Running Head: USA GOING GREEN

Opinion Piece Marc Nelson University o !e"as at El Paso

Opinion Piece

Running Head: USA GOING GREEN

Is Medical Marijuana a Societal Solution? An editorial $y Marc Nelson A ter decades o cri%inali&ation' %ari(uana recently )as $een gro*ing %ore and %ore accepted $y t)e pu$lic o t)e United States+ Evidence o t)is is s)o*n t)roug) )o* t)e ederal govern%ent )as $ac,ed do*n ro% %ari(uana en orce%ent and )as allo*ed states to decide or t)e%selves on t)eir position on canna$is+ Still *it) t)e recent support %ari(uana )as ound' %any A%ericans continue to $e )orri ied $y t)e t)oug)t o %ari(uana one day $eing legal all around t)e nation+ Most canna$is pessi%ist tend to loo, at )o* %ari(uana is t)e source o all pro$le%s in A%erica instead o $eing %ore open to )o* %ari(uana can )elp A%erican society+ !)e %ost i%portant i%pacts t)at t)e legali&ation o %ari(uana in t)e United States *ill )ave is e ective and $ene iciary %edical uses or %edical patients' and )o* t)e %oney %ade o %ari(uana can lead to prosperity in t)e econo%y+ !)e advances and e ectiveness o %edical %ari(uana is t)e single %ost i%portant reason *)y %ari(uana s)ould $e legali&ed+ As an A%erican' I t)in, *e can all agree t)at t)e people s)ould $e allo*ed to receive t)e $est )ealt) care possi$le' and i t)is %eans t)e consu%ption o %ari(uana is necessary t)en so $e it+ !)ere are t)ousands o A%ericans su ering ro% diseases suc) as Al&)ei%er-s disease' .ro)n/s disease' cancers' %igraines and plenty o ot)ers+ !)ese people are treated *it) ot)er narcotic pain relievers suc) as %orp)ine t)at open t)e possi$ilities or addiction and even atal overdoses+ !)e %agic o %edical %ari(uana is t)at it *or,s as an e ective pain reliever+ A survey in t)e Ne* England Post o Medicine s)o*s t)at 0#1 o doctors ro% i ty si" di erent states and provinces ro% Nort) A%erica and ro% around t)e *orld approved o %ari(uana or %edical uses+ Studies )ave s)o*n t)at %ari(uana can also sti%ulate appetite to )elp treat patients *it) anore"ia' and puts people in a $etter %ood t)at can )elp *it) recovering ro% depression+ Along *it) all t)e %edical $ene its %ari(uana provides' t)e legali&ation o canna$is could )elp t)e A%erican econo%y prosper+ !)e %edical %ari(uana industry alone is *ort) 21+0 $illion a year according to 3.N.+ Mari(uana is currently gro*n in areas li,e Mendocino .ounty in .ali ornia and or eit)er %edical supply or recreational uses suc) as in 4as)ington and .olorado+ !)e %ari(uana industry in .olorado is currently *ort) 2#55 %illion and provides 26 %illion a year in state sales ta" according to t)e Hu ington Post+ I%agine *)at t)e pro its *ould $e i %ore states legali&ed %ari(uana+ .anna$is can only )elp t)e econo%y gro* $ecause o )o* it appeals to t)e non s%o,er+ Mari(uana is le"i$le $y )aving %any di erent *ays o $eing consu%ed' allo*ing it to see, pro its t)roug) pastries' tea and vapors+ !)oug) %o%entu% is on %ari(uana legali&ation/s side' it %ig)t ta,e so%e ti%e until canna$is is ully legal all around t)e nation+ States t)at are strongly conservatives li,e !e"as' 7lorida' and 4isconsin *ill loo, to ig)t canna$is legali&ation or as long as possi$le+ !)ere ore legali&ing %edical %ari(uana practices in all states is t)e %ore realistic goal so t)at people can receive t)e proper care t)ey need *)ile econo%ic gro*t) *ill $e $oosted $y %ari(uana gro*n or %edical purposes+

Running Head: USA GOING GREEN

Re erences

Ingra%' 9+ :#518' August #;<+ U+S allo*s states to legali&e recreational %ari(uana *it) li%its+ Reuters.com+ Retrieved ro% )ttp:==***+reuters+co%=

Running Head: USA GOING GREEN

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?rody' @o)n :#518' Nove%$er ><+ !apping Mari(uana/s Potential+ The New York Times+ Retrieved ro% ***+nyti%es+co%

Nolan' Steve :#518' August 85<+ Mari(uana is t)e %ost used illegal drug *orld*ide $ut pain,iller addiction ,ills %ore people+ Dail Mail+ Retrieved ro% ***+daily%ail+co+u,

Grey' Eli&a :#518' Octo$er 1;<+ Ne* Aa*s .)art .ourse 7or Mari(uana Aegali&ation+ Time Ma!a"ine+ Retrieved ro% ***+nation+ti%es+co%

.astillo' Mic)elle :#518' May 81<+ Survey: 0B Percent o doctors approve o %edical %ari(uana use+ #$S News+ Retrieved ro% ***+c$sne*s+org

.astillo' Mic)elle :#51#' Nove%$er ;<+ Aegal %ari(uana %ay lead to $oo%ing $usiness in .olo+ #$S News+ Retrieved ro% ***+c$sne*s+org