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Isabella Hernandez

Professor Parker

ENGL 1302

28 January 2019

Casual Argument

Medical marijuana is legal in Texas for only one disease, intractable epilepsy. Although

there are many other diseases and symptoms that can be relieved with Marijuana, the House of

Representatives have not passed the bill to send to the next level. Medical marijuana has been

used for treatment before doctors came up with the prescription opioids. The extracts of the plant

are the parts that will be used for the patients to relieve any of their pain or diseases like, HIV,

epilepsy, cancer, chronic pain etc. This medicine was first discovered 6,000 years ago in china,

once they figured out that it relives pain, they used it for everything. At one point in the early

2000 it was sold over the counter without a doctor’s note (Jeff Desjardins). The two components

that come from the plant are THC and CBD. The CBD is the factor that relieves the pain while

THC is the factor that gives the “high” effect. The patients will most likely feel that the effect of

the CBD and none of the THC. There are many effects of medical marijuana being passed and

the main effects are because, it will benefit more patients with other conditions than just

intractable epilepsy, has fewer risk than opioids so the use of opioids will be reduced, and it will

affect the economy in a positive way.

By legalizing medical marijuana across the country to more diseases than epilepsy, it will

help many people that are going through much pain. The patients that could receive this

treatment rang from a different number of thing like “chronic pain, nausea, cachexia, wasting

syndrome resulting from HIV, glaucoma, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, cancer (Klofas
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& Letteney, [19])”(Ashley Bradford). This list is just an insight of what this medicine can do for

others to help them with the right dosage. In a survey it shows how any people agree with

medical marijuana then a prescription drug, “92 percent said that medical marijuana alleviated

symptoms of their serious medical conditions”. The part of the plant that is used to relieve pain is

called CBD and causes little to no effect of feeling high. Without getting that feeling, that means

that many patients can resume normal activities, with the right amount of dosage given to them.

Texas has made a step forward and opening medical marijuana to more conditions than just

intractable epilepsy by governor Greg Abbott but has failed to provide medication to patients

with PTSD as of July. There has been research done about medical marijuana and how it effects

the conditions that the patient might have. Some patients even agree to a study done in British

showing that it could it is the treatment most effective against cancer (Medicaljane). There is not

a lot of information dealing with why all states do no allow medical marijuana to ill patients.

This is because most of the information is opinion based, if the people do not feel the need to

push for medical marijuana there would be no need to enact the bill. At the end of the day it how

the patients feel and what will get them through their own conditions.

There are other medications like opioids that the patients can take but them also come

with a high number of side effects while medical marijuana has fewer. The side effects for some

people while taking medical marijuana say that they experience dry mouth and fatigue. With

patients taking a higher dosage this possibly means more side effects like, hallucinations,

dizziness and paranoia. By law medical marijuana is a hard drug and that is why they are not

opening it up as an option for those suffering patients. Opioids also have a higher chance of the

patients becoming addictive and the possibility for them to overdose, “it is impossible to

overdose on medical marijuana” (Peter Grinspoon). “64,000 people died from drug overdose and
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the leading cause of death for Americans over 50 is drug overdose” Not only does medical

marijuana is less harm full but it also is a lot cheaper than a prescription drug and is more

available than prescribed medicine. Opioids cause many side effects to some patients and those

patients can have sleep apnea, overdose, or they can become addicted to the opioids themselves.

To avoid these things form happening, medical marijuana is a great alternative. Some patients

seem to be on both medical marijuana and the opioids and it is not healthy for the patient. Once

states legalized medical marijuana for many more than one symptom, they saw a decline in the

overdose mortality with opioids.

With legalizing medical marijuana to all ill patients, it could help raise the economy like

it did in Florida and all the other states that have legalized medical marijuana. By being able to

provide medical marijuana to a wide variety of ill patients it will also help the community with

proving new job. In Ohio they see legalizing medical marijuana they will be cashing in on the

“golden” opportunity, “Medical marijuana generated nearly $3.5 million in sales since the first

dispensary opened” (Aaron Payne). With sales going up that can only be because they have

legalized marijuana to all ill patients. Ohio was able to bring in 3.5 million dollars since January

with medical marijuana alone. By legalizing medical marijuana, it helped the reduce criminal

justice cost. With the amount of medical marijuana that would be purchased by the patient will

bring in 168$ per month. Although there were many benefits that came out of legalizing

marijuana, it also had it downfalls with how these businesses will be able to get a kick start

without being able to get loans from the bank. Some banks fear that there are legal consequences

even if the state allows this medication. If legalizing this medication for more condition and

throughout all the states, then the banks would not have that fear to help these businesses

succeed.
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There are many reasons why some states have legalized medical marijuana for the

Americans that are in pain and where their typical medications would not help as much. There

are many steps that each state must go through to be able to have this bill in place, but it all starts

with the people. Without the citizens wanting the change to happen then there would not be an

opportunity for other ill patients to have access to this medication. The doctors have a big input

in getting the bill to the next step, they are the ones that suggest their patients to use it. With

medical marijuana being a schedule 1 dug it immobilizes the possibility for the state to legalize

this medication. Until it is considered a scheduled 2 medication then it will continue to be

considered a drug. What was provided in this essay was to show the effects that happened once

medical marijuana was legal in states like Florida and Ohio. With these states being legal it will

lead to other states being on board to help the ill patients that did not get this treatment before.
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Citations

“Cannabis Economy: With Medical Marijuana, Ohio's Meigs County Hopes To Cash In On

‘Golden’ Opportunity.” Ohio Valley ReSource, 19 Apr. 2019,

ohiovalleyresource.org/2019/04/19/cannabis-economy-with-medical-marijuana-ohios-

meigs-county-hopes-to-cash-in-on-golden-opportunity/.

Grinspoon, Peter. “Medical Marijuana.” Harvard Health Blog, 25 June 2019,

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085.

Bradford, Ashley C., and W. David Bradford. “Factors Driving the Diffusion of Medical

Marijuana Legalisation in the United States.” Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy,

vol. 24, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 75–84. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3109/09687637.2016.1158239

Study: Effect on Economy of $1.1B; Medical Marijuana | Legalization.” Wisconsin State

Journal, 21 Apr. 2019, p. C1. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=117W19042130677391&sit

e=ehost-live.

Person. “Health Benefits of Medical Marijuana - Cannabis 101.” Health Benefits of Medical

Marijuana - Cannabis 101, Medical Jane, 19 Apr. 2017,

www.medicaljane.com/category/cannabis-classroom/#therapeutic-benefits.