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Isabella Hernandez

Professor Parker

ENGL 1302

28 January 2019

Casual Argument

Medical marijuana is legal in Texas for only one disease, intractable epilepsy. Although

there are many other diseases and symptoms that can be relieved with Marijuana, the House of

Representatives have not passed the bill to send to the next level. Medical marijuana has been

used for treatment before doctors came up with the prescription opioids. The extracts of the plant

are the parts that will be used for the patients to relieve any of their pain or diseases like, HIV,

epilepsy, cancer, chronic pain etc. This medicine is not only effective if smoked, but it could be

used in lotions, and oils for the patient to feel relief without harming their lungs ( ). Some states

like Texas, do not allow patients to smoke their medication only to be used in an oil.The two

components that come from the plant are THC and CBD. The CBD is the factor that relieves the

pain while THC is the factor that gives the “high” effect. The patients will most likely feel that

the effect of the CBD and none of the THC. There are many effects of medical marijuana being

passed and the main effects are because, it will benefit more patients with other conditions than

just intractable epilepsy, has fewer risk than opioids so the use of opioids will be reduced, and it

will affect the economy in a positive way.

By legalizing medical marijuana acre the country to more diseases than epilepsy, it will

help many people that are going through much pain. The patients that could receive this

treatment rang from a different number of thing like “chronic pain, nausea, cachexia, wasting

syndrome resulting from HIV, glaucoma, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, cancer (Klofas
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& Letteney, [19])”(Ashley Bradford). This list is just an insight of what this medicine can do for

others to help them with the right dosage. In a survey it shows how any people agree with

medical marijuana then a prescription drug, “92 percent said that medical marijuana alleviated

symptoms of their serious medical conditions”. The part of the plant that is used to relieve pain is

called CBD and causes little to no effect of feeling high. Without getting that feeling, that means

that many patients can resume normal activities, with the right amount of dosage given to them.

Texas has made a step forward and opening medical marijuana to more conditions than just

intractable epilepsy by governor Greg Abbott but has failed to provide medication to patients

with PTSD.

There are other medications like opioids that the patients can take but them also come

with a high number of side effects while medical marijuana has fewer. By law medical marijuana

is a hard drug and that is why they are not opening it up as an option for those suffering patients.

Opioids also have a higher chance of the patients becoming addictive and the possibility for them

to overdose, “it is impossible to overdose on medical marijuana” (Peter Grinspoon). “64,000

people died from drug overdose and the leading cause of death for Americans over 50 is drug

overdose” Not only does medical marijuana is less harm full but it also is a lot cheaper than a

prescription drug and is more available than prescribed medicine. Opioids cause many side

effects to some patients and those patients can have sleep apnea, overdose, or they can become

addicted to the opioids themselves. To avoid these things form happening, medical marijuana is a

great alternative. Some patients seem to be on both medical marijuana and the opioids and it is

not healthy for the patient. Once states legalized medical marijuana for many more than one

symptom, they saw a decline in the overdose mortality with opioids.

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With legalizing medical marijuana, it could help raise the economy like it did in Florida

and all the other states that have legalized medical marijuana. By being able to provide medical

marijuana to a wide variety of ill patients it will also help the community with proving new job.

In Ohio they see legalizing medical marijuana they will be cashing in on the “golden”

opportunity, “Medical marijuana generated nearly $3.5 million in sales since the first dispensary

opened” (Aaron Payne). With sales going up that can only be because they have legalized

marijuana to all ill patients. Ohio was able to bring in 3.5 million dollars since January with

medical marijuana alone. By legalizing medical marijuana, it helped the reduce criminal justice

cost. With the amount of medical marijuana that would be purchased by the patient will bring in

168$ per month. Although there were many benefits that came out of legalizing marijuana, it

also had it downfalls with how these businesses will be able to get a kick start without being able

to get loans from the bank. Some banks fear that there are legal consequences even if the state

allows this medication.

There are many reasons why some states have legalized medical marijuana for the

Americans that are in pain and where their typical medications would not help as much. There

are many steps that each state must go through to be able to have this bill in place, but it all starts

with the people. Without the citizens wanting the change to happen then there would not be an

opportunity for other ill patients to have access to this medication. What was provided in this

essay was to show the effects that happened once medical marijuana was legal in states like

Florida and Ohio. With these states being legal it will lead to other stats getting on board to think

about all patients.

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Citations

“Cannabis Economy: With Medical Marijuana, Ohio's Meigs County Hopes To Cash In On

‘Golden’ Opportunity.” Ohio Valley ReSource, 19 Apr. 2019,

ohiovalleyresource.org/2019/04/19/cannabis-economy-with-medical-marijuana-ohios-

meigs-county-hopes-to-cash-in-on-golden-opportunity/.

Grinspoon, Peter. “Medical Marijuana.” Harvard Health Blog, 25 June 2019,

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085.

Bradford, Ashley C., and W. David Bradford. “Factors Driving the Diffusion of Medical

Marijuana Legalisation in the United States.” Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy,

vol. 24, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 75–84. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3109/09687637.2016.1158239

Study: Effect on Economy of $1.1B; Medical Marijuana | Legalization.” Wisconsin State

Journal, 21 Apr. 2019, p. C1. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=117W19042130677391&sit

e=ehost-live.