Imagine being five years old and not being able to have a regular childhood. Instead of going to school and playing with other children you are taking intensive medication to keep your body from seizing. In fact, some of the medication is making your conditions worse and keeping you in and out of the E.R. This is a rundown of Charlotte Figi’s true story. Sometimes she had up to 50 seizures a night until her parents got her a medical marijuana card in the state of Colorado. (Gummow) Marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, used for its euphoric effects. (Marijuana) It is often used for similar purposes that alcohol is used for, but medically, marijuana is a great natural cure for fatal illnesses. Cancer, epilepsy and certain surgeries have been cured or treated by marijuana. Today one of the biggest controversies in America is whether marijuana should be legalized, meaning people over the age of 21 would be allowed to purchase and have one ounce of dried marijuana in their possession. (Lavender) Some disagree but, the wonders marijuana does and would continue do for people suffering extensive illnesses is why it should be legalized; in addition to the tax revenues that would benefit Americas’ economy and the dangers of illegal drug businesses would reduce if legalized.
Those who may oppose the legalization of marijuana believe that machine operated fatal accidents will increase, such as car accidents, because the bodily effects are similar to alcohol consumption. Also they believe that it is a gateway drug to worse illegal drugs like crack, heroin or meth. The reality of it is that people will continue to use drugs whether they are illegal or not. However, marijuana is the least harmful of all drugs and if legalized it could be a cure or a step down for those who abuse more extensive drugs. According to askmen.com, “alcohol overdoses claim approximately 5,000 casualties per year.”(Bonander) In any case, marijuana is a lot safer than alcohol. There has not been any real proven study that marijuana is a gateway to harsher drugs and as mentioned before, marijuana can be an alternative to more extensive drugs. Many over-the-counter and Drug Enforcement Administration approved drugs have proven to be addictive, so marijuana should be simply approved because it has no link to addiction. (Bonander) Marijuana’s medicinal benefits outweigh their temporary negative aspects. The way marijuana is consumed is it can be smoked in hand-rolled joints or water pipes or it can be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. (DrugFacts) When marijuana is smoked or ingested it carries THC to the brain, which acts on certain molecules called “cannabinoid receptors” and it “over activates” causing a calm to the mind and body. (DrugFacts) Since Marijuana relaxes the body it is able to treat pain, nausea and even ease epilepsy symptoms like in Charlotte Figi’s story.
After battling seizures from three months old to six years old, Charlotte Figi’s life was...