Legalization of Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes essays

Legalization of Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes essays Legalization of Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes The legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is an issue that has been debated by many people since the drug was banned in 1937. Many times people will see marijuana as an addictive drug that causes people to commit crimes of violence as well as other legal offenses. But in 1938, the New York Academy of Medicine reported marijuana as a relatively harmless drug with no physically addicting effects and that it did not help in having any effect on the crimes of violence committed by people (Hartley). Marijuana, although technically considered an addictive drug, has a history of medicinal purposes, many current medical uses, and the option to become a government regulated drug. Hartley quotes Berendt in his article saying that the Merck Manual states that there is little evidence of damage from the use of the drug, even among heavy users. As a matter of fact, marijuana has many medicinal uses that date back all the way to about 4000 B.C. where the Chinese first discovered its medicinal uses (Hartley). Hartley states that in 2657 B.C., in a pharmacy book written by emperor Shen-Nung, he recommends marijuana as a cure for gout, rheumatism, malaria, beriberi, constipation, and absent mindedness. Hartley also states: The plant was also being used in the second century A.D. for anesthetics during surgical operations involving stomach and intestines, where acupuncture was ineffective. During this same time period, Germans used the plant to treat convulsions and to help ease childbirth. Poland, Russia, and Lithuania would throw the seeds on hot coals and use the vapors to cure toothaches. Czechoslovakians would use the drug to relieve fevers and dress wounds. The Russians would also use the drug to treat rheumatism and jaundice. Marijuana was mentioned in American books in 1843, where it was recommended as a treatment for gout, tetanus, hyst...