The United States has been experiencing an increase in the use of medical marijuana in recent years as more people integrate it in their daily lives. Medical marijuana has emerged as a natural alternative to synthetic drugs in dealing with chronic health conditions and provide a sign of relief from pain. As more people continue to accept its usage, the industry has boomed. However, the growth of this industry brings several problems that come in the form of controversies surrounding its legality and safety ( Machado et al., 2011) . The issue under concern is that the boom in medical marijuana business creates controversy since marijuana is still an illegal drug in the United States and many other countries. The legal status of medical marijuana is a complicated issue despite its growth in usage with different states introducing specific cannabis laws. The federal government is also yet to accept the use of medical marijuana or agree with its safety measure ( Machado et al., 2011) . This growing controversy makes this business a problem as buyers and sellers are not sure about its legality, which may affect the profitability of the industry.
The solution to this problem is to legalize medical marijuana as an alternative medication in the health sector. This will stop the controversies surrounding the business of medical marijuana while benefiting society in no small extent. Legalizing the production and sale of medical marijuana can be beneficial since the drug is considered to have legitimate therapeutic value ( Bostwick, 2012) . Several reasons illustrate the need to legalize medical marijuana and allow the business to grow. First of all, there is a legal medicinal value to marijuana with several studies showing how it can be used for medicinal purposes to treat a variety of medical conditions. The drug is used in treating chronic pain, reduce inflammation and deal with psychotic diseases. Reports have also shown that patients suffering from neurogenerative diseases and other chronic, life-threatening conditions stand to benefit from the introduction of medical marijuana into the market ( Martin, 2011).
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Secondly, the safety of medical marijuana that has been an issue under concern is often a misguided fear as the medical field has shown that it is safe. While some states in the United States have legalized marijuana use, others still restrict its use, thus limiting the possibility of medical marijuana to be sold in traditional pharmaceutical settings ( Machado et al., 2011) . Some authorities have raised concerns over the unknown risks of medical marijuana when used on vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly. The primary care is based on smoked marijuana with scientists unable to prove the safety of using smoked marijuana. However, no report has emerged from scientific research showing the undesirable effects of using medical marijuana for treatment ( Martin, 2011) . Instead, the product has been shown to protect a patient from adverse effects of depression and anxiety due to the lack of psychoactive effect associated with THC compounds. The medical marijuana is safe and lacks a psychoactive effect, standing out as a natural calming substance whose possibilities for future growth are still wide open ( Metts et al., 2016) . The non-euphoric attribute of medical marijuana and a lack of addictive effect makes it safe for a person of any age to use. Medical marijuana can be administered at high doses without the risk of causing any psychological side effects on the patients. Medical marijuana can also be used to reduce the addictive impact of recreational marijuana by reducing these undesirable impacts.
Marijuana is often blamed for creating bad habits among the users that could drive them into engaging in criminal activities. In the event, most countries consider it illegal and restrict its use in the medical field ( Machado et al., 2011) . In most cases, the debate on legalizing medical marijuana always comes up due to the misinformation surrounding the safety of the drug on the patient, with most of the controversies surrounding medical marijuana results from misguided thoughts, misinformation and unfound fears coming from a poor understanding of the chemical properties in the drug ( Anderson & Rees, 2014) . In the past, scientists used to associate CBD in cannabis with the formation of euphoria-feeling and restricted its use making it a controlled substance. However, the emerging evidence of the safety of medical marijuana stated with studies that showed variance between CBD and THC, which proved that the two compounds are unrelated and do not cause any undesirable effects ( Martin, 2011) . Research on medical marijuana has proved that THC and CBD are created following different paths in the plant, meaning they have different attributes including their impact on the body.
The THC component of cannabis is responsible for this effect in the body and is associated with causing the euphoric feeling. In this regard, the first step in understanding marijuana is realizing the differences between the THC and CBD within the cannabis plant. Most illegal marijuana found on the streets has a high amount of THC substance which is why it is used for recreational purposes ( Borgelt, 2013) . This marijuana used for recreational purposes has an addiction effect that can make a person to ingest more. The THC in the drug is an intoxicating and illegal substance that is responsible for the dark side associated with marijuana. On the other hand, the chemical composition of THC varies widely with that of CBD in the pot, which makes medical marijuana safe ( Bonn-Miller et al., 2014) . This makes medical marijuana a legal substance that is safe to consume in any capacity. Most of the booming medical marijuana business contains the marijuana products that are derived from industrial hemp with low THC compound and high CBD properties that allows it to offer a body relief from pain as well as treat symptoms of other diseases such as cancer ( Metts et al., 2016) .
Marijuana contains numerous cannabinoids that have different effects when consumed into the body. The two major components are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) with these two components varying from plant to plant ( Borgelt, 2013) . Hemp refers to cannabis that has a large concentration of CBD and a lower concentration of THC, which makes it safe for use without the risk of causing euphoria in the users. As such, Hemp contains most of the chemical compounds that are utilized in medical marijuana including products such as CBD oil. On the other hand, natural marijuana has a high concentration of THC chemical compound, which is why it is utilized for recreational purposes. However, most medical marijuana has a low level of THC compound that may be considered unsafe, thus it does not contain high amounts of THC that may lead to its characterization as Schedule 1 drug ( Metts et al., 2016) .
