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According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 95 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried Marijuana at least once, and 14 million had used the drug at least one month prior to the survey. “Everyone smokes weed these days, it’s not a big deal if you ask anyone,” said Jayson Reduta of Many patients suffering from terminal diseases such as cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis find medicinal marijuana as the most effective means to alleviate their symptoms. Patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer side effects like suppressed appetites. Marijuana can be used to stimulate appetites of patients to meet dietary needs. “Most of the terminal patients that come in say this is the best treatment for them, they know their diseases will eventually take their lives, so is it wrong for them to want to feel as well as they can” said Compassionate Caregivers employee of Hayward Michael Lark. “I understand that there are a lot of people who use and abuse the drug illegally, but if it helps people who are in pain and don’t want to feel lethargic from synthetic drugs, why does the federal government want to deny that from them?” Patients legally using marijuana for medicinal purposes are only protected at the state level and face the chance of being arrested and prosecuted by the federal government. The decriminalization war is being fought on many fronts. In “The feds seized the most marijuana this year than any other year and it will affect the prices the patients have to pay,” said cannabis club member who would like to be referred to as Larry. “The clubs give the best prices they can afford, look at the sacrifices people are making to do it as legit as possible and everyone knows they can get it on the street.” Gonzales v. Raich was a Supreme Court case in 2005 where the court ruled under the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution that Congress can ban the use of medicinal marijuana even with state approval. The federal government fears that decriminalization will increase street distribution of the drug. So by eliminating any type of approved legislation by the states, the severity of street level of conviction will remain or increase. If exceptions are made to the controlled substances black market activity will go unregulated. “I can see the laws in the future letting up on marijuana, so many people do it or are comfortable with it around,” said political science major Leah Salazar. “I know the young people of today will be the leaders of tomorrow and one thing that will always be constant is change, the old views of yesterday will be replaced by what is accepted by modern standards.” This isn’t only about marijuana, the issue of state versus federal power remains to be disputed for many years to come. In the meantime patients are having their preferred treatments given to them and then taken away at the same time. Yes, many people abuse the drug illegally but what will that exactly mean in 20 years? As Salazar said the only thing that will remain constant is change, so is this the final flicker of the conservative candle, or the beginning of a long generation war? But it is clear the people who are making the decisions for terminally ill patients aren’t feeling any of the pain.Related Links:
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Eleven states in the country have passed laws to allow the distribution and possession of medicinal marijuana to patients suffering from a wide variety diseases. At the same time Marijuana remains is the most widely used illegal drug and rising.