Joe Young~ The Grass Is Always Greener

I smoke marijuana. There, I said it.

Intrigued? Now, in all honesty, I’m just messing with you. I haven’t smoked in quite some time. This is not to say, however, that I have anything against those that indulge in marijuana use. And in my opinion, neither should you.

I realize that this is a hot topic and that not everyone will feel the same way as I do, but please hear me out. I want to make it clear that I am not advocating for legal marijuana use. I also don’t believe in the juvenile disposition that makes someone feel as though they can get stoned all the time without any repercussions.

Instead I would just like to take a minute of your time to discuss some of the benefits one can experience from prescribed marijuana use. Those afraid of the truth should exit the post at this time…

I think we have all heard about marijuana being good for people undergoing chemotherapy because it helps their appetite return. However, that is simply scratching the surface. To name a few more…

OTHER MEDICAL BENEFITS: 

• Can be used to prevent and treat glaucoma
• Can help control epileptic seizures
• Can decrease anxiety
• Slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease

source

The next topic I want to discuss is one that I expect to catch some heat for: the benefits of THC use for the developmentally disabled. Again, I do not claim to have all the answers, so all of you would-be criticizers, please step down off of your soapboxes.

BENEFITS FOR THE DISABLED

Let me start off by saying that there are a number of developmental disabilities that exist, and I will not even pretend to act like marijuana will benefit each of them. That being said, I feel that if marijuana use could bring a disabled individual some peace, it would be irresponsible to ignore this possibility.

An example of marijuana helping rather than hurting a situation can be seen in Alex Echols’ case. Alex is described as “severely autistic” and would often go into fits of rage where he would attempt to injure himself, as well as others. This is a situation that hits particularly close to home for me because my younger brother displayed similar behaviors when he was an adolescent.

 Alex Echols

Alex’s parents described a number of possible solutions that they explored for their son. They took Alex to private doctors, exposed him to water therapy, and built a sensory room in their home, but they were to no avail.

According to the Huffington Post, Alex’s mother was the one who found out about medical marijuana use in children with autism. Alex began the treatment, and his family reports that they have seen a drastic change in his behavior. This is a fantastic breakthrough for Alex. However the group home that he currently lives in does not grant him the use of medical marijuana due to federal laws.

source

I would like to end this post with my own simple opinion, because this is a topic that I do feel strongly about. I will just say that I think it is absurd that we live in a country where it’s legal to go buy a fifth of whiskey and a six-pack, and drink to your heart’s content, but the same can’t be said for marijuana users. Maybe I am being naïve, but I think that marijuana is still illegal today because of fear of change and nothing more. Our society is, for the most part, a progressive one, and I cannot figure out for the life of me why we cannot change here when there is so much evidence supporting why we should.