Propisition 215 Essay, Research Paper

PROPOSITIO

N 215

Timothy Daemon, at the age of 43 is just one of the few individuals who suffer from

AIDS. He is constantly being monitored by hospitals at all times, and must take many

different painkillers each day to help relieve his pain. Timothy takes over twenty pills a day

and is also suffering from malnutrition because of AIDS “wasting syndrome, which is a lack

of appetite. There is no cure for Timothy or others like him with AIDS, so what can be done

to ease their suffering? Is there any way we can help poor Timothy and others like him in

their pain? There is, and its called Proposition 215. Proposition 215 deals with the

legalization of marijuana for medical usage only. Under current California State law, it is a

crime to grow or possess marijuana, regardless of whether the marijuana is used to ease pain

or other symptoms associated with illness.

Throughout the last two years proposition 215 has been a hot issue on the minds of

the voters and California legislature. It has been passed through both houses of the California

legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Wilson (http://Vote96.ss.ca.gov.com). Despite all

the overwhelming support by many physicians, pharmacist, and voters prop. 215 still has

much opposition. The American Food and Drug Administration, James P. Fox, president of

California’s District Attorneys Office and director of the National Drug Control Policy Barry

McCaffery are the strongest of the opposition. Barry McCaffery claims that the proposition

would make it easier for all people to get marijuana and it would add to the continuing drug

problem. He also stated that it would encourage kids to take marijuana because it makes it

seem as if marijuana is a “medicine” and not bad for you (www.cnn.net.com@prop215 pg. 1).

Further more he expressed that it would create loopholes for drug dealers and users to avoid being arrested.

Attorney General James P. Fox claims that anybody with an oral recommendation or written prescription by

a physician can grow, posses, or smoke as much marijuana as he or she pleases (http://Vote96.ss.ca.gov.com).

The FDA claims that there are other alternatives that produce the same effect as marijuana and that marijuana

is to damaging to the body (www.yeson215@yahoo pg.1). They now supply Marinol, a synthetic substitute

for marijuana that can cost $30,000 more a year than marijuana and is often less reliable and less effective

(www.yeson215@yahoo pg.1).

Some of these arguments do make sense and need to be taken into consideration. I do believe that

it may encourage more children to use marijuana because it may seem to them as a form of medicine, which

it is not. It is a painkiller for terminally ill people. Also, the proposition specifically states that marijuana

would only be available to people with specific illnesses and they must have either a signature or verbal

agreement from a physician and pharmacist. If a verbal agreement is given then the doctor can be put under

oath in a court of law. The other arguments are simply preposterous. Proposition 215 does not allow

unlimited amounts of marijuana to be grown anywhere. It may only be grown for the patient’s personal use.

Police officers can still arrest anyone who tries to sell or grow too much marijuana. Today physicians are also

allowed to prescribe powerful drugs like morphine and codeine, which are much more dangerous than

marijuana. So it doesn’t make any sense at all not to prescribe marijuana.

I’m not saying they don’t nave any good arguments. Yet with more pros than cons it’s hard to see why

marijuana isn’t available today for patients. In my opinion the government should do anything in their power

to try to help these patients. Marijuana is not magic, but often it is the only way to get relief. A Harvard

University survey found that almost one-half of cancer doctors surveyed would prescribe marijuana to some

of their patients if it were legal ([email protected]). Marijuana isn’t just for AIDS patients either.

University doctors and researchers have found that marijuana is also effective in lowering internal eye

pressure associated with glaucoma, slowing the onset of blindness. It can help cancer patients. Most have

severe reactions to the disease and chemotherapy, which commonly causes severe nausea and vomiting. One

in three patients discontinue treatment despite a 50% chance of improvement because of pain and suffering.

When one in five Americans will have cancer, and 20 million may develop glaucoma, shouldn’t our

government let physicians prescribe any medicine capable of relieving suffering? (www.yeson215@yahoo

pg.1). We as people, and doctors as medical professionals, should have the right to decide what types of

medicine should and can be used on a person, not the government.

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