Medically Legal

The day in class in which Robin asked us to relocate around the room according to our religious beliefs vs. science, I sat towards the back right.  The back right signified a scientific belief and little religious standings.  I am a very science oriented person which is why I am majoring in a science specific field, but I also believe that there is something out there, such as god, that helped the creation of the universe.  In my opinion, science explains a lot about how everything was created but science alone did not do all the work which is where I feel God, or a higher power, fits in.  In addition to believing in a higher authority, I also strongly believe in Karma which is associated with religious beliefs and faith.  Thinking about where I fit in, I decided to further look upon the area of legalization of marijuana.  Not only is this controversial regarding religion, but science as well. 

In 1972, the US Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because they considered it to have "no accepted medical use." Since then, 16 of 50 US states and DC have legalized the medical use of marijuana.  Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. They cite dozens of peer-reviewed studies, prominent medical organizations, major government reports, and the use of marijuana as medicine throughout world history.  Opponents of medical marijuana argue that it is too dangerous to use, lacks FDA-approval, and that various legal drugs make marijuana use unnecessary. They say marijuana is addictive, leads to harder drug use, interferes with fertility, impairs driving ability, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain. They say that medical marijuana is a front for drug legalization and recreational use.

Religion plays a large role in the legalization process.  The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says the government cannot make laws "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion. Many people use marijuana as a religious sacrament, and forcing them not to use marijuana clearly prohibits the free exercise of their religion. In order to comply with the First Amendment, our laws should allow for the religious use of marijuana.  However, American courts have generally rejected religious use as a defense to prosecution for marijuana possession.   Many claim that,even if the drug is shown to be harmful, isn't it the right of every person to choose what harms him or her? Marijuana use is generally thought of as a "victimless crime", in that only the user is being harmed. You can't legislate morality when people disagree about what's considered "moral".  In the religious standpoint, there are strong arguments for both sides of the issue. 

From a science standpoint, there are also two distinct sides of the issue regarding the legalization of marijuana.  It has been said that Marijuana’s legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions. As US energy policy continues to embrace and promote the development of bio-fuels as an alternative to oil dependency and a way to reduce carbon emissions, it is all the more important to develop industrial hemp as a bio-fuel source – especially since use of hemp stalks as a fuel source will not increase demand and prices for food, such as corn. Legalization of marijuana will greatly simplify the regulatory burden on prospective hemp cultivation in the United States.  On the other hand, It is asserted that the marijuana controversy is primarily a political, rather than a scientific, debate. It is a struggle to establish moral hegemony. Stances toward marijuana use and legalization are largely a manifestation of prior basic underlying ideological commitments. Scientific truth or falsity seem to have little or no impact on the positions taken--although both sides will crave scientific findings and in fact will actually believe them--and have been preselected to verify a position already taken.

From my standpoint, I believe that medical marijuana should be legalized due to its use as a bio-fuel and its effects on people suffering from severe pain.  I feel as though by legalizing marijuana we need to put forth extensive rules and regulations so that it does not leak into mainstream society and cause a social confliction.  Many religions such as the Amsterdam Cannabis Ministry have been established tying together religion and a science to form a way to show people that a natural herb from the earth can help patients in hospitals and our economy at the same time in moderation.