Uh...I don't know what to call this. | Teen Ink

Uh...I don't know what to call this.

August 3, 2011
By Anonymous

“Marijuana should be available as a medical option,” There are several different ways to back this statement up, and prove that it should be used as a medical option. Three reasons are: 1) It’s been used for centuries to treat minor injuries, 2) It’s helped aid the treatment of cancer and AIDS, and 3) It has no correlation with lung cancer.

The first reason, as previously stated, says it’s been used for centuries to treat minor injuries, which is true. The Egyptians used cannabis to treat eye problems, all the way back in 2000 B.C. Or Siddhartha Gautama, (aka. Buddha) surviving only on cannabis seeds in 1500 B.C. Or perhaps, even the Romans, in 500 B.C, using marijuana to treat earaches. The reason these civilizations probably used marijuana as a medical drug is because it’s an effective painkiller. History probably has many more examples of these drugs and many others being used as…drugs (the prescribed kind).

The second statement said it’s helped in the treatment of cancer and AIDS patients. Some patients who have been diagnosed recently with one of the diseases become depressed, and even stop eating. The doctor may prescribe marijuana to them, to relieve a bit of their stress, and to get them to eat something. On May 24, 2006, a UCLA study confirmed that there was no association between marijuana and lung cancer, and that it may even have a slight positive effect on your lungs.

The last reason is that there is no correlation between lung cancer and marijuana. Although if a patient is wary of inhaling the smoke, they may eat or drink the substance. It takes longer to effect the body if eaten (around an hour, versus the few minutes it takes to effect the brain if it is smoked), but it gets absorbed through the liver and turns into a more powerful version if the active drug in marijuana. (Delta-9-THC to Delta-11-THC)

Whether we like it or not, somewhere they’re going to pass rules and laws we don’t like. Such as the product Sativex in the UK, a cannabis-based prescription mouth spray used to treat Multiple Sclerosis in patients. Also, as of today, 16 out of 50 states have legalized marijuana, for medicinal purposes or otherwise. People have been using it for centuries, and no one shows any signs of stopping it anytime soon. Although if you’re worried about teens using it for recreational uses, in states that have legalized it, there’s been a decrease in teen use.


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.