report, commissioned by the federal government, found that marijuana is effective in treating AIDS wasting syndrome and chemotherapy patients whom have been unresponsive to other medications. Even though it is illegal, many oncologists are prescribing cannabis to these patients (Armentano). Marijuana may also provide a more reasonable alternative to euthanasia for terminally ill patients (Thompson Interview). Marijuana may be successfully substituted for many conventional medicines while remaining less toxic and significantly cheaper. Georgia quadriplegic, Louis Covar, claims that he smokes marijuana to provide relief from painful muscle spasms, as the doctor-prescribed narcotics make him drowsy and make it hard for him to communicate. Covar was paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a July 4, 1967 driving accident (Hodson). It is ridiculous to deny the seriously ill the safest, most effective treatment to ease their suffering (Armentano). The new research done on medical marijuana has helped to strengthen arguments for the legalization of marijuana for responsible recreational use.Recreational marijuana, when used prudently, is not as harmful as it is often made out to be; numerous studies have declared that smoking marijuana is not detrimental to ones health. Recently, Kaiser Permanente released a report stating that there is no link between regular marijuana use and mortality. It recommended that medical guidelines regarding [marijuanas] prudent use be established, akin to common senses guidelines that apply to alcohol (qtd. in Still Crazy). In 1972, President Richard Nixon appointed a blue-ribbon panel of experts, headed by former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shafer. The panel concluded that marijuana prohibition was potentially more harmful to the user than usage alone. Going a step further, an earlier NAS report, published in 1982, advocated the decriminalization of possession and recommended that legislators seriously cons...
