A sensitive issue to some is getting a medical marijuana license to be able to legally obtain and use marijuana for medical issues. The use of this plant remains on the hot seat with politicians and average people alike.
Currently there are 15 states that approve of the use of marijuana as a medicine. These states include Washington, Vermont, New Jersey, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico and Nevada. Arizona is the most recent state to jump on board, passing a referendum in 2010 permitting its use for medicinal purposes. Growing the plant for personal use remains illegal throughout the United States and the Federal government does enforce the laws against it.
In 1937, Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States at the time, made it illegal to use cannabis for any reason. This put a stop on all uses of this substance as a therapeutic aid for ill persons. Up until that point, it had been listed in the pharmaceutical reference books as a form of medicinal aide for a variety of illnesses and problems.
The medical benefits of cannabis cover a broad scope of issues. It is used as a treatment for nausea and excessive vomiting, along with stomach pain and cramping. It has also been known to treat cancer patients and relieve intense pain caused by debilitating diseases or injuries. The most famous mention of this substance is used for glaucoma patients. These patients usually see a marked change in their personal health and state of mind while using it as a medication.
It is also known to have cognitive effects, lowering the anxiety and stress level of the patient. The feeling of being high is what causes it to be compared to alcohol. The ban on this substance also brings to mind the prohibition on alcohol. Many doctors and researchers, along with average citizens, will attest to the fact that alcohol causes a great deal more damage to the human body, mentally and physically, than cannabis.
Government continues to seek ways to control the growth and use of this substance by average people. Although it has great potential health benefits and is claimed to be, by some professionals in the health industry, one of the safest substances to use for its therapeutic benefits. Since it can easily be grown by anyone, officials remain steadfast at keeping it illegal, regardless of the many yes votes obtained whenever a state puts an amendment on a new bill in an attempt to legalize the medical aspects.
Often called a stepping stone to harsher drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, studies are beginning to prove that unlike these man-made drugs, the cannabis plant is an herb that has actual benefits when smoked. The fact that it is smoked, like a cigarette, has some people worried about the effect on the lungs and in secondhand smoke. Many studies and much research continues to be done to judge the advantages and disadvantages of using this substance for medical help.
The ability to regulate the distribution of this substance is what government struggles to have. By distributing a medical marijuana license to people who have a health need proven to be reduced or aided by its use, government hopes to come up with solutions to the problem of the black market and other sources that people find to possess and smoke it.
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