Should Marijuana be legalized
...idely used Ashworth scale. But in face to face interviews, patients assigned to the treatment arm of the double blinded trial were more likely than those receiving placebo to report a subjective improvement in symptoms. The participants reported significant improvements in pain, sleep quality, spasms, and spasticity, though not in irritability, depression, tiredness, tremor, or energy. The researchers found that patients taking the cannabis derivative showed an improvement in the time taken to walk 10 metres. (Dyer 1) The research discovered that even though the actual symptoms were not taken away, many patients did report an improvement in other areas, such as less pain and better sleeping. However, this was not true for all cases. The article, later on says that 3/4th of those taking the cannabis derrivitive drug were reporting changes, but half of those taking the placebo thought that they were not taking active medication and reported no change. Therefore five eighths of all the people tested reported no change. That is well over half those tested in the program. Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence is that half of those taking the placebo couldn’t tell the drug was a fake and wasn’t helping them. Dr Zajicek states in the article that: We did see a high placebo effect in this trial… cannabis treatments may be of benefit to some patients.(Dyer 2) Some patients, not all. Therefore, it can be wise to assume that we should not jump the gun to legalize Cannabis as a medicine because of the lack of good results. Cannabis seems to have more health problems associated with it than anything else. Forbes magazine published an article called “Cannabits. (Facts about Marijuana)” and it said: ONE MARIJUANA cigarette deposits four to five times more tar in the lungs than a tobacco cigarette. Thus, smoking three or four joints is like smoking up to a pack of cigarettes. (Forbes 1) Smoking is one of the largest killers in the United States. It is estimated that over 400,000 people die from smoking related deaths every year. This number would most likely increase if Marijuana was legalized for public consumption. The Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly Mgazine published an article entitled “Marijuana Smoke Poses Threats to Young Lungs”. It states: There is 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic material in marijuana smoke than in tobacco smoke, according to John Kirkwood, president and chief executive of the American Lung Association. Marijuana use can cause short-term problems such as increased cough, mucus production and high rates of infection, as well as long-term problems including increased rates of lung cancer If Cannabis was legalized, the inclease of smoking related deaths, including lung cancer, as well as the rates of smoking related disease and illness would escalate enormously. Marijuana would act like a catalyst for death in the smoking world. Other problems are also beginning to surface with marijuana poisoning. USA Today published an article in December of 2003 entitled “Pot Smoking Hurts Fertility”. The article Quoted Lani J. Burkman, assistant professor of gynecological/obstetrics and urology at the University of Buffalo, NY. She said: The bottom line is, the active ingredients in marijuana are doing something to sperm, and the numbers are in the direction toward infertility…We don't know exactly what is happening to change sperm functioning, but we think it is one of two things: THC [tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive chemical in pot] may be causing improper timing of sperm function by direct stimulation, or it may be bypassing natural inhibition mechanisms. Whatever the cause, the sperm are swimming too fast, too early.... The timing [is] all wrong, These sperm will experience burnout before they reach the egg and would not be capable of fertilization…I definitely would advise anyone trying to conceive not to smoke marijuana, and that would include women as well as men. So not only will marijuana increase the death rate because of its extra toxins and carcinogens, but will also hinder humanity from repopulating? And people want this drug legalized!? Yet another problem associated with marijuana and pregnancy ...