Marijuana for medicinal use

I’ve long not understood why there is even an argument against the legal use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. I’m not going to debate about recreational use, but I just don’t understand the adamant refusal of our governments in the Western world to acknowledge that marijuana has its place in treating the symptoms of several illnesses.

One argument is that it’s not safe to stock marijuana. Hello? We stock morphine, we stock opium and belladonna, we stock methadone – and we’re afraid of stocking marijuana?

If someone is dying of a terminal illness and we have a substance that can help them with nausea and general discomfort, don’t we have an obligation to provide it? It’s not like we can’t access the stuff. It’s not like it costs a fortune.

I don’t understand it. The governments would rather fight a war on drugs – all drugs – than to allow dying people live more comfortably in their final days. Oh sure, in Canada, there is “access” to medicinal marijuana. If you’re well enough to jump through all the flaming hoops, that is.

Just as a doctor can prescribe a strong opioid like Fentanyl®, he or she should be allowed to prescribe marijuana if there is a legitimate medical reason for it. In my opinion, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Unless you mean “butts.” :-)

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