With the recent opioid crisis and crackdown on drug dealers, all types of drugs seem to be under attack. While there are drugs that we agree should be illegal like methamphetamines, cocaine and LSD, medical marijuana should be legal due to its purpose of healing and treating those who may have no other option.

There is a certain stigma when we hear the word “drugs.” Some of us may think of teenagers partying and getting high, while others may think of a man sitting in jail with no aspirations, staring blankly into space. While this schema can prove correct, people who use drugs do not fall into these categories much of the time. Rather, drug users can often be people who are sick and looking for a cure. This is certainly the case for those who use medical marijuana.

Though more research on the benefits of medical marijuana needs to be done, it is clear that there are legitimate medical uses for marijuana and potential in the main chemical components of marijuana: cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic drug which activates serotonin receptors in the brain without the high, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the pain-relieving chemical  responsible for the high. There is surely use for these chemicals in the medical field, and it would be horrible to turn away from researching this drug just because it is, well, a drug.

Yes, we can ban medical marijuana along with all other types of drugs, but it would end up further harming the health of many and only protect a few. If a drug is used for medicinal purposes and prescribed by a doctor, there should not be any issue with the patient using the drug. Of course, people could falsify illness in order to obtain this marijuana, but the same person could also find a drug dealer with the drug and buy it off them. The point is, people who want drugs will almost always find a way to access them, as there will almost always be people to supply them. Hence, there is no point trying to keep medical marijuana from people who need it just because people that aren’t supposed to have marijuana can get it.

All in all, we believe that an individual using drugs generally does not harm the public and, if anything, only harms themselves. Therefore, medical marijuana, which has an actual medical purpose, should certainly be legalized because not only is it harmless to others, it can also bring health benefits to those who need them most.