Should New Jersey Legalize Medical Marijuana and Decriminalize Marijuana?

You will not endure pain if you become bound to the drug said Galen, a roman physician in context to gladiators consuming opium to numb their battle wounds. For over 4,800 years marijuana has been used for medical purposes. Until the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act banned marijuana and created uncertainty in Americans. Especially with the with the arrival of new drugs like aspirin which became the new pain reliever and marijuana came to be known as an intoxicant. Until today, with the rise in popularity of medical marijuana, we see states one by one changing their laws to decriminalize the use of medical marijuana. As of today there are 12 states in the United States that have in some way decriminalized medical marijuana and with more states following the trend. In 2002, Harris Interactive took a poll for Time Magazine to see how many people is pro medical marijuana and the results were 80% pro, 17% con and 3% undecided. Medical marijuana is growing in popularity and not just because people want it for recreational use but people, patients, doctors and scientist genuinely believe it can help relieve patients of their symptoms and pains that other medications can't accomplish for them. New Jersey should be the next state to legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize marijuana because it's indicated as an antiemetic, economic benefits, and free up the court systems and law enforcement agencies.

Marijuana used as a source of medicine goes back in history nearly 5,000 years. From 1850 - 1942, marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia. It was used for many things such as giving birth, chronic pain, and other conditions before it was banned. It's obvious that marijuana has some medical benefits if the U.S had medical marijuana in effect. Yet the FDA continues to disagree and say it has no medical value and is considered a Schedule I substance. Other drugs considered Schedule I substance are heroin, LSD, and methamphetamines. Marijuana refers to the leaves on the cannabis plant which is dried out to make the tobacco like substance. The "high" you get when you smoke marijuana is a result of the natural chemical, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannibol), which is found in marijuana. Marijuana is illegal to buy, sell, grow, or possess marijuana in the United States, and people convicted of marijuana offenses face penalties ranging from fines to life imprisonment.

It has been studied and proven that marijuana relieves many symptoms and ailments that patients with numerous illnesses suffer from. One example is HIV patients; one in three patients in Ontario, Canada is using marijuana for a medical reason. The drugs effect on the AID's patient helps treat wasting syndrome. Wasting syndrome causes nausea, loss of appetite, pain and anxiety. Many neurological conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and spasms can benefit from the use of medical marijuana since it acts as an antispasmodic and anticonvulsant. Marijuana is also an analgesic and an immunomodulator which can help conditions such as migraine, arthritis, spinal and skeletal disorders. As a aide for breathing it is beneficial for asthma sufferers. It also reduces the pressure within eyeballs and is indicated for glaucoma. Recent studies have shown the drug to be capable in treating mood disorders and mental health issues such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder. It is also indicated for premenstrual syndrome, hypertension, and insomnia.

The FDA think that the clinical benefits of the patient don't outweigh the health risks they might pose. When considering a terminally ill person, someone dealing with unlivable and/or unbarable symptoms and the only hope they have to live some what comfortable is by smoking marijuana. Then who are they to take that right away from them. Medical Marijuana should be legalized in New Jersey and hopefully the entire United States so we can help relieve these poor people of their pain suffering. A lot of focus is put on the safety of medical marijuana versus the safety of FDA approved drugs. Well when the amount deaths caused from 17 different FDA approved drugs from 1997-2005 was added the total came out to be 11,687. Some of the drugs that were looked at are Marinol, Reglan, Zofran, Lithium, Zanaflex, Ritalin, Adderall and many other popular drugs. Then the deaths from marijuana were 279 and marijuana as the secondary suspect to contributing to the death. Which means that a death caused only from marijuana is zero. As long as it's FDA approved though then it must mean it's safe to take. "It is also hypocritical to forbid physicians to prescribe marijuan while premitting them to use morphine and meperiine to relieve extreme dyspnea and pain. With both these drugs the difference between the dose that relieves syptoms and the does that hastens death is very narrow; by contrast there is not risk of death from smoking marijuana ( Kassirer, M.D.)." Not only do more people die from these FDA approved drugs but alcohol kills over 100,000 Americans every year and tobacco kills 400,000 each year. Yet as a society we allow both substance continue to be legal and watch people die, become addicted, and suffer from diseases over them. So much effort is put by the government to not legalize medical marijuana when they're focus should really be making tobacco and alcohol illegal.

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