Marijuana is Medicine

Marijuana has always existed, and has improved the lives  of those around me that I do not see the harm in the legalization of it. I come from South Side of San Antonio and it is seen as the run down side of town where drugs and gangs go hand in hand. However marijuana has never been seen as a big deal. There were way worse drugs than marijuana, like crack cocaine, acid, and PCP. I have always been surrounded by those who use a use drugs, however just because some people give it a bad name it should not be seen as a horrible thing.

Growing up I had friends and family that would use it for medicinal purposes. At first glance I would question why people were smoking something that smelled like skunk. My parents would always threaten my brothers and I to never used it. Saying things like “Let me find out.” or ” I wish you would.”, while holding something up with the intention on throwing it at us. However despite what I have always been taught my view of marijuana, commonly refured to as weed, has never been negative. I have seen it as an aide to those that need it. To my surprise though, my parents did not say anything when they found baggies with residue of weed in my brothers room. They had seen how he was no longer getting mad all the time and was not as stressed out about everything.

Marijuana has been known to calm people like those who suffer from bipolar-ness, anxiety, autism, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as people with insomnia that are too high strung to sleep. It also affects those with cerebral palsy and muscle spasms in a positive way by releasing some of the pain they have to endure. The disorder that has also benefited from marijuana is glaucoma, it has help release some of the pressure in the eyes.

There is the controversy of why people can’t just use medications that is prescribed for them already. However unlike man made drugs, marijuana is natural. Benefits that come with marijuana are that not only that it helps with better appetite or that it causes less damage to the kidneys but that is not as expensive as some medication. In Joan Bello’s book The Benefits of Marijuana she says  “With the expansiveness that occurs with marijuana, the subject may begin to notice infinite possibilities to raise the quality of his/her life that would otherwise have remained hidden from normal, defensive consciousness. And feelings of health and happiness naturally lead to hope, which of itself can be curative.”

I do believe in the legalization of marijuana, for medicinal purposes. Those who don’t need it already use it so why not make it available to those who actually need it.