Marijuana has become a very popular item in America. Many state shave legalized the drug for medical use while some such as Colorado and California have outright legalized it. Conservatives think it can lead society down a bad path but there are many benefits to the drug some may not see.
For those criticizing use of the drug, they may wish to look at the benefits of marijuana. However, it is difficult when researchers find only 6 percent of studies, as of 2014, analyze the drug’s medicinal benefits. The drug can have negative consequences but it should be noted there are many positives to the drug:
1: Fighting Glaucoma
The drug can help to treat glaucoma, which is an eye disease causing damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision. Marijuana can decrease the pressure being pushed upon the eye. The National Eye Institute found studies in the early 1970s showed it to be true.
2: Reverses Negative Effects of Tobacco Smoking
Marijuana could help fix lung capacity. It will not cause problems for breathing. The Journal of the American Medical Association noted the fact in January 2012. According to research, tobacco smokers can lose their lung function over time from smoking tobacco while cannabis smokers can have an increase in their lung capacity when using marijuana.
3: Controls Seizures
Marijuana can help to stop seizures in epileptics, a study from Virginia Commonwealth University discovered. Robert DeLorenzo, a researcher at the university, gave marijuana to epileptic rats and found the drugs ridding the rats of their seizures for around 10 hours. Marijuana has ingredients such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which can bind to the brain cells geared toward regulating excitability and regulating relaxation.
4: Stops Cancer
According to researchers at the California Medical Center in San Francisco, the drug may be responsible for ending the spread of cancer. In their 2007 report, they found the drug can shut off the gene, Id-1. The gene regulates the potential of breast and other cancers. Cancer cells might make more copies of the gene than non-cancerous cells in order to spread them throughout the human body. Breast cancer cells were discovered to have high concetrations of the gene.
After looking at the cells treated with cannabis, they were found to contain less Id-1. There have been other studies in the USA, Spain and Israel, which find marijuana may cause a decline in the spread of cancer.
5: Eliminating Anxiety
The drug might cause a decline in anxiety. It can help to end pain and stop nausea. Harvard Medical School researchers found the drug could cause reduced anxiety, which may make the smoker happier. It might still, however, lead to higher anxiety in larger doses and paranoia.
While marijuana has been found to cause memory impairment and mood swings, it has many more positive uses such as preventing cancer from spreading. Critics of marijuana legalization may find it helpful to educate themselves on both the pros and cons of the drug. It might help legislators come to a better conclusion as to whether marijuana legalization may be beneficial to the American populace.
