Known as the Compassionate Care Act in New York State, laws legalizing medical marijuana have started to sweep the nation, ranging from the permissiveness of California to the full-blown complete legalization in Colorado. The Compassionate Care Act was enacted to provide a safe and effective medical marijuana program that meets the needs of New Yorkers. It will ensure that cannabis is available for certified patients with serious conditions while being administered in a manner that protects the public’s health and safety. As of June 19, 2014, New York State, along with twenty-two other states, passed laws allowing the use of medical marijuana; however cannabis still remains forbidden under federal laws and all patients are at risk for federal prosecution.

A world of controversy surrounds the use of medical marijuana. Society has been taught that marijuana is a drug of abuse, making a great percentage of society doubt the legalization process. However, cannabis is an ancient medication, useful for an array of medical conditions and ailments. In the early twentieth century, physicians routinely implemented various cannabis products with their patients and pharmaceutical companies sold assorted cannabis tablets and extracts. When the prohibition ended in the 1930s, Director of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Harry Anslinger, fronted a campaign to demonize the marijuana, which at the time was being used recreationally by jazz musicians and Mexican soldiers. Anslinger’s efforts led to the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which resulted in a prohibitive tax on the medication and ultimately led to the removal of cannabis from the United States Pharmacopoeia in 1941. Since 1941, medical marijuana has no longer been included in pharmacology texts, and healthcare professionals are taught only that marijuana is a drug of abuse.

There are a myriad of reason why the legalization of marijuana for medical use is beneficial. Of all the justifications to legalize marijuana, none is more compelling than its medical usage; millions of people are needlessly suffering due to the prohibition against marijuana for medical use.

Marijuana is known by many names; the most common is cannabis. This is the Latin name used most often by botanists and pharmaceutical companies. The word marijuana simply refers to the leaves and female flowers of the cannabis plant. Cannabinoids are substances in cannabis that act on cells in the body (called cannabinoid receptors) to cause some effect. Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds secreted by the cannabis flowers. These compounds work their “medicinal magic” by imitating endocannabinoids our body naturally produces, allowing for communication between cells that a deficiency in the endocannabinoid system may have stopped (Rahn n.p.). When consumed, the cannabinoids affix themselves to receptor sites in the patient’s brain; the cannabinoids will have different effects depending on what receptors they bind to. The possibilities of cannabinoids being used as medicine is “promising” and effective (McCarberg n.p.). The two major ingredients include in cannabis:

• Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, causes the psychoactive effects of "getting high."
• Cannabidiol, or CBD, does not cause psychoactive effects but has shown some positive effects on certain body systems and may potentially affect seizures.

Marijuana is an effective and safe medication with fewer negative side effects than most prescription drugs. It is a proven treatment for a variety of ailments including cancer, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Cannabis is a “great benefit to a vast number of people” because of its anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties which helps individuals suffering from arthritis or autoimmune conditions (McCarberg n.p.). Conjointly, the cannabinoids found in marijuana helps to alleviate nausea and vomiting, stimulate appetite, and help with depression all of which benefit AIDS and cancer patients.

Cannabis has been proven to be beneficial to individuals managing epilepsy, especially young children who have been diagnosed with refractory, or intractable, epilepsy. Evidence from laboratory studies and small clinical studies from a number of years suggest that cannabidiol, which is a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis, could potentially be helpful in controlling seizures. Individuals wishing to manage their seizures who have tried cannabis, usually a strand with high ratios of cannabidol to THC, have reported a decrease in seizure frequency and an improved quality of life. A prime example of this would be the report describing the results of Charlotte, a young girl with Dravet syndrome who is the inspiration for Charlotte's Web, a strand of cannabis with than 0.3% of THC that has gained immense popularity as an option for treating seizures.

In the span of little over a year and a half, I have watched and cheered as two young boys have reached milestones thought to be impossible due to their rare form of intractable epilepsy all because of the benefits of using medical marijuana, particularly Charlotte’s Web. The only sad part is that they were forced to move 1500 miles away due to the restrictions of medical marijuana in New York State. Now I am not saying I am professional when it comes to cannabis and it’s medicinal effects, but if a little boy can learn to walk when doctors told his parents there was great possibility he might not, then why is marijuana for medical use still considered bad? Come on New York State- legalize the leaves already!