Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal?

A question that is debated on a regular basis in the United States is, “Should marijuana be available for medical purposes?” I feel that the only way marijuana should be available for medical purposes is if strict supervision with strict guidelines are put into place. I also feel it should be a last resort for a very ill individual.

I have concerns in regards to marijuana being legalized. One of which is the frequency in which this substance is abused. The children that would then be exposed to this drug due to the legalization of it is one of my other concerns. Although, the concern that most torments me is that by legalizing medical marijuana we are once again giving up on the war; the war of right versus wrong.

The lack of real ability to supervise home grown medical marijuana as well as the distribution of it is of great concern to me. I personally know many people who have medical marijuana cards and abuse them on a continual basis.

As the laws are today, physicians commonly provide medical marijuana cards to anyone who claims to be in unbearable pain; whether it is true or not (At least in Oregon and Washington). In my opinion the option of having a medical marijuana card should be reserved for the terminally ill who suffer from immense, incurable, unbearable chronic pain.

If there was the capability to monitor (on a very strict level) the use of medical marijuana I would say that it definitely should be an option. For example, I feel that there should be surprise inspections to observe how much marijuana is being grown and how it is being used. But due to the fact that it is not monitored much, if at all, I would have to say “NO” marijuana should not be legal.

I have a “so called friend” who has a medical marijuana card as does her husband. They also are trying to get a card for their eighteen year old son. As I have observed them over the years, since acquiring their medical marijuana cards, I have seen them use their child’s bedroom to grow the substance.

I also have witnessed them using the excuse that they are in too much pain to find jobs to support themselves; instead they sit around and get stoned. They also have turned their children (a teenage girl and boy) on to smoking the drug with them. They smoke it with their friends who come over to their house and sell it when the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately I have the feeling that this is not a solitary scenario isolated to my friend and her husband.

In my opinion marijuana is used on a regular basis as a crutch to help individuals deal with their emotions. It kills brain cells, is a gateway drug, and is illegal for public to use (aside from having a medical marijuana card). Yet it is legal for medical purposes all over the United States.

I feel that this sends a confusing message to the youth of our country as it will to future generations. I want my children to learn to deal with their emotions and issues without the assistance of any substance including marijuana. If we allow people all over our country to continue using marijuana due to supposed medical conditions (sometimes real, sometimes invented) we are stifling any moral compass our children may have.

The war on drugs is a very serious war that multitudes of citizens in the United States do not take seriously. If we legalize marijuana for medical use what will be the next drug that we legalize and what excuse will we use to justify it. If marijuana is going to be legal for medical reasons I would like to see the laws regulated to very strict standards including:

• Surprise Inspections
• Detailed Record Keeping
• Mandatory Therapy for Those Using Medical Marijuana

Last but not least I most certainly would want safety precautions to be in place for any children who may reside with the medical marijuana user.

May God be with the United States of America!