There have been many debates over the topic of legalization of medical marijuana. These are only our individual opinions.

C.M.: I am neither a smoker nor a drinker. To be truthful, alcohol, smoking or taking illegal drugs never appealed to me.

When I was very young, one of my relatives died from a drug overdose and my memory of seeing them in a casket at such a young age never left me.

I don’t have a problem if medical marijuana is prescribed correctly to only those who actually benefit from it. It can relieve debilitating symptoms. A lot of people think that it is going to be abused. The sticking point is that people often associate the use of medical marijuana with those who use it for recreational purposes only.

I decided to Google the topic to find out what medical marijuana is used for. WebMD states that it is used for muscle spasms caused by MS (Multiple Sclerosis), nausea from chemotherapy, poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illnesses such as HIV, nerve pain, seizure disorders, and Chron’s disease.

Some of the side effects associated with marijuana: it can cause dizziness, drowsiness, short term memory loss and euphoria. More serious side effects are: anxiety and psychosis.

As long as there are VERY STRICT regulations put in place as to who can dispense the medical marijuana and who should receive it, I’m okay with it. This way, it can be controlled. Those who are suffering debilitating long term conditions should not be denied relief – and NO! I am not for recreational use of marijuana.

P.W.: I am for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. My mother passed away from bone cancer in the ‘90’s. For 7 years she suffered, was bedridden, was in extreme pain and using Percocet. This drug affected her stomach by causing nausea and discomfort. Back in the ‘90’s if medical marijuana was legalized, my mother would have benefited from it instead of Percocet.

There have been many controversies and discussions about legalizing marijuana for medical use. After seeing my mother suffer and knowing others are in pain from medical conditions, this could benefit them.

The United States government should consider allowing medical marijuana be legalized.

K.M.: I am open to anything that can help people. Personally, I do not like not being in control (of my body & mind). If medical marijuana can help people, then okay. Will some people use this as an excuse to get stoned legally? Maybe this is so. Maybe not. Most prescription narcotics have far worse side-effects than medical marijuana. So, if it can help people in chronic severe pain – why not?

We are very interested in your opinion. Feel free to e- mail or snail-mail a letter to express your view. If you have a personal story either based on your own life or someone that you know, please contact us!