Cannabidiol is the primary non-psychotropic ingredient in marijuana that is utilized for medical marijuana due to having multiple pharmacological actions ( Borgelt, 2013) . Industries have been using this component in creating medical products that can be used to relieve pain and deal with other common conditions such as seizure, inflammation, cancer, and psychotic disorders ( Martin, 2011) . The compounds found in medical marijuana have less concentration of THC compounds that may make a person high, which makes it safe for use. Combined with its proved medicinal value, medical marijuana appears to be valuable to society.
Therefore, the main problem surrounding medical marijuana is its association with the THC compound that is considered unsafe for children and the elderly. The mixture is supposed to have substances that interact with specific cells in the brain, causing undesirable psychotropic effects in the body ( Martin, 2011) . A psychoactive substance is any chemical that can affect the central nervous system once it enters the bloodstream. The material is responsible for the illegality of marijuana due to having negative impacts on the body, such as altering behavior or causing an individual to lose faculties. This is why federal authorities regulate all marijuana products with the fear of this harm ( Anderson & Rees, 2014) . In this regard, legalizing the medical marijuana business can be the solution to avoid the controversies arising from the booming industry.
Legalizing the use of marijuana may seem a controversial solution, but several pieces of evidence have pointed out towards the importance of medical marijuana. Most of the studies have shown that the benefits of medical marijuana outweigh the risks when used in the health field ( Borgelt, 2013) . The drug has been shown to be more beneficial with minimum risks when used for treatment, which removes the fears of safety. As such, legalizing the use of medical marijuana can be helpful to the medical field ( Anderson & Rees, 2014) . There are other benefits of legalizing marijuana that can benefit the cannabis industry as well as the country at large. The economy stands to benefit from the cannabis industry when it is allowed to be traded legally. Legalizing medical marijuana is shown to be beneficial from an economic perspective. It can save the government on law enforcement expenses while creating a new form of economic activity that will bring large sums of money for the government ( Bonn-Miller et al., 2014) .
Marijuana dealing has remained a huge problem that the county has been facing for many years and which has resulted in a war on drugs. The debate over legalization of marijuana has been in existence for a long time and presents one of the most controversial issues in the United States. The classification of CBD as schedule one narcotic by the drug enforcement administration has also made it difficult to study the safety of the drug ( Metts et al., 2016) . The designation has made it difficult to legalize its sell in the traditional pharmaceutical settings. This schedule 1 status means the drug has a high potential for abuse rather than medical benefits. In most cases, medicines are considered unsafe until proven safe, which is a concern for medical marijuana whose safety is yet to be proven. There has been minimum testing for CBD products in human clinical trials to determine its safety and potential for side effects, which raises concern over its legality ( Martin, 2011) .
Despite the government classifying all marijuana as Schedule 1 status, medical marijuana is considered safe and more people are continuing to integrate it into their daily lives. The drug has been found to be non-toxic, non-addictive and non-intoxicating as its production continues ( Bonn-Miller et al., 2014) . Consumer demand for medical marijuana has been on the rise based on the multipurpose functions of the product which has led to the growth of the industry. The medication functions as a specific therapy for diverse medical conditions including pain, sleep disorder anxiety and depression ( Bostwick, 2012) . Today, numerous CBD drugs are found over the counter and in cannabis-specific dispensaries throughout the country as more people purchase the drug online. The medicine is being sold as oil to provide an alternative holistic medicine that is a natural answer to synthetic drugs.
However, the medical marijuana industry is yet to be fully discovered with little studies conducted in the area, which means there are more prospects are more researchers start focusing in the area ( Bonn-Miller et al., 2014) . The future of cannabinoids and medical marijuana is bright as more people continue looking towards self-medication rather than dealing with primary health providers. The ability to consume without intoxication makes marijuana perfect for this aspect and allows for the provision of palliative care ( Anderson & Rees, 2014) . At the same time, several states in the United States have adopted programs that encourage the explosive research into industrial hemp, which allows for extraction of CBD oil to be used for medical purposes. Allowing for the growth of industrial hemp has contributed to the growth of the medical marijuana industry
In conclusion, the boom in medical marijuana business can be seen as a problem from the right lens as it contradicts with the safety and legality of the drug. This is brought about by the drug regulation laws that restrict the use of certain medications in the medical field due to safety concerns. However, medical marijuana is yet to make its way into the traditional pharmaceutical settings due to the controversy surrounding its legality ( Machado et al., 2011) . It has become one of the most controversial drugs in the United States due to its association with the euphoric nature of marijuana. In May 2018, the federal court in the United States declined to protect CBD drugs from the federal law enforcement, signaling its illegality. Legalizing medical marijuana could be a solution to the controversial issues surrounding the industry.
References
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Machado Bergamaschi, M., Helena Costa Queiroz, R., Waldo Zuardi, A., & Crippa, A. S. (2011). Safety and side effects of cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent. Current drug safety , 6 (4), 237-249.
Martin, M. (2011). The Medical Effects Of Marijuana and the Science Behind It. Medical marijuana 101 . Quick Trading Company, ebook.
Metts, J., Wright, S., Sundaram, J., & Hashemi, N. (2016). Medical marijuana: A treatment worth trying?. Journal of Family Practice , 65 (3), 178-186.
