by Joshua Mccracken

Created on: June 02, 2009

Medical marijuana should be legal. There is no excuse for it not to be as we already have plenty of intoxicating substances that are dispensed by pharmacists and doctors, many of which are far more toxic than marijuana. In more than 13 states, medical marijuana has already been legalized under state law. Though in many of these states until recently the DEA and other federal officials trumped state laws, closing down medical marijuana dispensaries and arresting terminally ill patients, the winds of change are blowing. Polls reveal that over %75 of Americans support medical marijuana. Since president Barrack Obama took office, US Attorney General Eric Holder heralded the end of DEA interference with state laws as he announced that the federal government would not longer target dispensaries operating legally under state law, provided that they are in complete compliance with state laws. The new administration's position was further reinforced most recently by memorandum released by Barrack Obama himself to his executive branch as legislation is being passed in both California and Massachusetts to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in those respective states. You can find a copy of the memorandum

here

There are numerous reasons for legalizing medical marijuana. Firstly, the substance is extremely non-toxic. In fact, science has been unable to determine a lethal dose of marijuana. Scientists theorize that in order for someone to have a fatal overdose of marijuana they would have to consume approximately 1,500 pounds of the herb in under 15 minutes, which is impossible for even an elephant. In contrast, we have determined lethal doses for aspirin, common cold and flu medications, alcohol, and even water.

Secondly, active chemicals in marijuana referred to as canabinoids are extraordinarily unique in that they are an extremely effective means for controlling nausea, particularly for treating debilitating side effects from treatments for cancer and AIDS including chemotherapy and.antiretroviral medications which can both be rather nasty. The substance is remarkably versatile, notes Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical school during an early 2009 interview for my front page newspaper story on medical marijuana entitled "Smoking Your Meds". It has exemplary painkilling properties with negligible risks for addiction as opposed to traditional opiates such as morphine, hydrocodone, and dilaudid that are presently being used to treat pain in states where medical

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