Medical marijuana has many health improvements for example relieving chronic pain due to a sickness or relieving stress after a long or busy day. The evidence is proven by research that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting, as well as other debilitating symptoms brought on by such illnesses as cancer and AIDS in patients all around the globe (ProCon 2014). Sanjay Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN mentioned that marijuana doesn't have a high potential for abuse and you can find very legitimate applications. Also "Sometimes marijuana will be the only thing that works", said Gupta. Arthritis is another common disease, usually in older adults, with no current cure and marijuana has been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of this disease as well. Rheumatology reported in 2006 that "In comparison with the placebo, the CBM [cannabis-based medicine] produced statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain Going At this website rest and quality of sleep (ProCon 2014). Although you will discover several legitimate benefits of medical marijuana, you'll find still those who disagree and argue that the legalization of medical marijuana would be harmful to society.

The ones who are against Amendment 2 and also the legal use of marijuana argue it may be detrimental to society by causing an increase in crime. Bishop Ron Allen claimed that marijuana would increase crime and poverty in Berkeley and he explains, "Research tells us that marijuana has the same effects on the pleasure central system in the brain as heroin and crack cocaine." (OpposingViews 2014) Supporters of marijuana like Mason Tvert, of the Marijuana Policy Project disagree with Allen, stating that Allen did not know what he was talking about and marijuana has been proven to be less toxic and much less addictive than other drugs. "The fact is the fact that Medical associations nationally and many more than 80% of Americans think marijuana can help seriously ill people (Opposing Views) states Tvert." A study conducted by the University of Texas at Dallas found that legalized marijuana may reduce crimes like robbery and homicide (Ferner 2014).

Another downfall of marijuana is that it is said to be a gateway or stepping stone to other harmful drugs such as cocaine or heroine. The Eagle Forum mentioned in a statement that "Since THC is continually in the body the "high" from pot gradually diminishes so pot smokers usually take other drugs to get a kick (ProCon 2014)." Sue Rosche, Founder and President of the nation's Families in Action says, "This issue received intense press coverage and California's teenagers got the message, their past month marijuana use increased by nearly one-third that year, from 6.5% to 9.2% based on the nation's Household Survey on Drug abuse. It's still continuing to increase: 1997-6.8%, 1998-7.4, and 1999-8.4%. Even if the use of marijuana continues to rise which is legalized, how will the poor households obtain it whenever they can't afford it?

The City of Berkeley, Calif. recently announced a brand new law through which marijuana dispensaries shall have to donate 2% of their cannabis to low-income people starting in August of next year (OpposingViews). This might be a great law that other states like Florida can use to regulate to usage of marijuana whenever they do elect to make it legal. With the donation law, poor individuals can usually get access to the marijuana they need which is known to sell for at least $400 an ounce in California. This price is only the street value of the plant-form (what you smoke) of medical marijuana, so other kinds for example liquid or extracted may cost more. The most important part about state regulation is that poor families with "debilitating medical conditions" may have a way to get the medical marijuana they should alleviate their symptoms.

With all of the factual evidence pointing to the amazing advantages of medical marijuana, I agree and vote yes on amendment 2 which can legalize medical marijuana. I have a grandmother who has epilepsy seizures and if a dose of prescribed marijuana should help alleviate her or every other patient's symptoms, why not give her or other patients dosages by pill? The Epilepsy Foundation released a statement earlier this coming year that supported the rights of patients and families living with seizures and epilepsy to access physician-directed care, including marijuana (OpposingViews). There's no factual proof of anyone dying from marijuana and my research concluded mostly positive benefits. Weighing out the benefits of medical marijuana and also the fact that poor households may have a way to obtain it, gives the region of Florida all of the reasons and factual evidence it needs to legalize marijuana.