Marijuana Argumentative Essay

Marijuana has become a popular debate in the most recent years. Questions like: Is marijuana a gateway drug? Are marijuana users more likely to use harder drugs like cocaine or heroin, than non-marijuana users? Can marijuana be a replacement for prescription drugs? Is marijuana addicting? Can marijuana help with illnesses such as cancer? All of these topics have some type of validity, and depending on what side you’re on or leaning towards, there is appropriate evidence to suffice to have a debate. Nevertheless, the most debated topic relating to marijuana is if it is, in fact, an effective treatment for cancer. According to Dr. Mitch Earleywine, author of, "Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence” and V. Maida, MD. and P. J. Daeninck, authors of, “A User’s Guide to Cannabinoid Therapies in Oncology, they all believe that marijuana is an alternative pain management treatment for

Mitch Earleywine’s book covers an extensive collection of material ranging from the misuse of marijuana to its effects on the human body and mind to the laws and policies surrounding this substance. In one section he states: “Cancer pain can stem from nerve injury, inflammation, or the many invasive procedures that accompany treatment. Opiates like morphine often offer little relief for these pains. They are also nauseating and notorious for the potential for tolerance, dependence, and abuse” (2002, p.178). Prescription drug dependency is a vast setback in society today. People become dependent for various reasons, including but not limited to, building a tolerance, peer pressure, or prescribed for an illness. Nonetheless, cancer patients are at a high risk of prescription drug abuse because as the pain increases they find that the original dosage simply no longer works, and their doctor steadily increases their dose, which in turn creating a tolerance that ultimately leads to dependency. If medical-grade marijuana can help avoid this, why not give it a