Marijuana has many health benefits, from relieving pain to stopping the progression of Alzheimer's disease (medical benefits of cannabis). What other medicine is there that has such a wide range of healing properties? There is certainly no drug manufactured on the market that can treat so many types of illnesses with a single drug, like marijuana. Medical marijuana use results in fewer harmful side effects and more positive medical uses than any synthetic pharmaceutical on the market. My position on this topic will be that marijuana should be legalized and more easily obtained for people with chronic illnesses who can benefit from this natural medicine. There are many medications on the market today for just about every type of illness. They may be effective against a single disease, but the side effects of most of these drugs are worse than the disease they are intended to treat. For example, side effects of the medication (used to treat Alzheimer's disease) Exelon® (rivastigmine) include, but are not limited to: Severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, hallucinations, aggression, dangerously slow heart rate (bradycardia ), stomach or intestinal ulcers, seizures, uncontrollable body movements or contractions and can cause other permanent illnesses such as: Hypothyroidism, diabetes and glaucoma (What is Exelon?). This medicine only treats the symptoms; it does not stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease. A compound found in marijuana, called Cannabidiol, successfully treated memory loss in laboratory mice and researchers say this compound is not a hallucinogen (Alzheimer's). Are the risks really worth the benefits when there is an all natural medication that can stop the progression of this disease...... middle of paper ...... patients insurance would pay for the medication as n Any other synthetic pharmaceutical products and the government could impose a tax on these products, which would at the same time help reduce the deficit. It would be a win-win for everyone.Works CitedUnknown. (nd). Medical benefits of cannabis. Retrieved from http://www.cannabissearch.com/medical_benefits/ Harris, G. (June 30, 2009). Ban is advised on 2 top pills for pain relief. The New York Times, retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/health/01fda.htmlUnknown. (nd). International statistics. Retrieved from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/international-statistics.htmlUnknown. (nd). Vicodin addiction and treatment. Retrieved from http://www.drugabusehelp.com/drugs/vicodin/Unknown, . (nd). Marijuana Myths and Facts. Retrieved from http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/#tobacco