Medical marijuana is a thorny issue because so many people have strong feelings about recreational marijuana use. Many dismiss it off the cuff due to associations of marijuana as a recreational drug. But as the Alabama House’s Health Committee prepares to consider a bill legalizing medical marijuana in this state, it’s worth considering some of the arguments in favor of legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes.
To begin with, it does appear that marijuana has legitimate medical purposes that cannot be served by other drugs. The Institute of Medicine published a 280-page study finding that marijuana can be used to treat pain that is nonresponsive to traditional medicine, and Alabama doctors have espoused its uses (albeit anonymously). Additionally, 18 states have already legalized medical marijuana, and more are considering bills that would do the same.
Furthermore, it’s worth considering that the negative health effects of medical marijuana may be less severe than the negative health effects of legal drugs with the same uses. In general, cannaboids are used to treat severe chronic pain, which is also treated by opiates like codeine or morphine.
Opiates are usually highly addictive and come with dangerous side effects like slowed heart rate, seizures and altered state of mind. In states where medical marijuana is legal, patients can often replace dangerous opiates with safer cannaboids.
Some argue that the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes will lead to more widespread use of marijuana recreationally, but this is not necessarily the case. For starters, those who use this argument may underestimate the ease of obtaining marijuana illegally. I believe that at my high school, it would have been much easier to buy a bag of marijuana than to obtain a prescription for which I did not qualify. And when 40 percent of high school students have tried something, it seems clear to me that containment efforts have already failed.
On that note, it’s crucial to remember that a bill legalizing medical marijuana would not change any of the sanctions in place against recreational marijuana. Being caught with pot and no license would still lead to 1-20 years of incarceration and up to a $200,000 fine. Furthermore, in states where medical marijuana is legal, federal law enforcement agencies conduct regular inspections and raids to discourage abuse.
I don’t believe that it should be easy to get marijuana. But if a culturally stigmatized substance can offer relief to those who cannot find it elsewhere, then it makes sense to at least weigh the pros and cons.
Alabama’s House is likely to dismiss the bill to legalize marijuana, but hopefully they’ll consider the issue carefully before they make their choice. As members of an active and informed government, they – along with all of us – have a responsibility not to make judgments out of hand.
Nathan James is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column runs weekly on Thursdays.
