that was particularly important to the patient: the control over their treatment, “it let them manage their health in a way that was productive and efficient and effective and comfortable for them.” Patients can use it when they want, in a way they want, and at the dose and frequency that works for them; and if it does not work, they can make changes. Cassarett decided to find out how dispensaries give patients control of their lives by going to a dispensary himself. He saw and felt what hundreds of patients feel every day, and he felt that the dispensary was there for him. He said they ask questions about who you are, what kind of work you do, what your goals are in looking for a medical marijuana prescription or product, what your goals are, what your preferences are, what your hopes are, how do you think, how do you hope this might help you, what are you afraid of; questions that make you confident that the person you are talking to really has your best interest at heart and wants to get to know you (Casarett). Another thing that shocked him was the education in the dispensaries, from people in the waiting room giving advice, suggestions, and support to the people behind the counter. The people who run the clinic are dedicated to their patients and will sometimes spend an “hour or more talking [patients] through the nuances of this strain versus that strain, smoking versus vaporizing, edibles versus tinctures” all without them even making a purchase. He reminds the audience to think of that last time a hospital or clinic spent that much time talking to or explaining those things to patients. He argues that the fact that patients are going to these clinics for “personalized attention and education and service, really should be a wake-up call to the healthcare system.” Our healthcare system should be providing this already but with it so overcrowded and our society at such a rushed pace, patients become a number with an illness. As a doctor himself, Casarett agrees that the healthcare system needs to find ways to give control, to educate, and to put patients first in a way medical marijuana clinics do. Right now, marijuana is a schedule 1 drug, suggesting it is as bad as heroin and has no medicinal value, which many testimonies show is untrue (DEA). This scheduling also makes it very difficult to conduct research or studies. If the government were to reschedule marijuana to a lesser scheduling degree, we could do so much more research on the benefits of medical marijuana, its risks, and learn from the industry. If the government were to legalize the drug, it would also allow the FDA to regulate it properly since we could do more research on it. FDA regulation will then allow patients that use medical marijuana to have peace of mind that what they are receiving is safe, pure, and contains the correct potency. If the FDA were to do the necessary research, it is possible, depending on what the research shows, to have a future of not only legalized medical marijuana but eventually recreational marijuana as well. This is what the government is missing out on: the extreme revenue and economic stimulation that comes with legalizing medical marijuana and marijuana in general. Many states have legalized it recreationally already and many are about to open dispensaries starting in 2018 and the revenue already is shocking. Oregon dispensaries “generated nearly $15 million in tax revenue between July 2015 and June 2016,” Washington got over $1 billion in non-medical marijuana sales since 2015, and the industry itself is on track to have $20.2 billion in sales by 2021 (Robinson). Adding medical marijuana sales and the tax revenue that could be possible, this country could be booming. The potential for U.S. healthcare, research, and economy by legalizing medical marijuana is something the government needs to realize and pursue.

The success stories of patients and studies on medicinal marijuana show that the U.S. should legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes. The cannaboids of marijuana are very useful for relieving symptoms of chronic diseases involving pain, nausea, spasms and much more and has been shown to help many patients. Opponents view marijuana as a detrimental drug, but when used for medical purposes, it is not as harmful as people make it up to be. Furthermore, the government could open up possibilities for U.S. healthcare and economy by legalizing, profiting off of, and allowing research on this drug. To help these patients in need of medicinal marijuana, U.S. officials and voters should support actions and legislative efforts to legalize medicinal marijuana. 
