This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on July 12, 2013.
As some of you may know, but many are unaware of , there are medical marijuana patients being arrested and jailed by federal authorities, even in states where marijuana use is legal. There have also been some instances where medical marijuana doctors and dispensary owners have been jailed for no good reason. Something that outrages me, and many others is it has been shown that a whopping 81% of Americans believe that medical marijuana should be legalized on a federal level. Some polls even show that a majority supports legalizing it for everyone over eighteen.
One of the problems is that many of the people opposing the legalization of marijuana for medical use, haven’t taken the time to learn anything about the plant or it’s uses. Some even still believe the only delivery method for marijuana is through inhaling it’s smoke. There are many other ways, including edibles, drinks, and vaporization, just to name a few.
The use of medical marijuana has been shown to help people of all ages with many common, and not so common ailments. Common include: arthritis, migraines, muscle spasms, severe nausea, cancer, and chronic pain. Some of the lesser known ailments that medical marijuana has been found to help include: AIDs, Anorexia, cachexia, and glaucoma. Many either don’t know or do not want to believe that the medicinal use of marijuana is much safer than other treatments for many ailments. Some studies have shown it to be even safer than over the counter pain relievers.
A fact that some laugh at is marijuana has killed less people than peanuts. It’s true though, there has yet to be a recorded death caused by consuming marijuana. The founders of the United States used it. Also, what many people who object to it’s use fail to realize, the first Bible and U.S. Flag were made with hemp, and so were the first drafts of The Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. U.S. History and trivia aside, there is no good reason medical marijuana is not legal on a federal level.