Criminology

Abstract
In the ancient times, cannabis was used as a medicinal plant due to its benefits in alleviating chronic pain. The use of cannabis was however banned in the United States. The use of medical marijuana remains one of the most debated issues in the United States. Some states have allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes. There are those who support the use of marijuana in combating the adverse symptoms of various ailments and there are those who oppose its use. This paper will look at some of medical, criminal as well as legal issues revolving around the use of medical marijuana. Various symptoms that can be alleviated with the use of medical marijuana will also be looked at.

Introduction
In an effort to do away with trafficking in chemical substances that exert their action primarily on the central nervous system thereby altering the brain function leading to changes in perception as well as behavior, the Congress in 1970 passed the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana, in the Act, was classified as a schedule I controlled substance on realizing that it had high potential for abuse (Boire Feeney, 2007). At that time, there was no accepted medical use of marijuana in the U.S. and thus, no possibility of safe utilization under medical supervision. It has however come to the realization of researchers over the last 30 years that there exist medicinal values of marijuana, though limited. This realization has put the Act at the center of heated legal controversies concerning the use of marijuana for medical purposes (Annis, 2007).

Medical marijuana
There are a number of medical conditions, according to the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM), which the current medical treatment have failed to tackle completely for quite a number of patients such as glaucoma, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, metastasis cancer, and diabetes. Patients suffering from these conditions experience extreme pain, eye pressure, vomiting, acute nausea, muscle tremors, and wasting from the disease itself as well as the treatment physicians apply to tackle it. The U.S. Institute of Medicine discovered that cannabis greatly relieve the suffering of these patients when other forms of medication fail (Vonn, 2004).

As indicated by Connolly (2006), cannabis have for long been used for medicinal purposes. Its therapeutic effects are widely employed for conditions such as cancer, AIDS, chronic pain as well as glaucoma. It has been widely used in alleviating pain in patients undergoing chemotherapy. In addition, marijuana is a very good nausea suppressant. Drugs Policy Alliance Network (2010), states that it is used by patients who have AIDS as an appetite stimulant. Cannabis minimizes traumas of muscle spasms. Marijuana is safer than a lot of other prescribed drugs. It can also be used as a form of treatment for many psychological disorders such as anxiety and stress.  It is very wrong for the government to declare the use of a plant, which has so many medicinal purposes illegal. As stated by Khatapoush and Hallfors (2004), states like California are doing a commendable job for initiating programs aimed at legalizing the use of the drug for medicinal purposes.

The department of treasury as stated by Vonn (2004) has been challenged by the legislative council of the American Medical Association on all fronts. Time and again, marijuana has been depicted as a causative factor for crime. But nobody has ever been produced from the Bureau of Prisons to prove the number of people addicted to marijuana. An informal investigation reveals that the Bureau of Prisons do not have concrete information to support that notion up to now.

The danger of the matter is taken only to be in the mind of the Bureau of Narcotics. No evidence has been produced to portray the level of danger posed by marijuana to the U.S. It is claimed that the American Medical Association was not aware of the development of anti-marijuana laws (Boire Feeney, 2007). Medical professionals wonder why bills are prepared in secret without giving even the slightest hint. The American Medical Association does not object the marijuana law as a result of any liberal approach toward the drug or its users (Boire Feeney, 2007). Vonn (2004), states that prohibition of medical marijuana led to development of irritation as well as uptight harassment of the practitioners. Quite a number of doctors felt that these laws were a violation of their right to treat their patients in a manner they deemed fit. The American Medical Association opposes the marijuana laws on remembering the difficulties doctors have encountered in connection with other laws that deal with drug regulation so as to avoid similar circumstances from occurring.

Allowing patients to legally access medical marijuana is an issue that have been extensively discussed by various organizations including American Medical Association,  Aids Action Council, California Medical Association, National Association of Attorneys and American Public Health Association. Public opinion is also in support of lifting the ban on the use of medical marijuana. Research indicates that a very large percentage of Americans support the legal use of marijuana by doctors so as to relive pain and suffering (Drugs Policy Alliance Network, 2010).

Conclusion
Cannabis sativa had for long been used as a medicinal before its use was prohibited in the United States. Restriction of the use of marijuana was instituted so as to curb the increase in its trafficking. Extensive research has however, been carried out bringing to a realization of researchers that there exist medicinal values of marijuana. This realization has put the Prohibition Act at the center of heated legal controversies concerning the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Therapeutic effects are widely employed for conditions such as cancer, AIDS, chronic pain as well as glaucoma. It is used as a nausea suppressant as well as an appetite stimulant in AIDS patients. Prohibiting the use of medical marijuana is denying doctors the right to treat their patients in a manner they deem fit.