For decades marijuana has been seen by the public as a recreational illegal drug, but in recent years the use of cannabinoids has been introduced into the medical field. Thirty-three states have legalized the use of medical marijuana including midwestern states like Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Ohio . Recently a bill was introduced by Senator Anna Wishart to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska.  Wishart is hoping that medical marijuana can be legalized through the Legislature and hopes that legalization will treat sick and suffering Nebraskans. Previous petitions failed to get enough signatures, but the new bill seems to have major support including from Burke students.

“I think that it’s been proven to have many benefits in an array of disorders, diseases and other issues, but I feel if we legalize it medically, then people would fight for it to be legalized recreationally and big alcohol, drug, and pharmaceutical industries wouldn’t like that,” senior Taylor Curtis said.

Despite the fact that some students feel there are positive benefits to legalizing medical marijuana, there are students who disagree.

“Legalizing medical marijuana will most certainly lead to worse things to come. I am not arguing the uses of marijuana in the medical field, and I do, in fact, support them,” senior Will Jewell said. “It is my belief that legalizing such a thing will open the gateway for recreational marijuana and possibly other drugs. I think that, as a whole, individual states should focus on more pressing matters like national security, job security, education and the well-being of all.”

Due to federal regulations and limited access to cannabinoids, testing medical marijuana is limited. Though cannabinoids have shown to impact many medical issues, there is still a risk of lung cancer when marijuana is smoked or inhaled and this is one of the main ways of consuming THC and cannabinoids. Marijuana has been shown to have similar toxins as tobacco when inhaled which can lead to lung damage. Many medical marijuana users have decided that the risk of lung cancer is not nearly as awful as the pain and trouble as cronic illnesses and diseases that medical marijuana can treat and there are other common forms of medical marijuana that are not inhaled, but taken as a pill or as a topical oil.

“Users of medical marijuana do not get high,” Curtis said. “It’s helped an array of issues, and in many cases, better than medications. I think that it should definitely be legalized medically.”

Recently with the legalization in few states many people have begun to experiment with THC and CBD oils to treat different diseases and illnesses and even mental disorders and cronic pain. THC treatments proved to help cancer patients with chemotherapy pain and treat and reduce seizures as well as treat numerous disorders like PTSD, Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, spinal cord diseases, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, epilepsy and insomnia.

“If medical marijuana helps some sleep easier knowing their loved ones are same and helped, I think it should be legalized” Curtis said.