Argumentative Essay On Medical Marijuana

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a plant that was first used as a source of intoxicant and medicine in Asia for centuries before gaining popularity in the West. It served as a folk remedy for more than 100 minor illnesses such as vomiting, infections and to induce appetite (Mack & Joy, 2001). In the modern days, however, marijuana has become more popular around the world for its recreational use, which people indulge in its consumption especially among youths (Iversen, 2000). A WHO report on global use of cannabis in the late 1990’s found that about 50% of the adolescent population in the US and many European countries have consumed cannabis for at least once (WHO, 1997). Despite the adverse medical benefits it has, marijuana has remained as a controversial drug due to its addictive nature. This essay will explore both the beneficial medical uses of marijuana and the ill health and psychological effects it has brought on to the young people.
Scientific researches conducted in recent decades had led to the discovery of the chemical compounds …show more content…
However as a recreational drug, if dosage of consumption and duration of use were not controlled, it can harm health like any other drugs especially in young people (Hall, 1994). This essay has shown various medical benefits marijuana offers such as pain relieve, glaucoma therapy and appetite stimulation. It has also discussed marijuana’s negative effects on development of psychosis, cognition and behaviour in adolescents. As an illicit drug, most studies were focused on the negative aspects of marijuana and the same fact has made empirical studies difficult to conduct. In turn, the negative effects of marijuana are overshadowing the positive anecdotal ones. Existing evidences have only shown marijuana as a correlational factor hence more studies need to be built on hypothesis with a causal

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