MEDICINAL MARIJUANA CARDS LET PUBLIC SMOKE LEGALLY

Although marijuana is currently illegal, anyone over the age of 18
with a doctor's note can get their hands on it.

Cannabis clubs, companies that sell medical marijuana, have been
popping up all over northern and southern California, since medical
marijuana was legalized in 1996.

Even here in Sonoma county, billboards line the highway advertising
the easy access to these marijuana clinics. Dial a 1-800 number and
anyone can have the information at their finger tips about how to
purchase marijuana legally.

However, in order to even enter a club, each person must possess a
medical marijuana card or a doctor's recommendation in order to
receive a cannabis card.

Finding a doctor to write a letter of recommendation for use of
marijuana can be difficult because of its illegal nature, but there
are some doctors who believe strongly in the power of medicinal marijuana.

"Therapeutic use of marijuana has a history spanning over 4,500
years," said Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D and professor of psychology at
SUNY.

Marijuana has been popular throughout the years for its recreational
uses, but the medicinal purpose seems to be just as popular because
of its natural healing powers.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders believes that marijuana is
less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians usually prescribe.

Many of the people who possess a cannabis card do so because they
would rather smoke an herb than take prescription drugs that are
sometimes accompanied by harsh side affects.

A close friend of mine who had constant headaches took prescribed
medication but never got the same relief as he did from smoking marijuana.

After he came to the conclusion that smoking "weed" helped way more
than any pill did, he went straight to his doctor and pleaded for a
note of recommendation for a medical marijuana card.

After he got a doctors note and received his cannabis card, he can
now purchase marijuana legally, get relief from his migraines, and
discontinue his use of prescription drugs.

Other students say that they wanted a cannabis card so that they
could smoke without the worry of getting in trouble with cops.

The treatment of headaches and back pain with marijuana is still very
taboo and although some doctors are willing to recommend marijuana
usage, others are still very skeptical about whether the patients'
pain is truly helped with marijuana, or if they want it simply for
recreational use.

For the most part, doctors recommend marijuana use to patients
suffering from more serious conditions and diseases, such as cancer
or AIDS, but the fact that this herbal remedy has proven to take away
a migraine, nausea from chemo therapy, or harsh symptoms of AIDS,
shows how helpful and powerful this herb really is.

This herbal remedy has been proven to not only reduce nausea and
increase appetite for cancer patients but also relieve pain.

Although there are prescription drugs that can also help, most of
these patients are already consuming various toxins due to chemo
therapy, and marijuana is a more natural way to reduce the side
affects of chemo.

Not only has marijuana been proven to be less toxic than prescription
drugs but there has also been no proof that it has any negative side
affects.

According to Lester Grinspoon M.D. of Harvard Medical School,
inhaling a days' dose of poor quality city air poses more of a threat
than inhaling a days dose of marijuana.

There are hundreds of positive qualities for medical marijuana use,
as well as hundreds of cons.

The cons believe that medical marijuana can be a gateway to hard
street drugs, that it is addictive, and that there are other options
to treat the ill other than smoking or ingesting marijuana. However,
the pros insist that marijuana is not a gateway drug, but it is just
easier to find.

Legalization of marijuana may appear on the ballots within a few
years time but until then, if you're going to be smoking a blunt-you
better have your cannabis card handy!