An Overly Disputed Little Plant

In this blog stage, I would like to discuss an issue that many people have rather strong opinions about, and one which you can find millions of argumentative articles on. However, I don't want to sound like just another hooligan teenager that thinks marijuana should be legalized so that we can smoke all day and have a good 'ole time. Marijuana, as most people know, has an enormous amount of benefits in combatting diseases and sicknesses. As found on the Disabled World website, this plant can be used to combat the effects of AIDS, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and even some types of cancer, along with other serious diseases. Now, I'm aware that most sicknesses already have medicines and cures that can be used to help those infected, but one of the major benefits of marijuana in my opinion is that its a natural, growing, living plant. It's not a laboratory concocted pill filled with different types of chemicals that you're putting into your body.

Many people have recently fallen into the all-organic trend of eating only fruits and vegetables that have not been grown with pesticides or injected with preservatives to try to live healthier lives; but they still go to the doctor's office to receive medication when they're sick. Obviously there are many things that you need to go to the doctor for, and many things that can't be cured simply by smoking a plant. However, more serious illnesses, such as brain cancer can be combatted with marijuana. A study done in Madrid found that cannabinoids can actually "confer a direct antitumoral effect".

So, as we all know, marijuana has it's definite pros and cons. The argument I want to make is one that has been made many times before: medical marijuana should be legalized country-wide. Fortunately, our country is making progress with 21 legalized medical marijuana states. The problem I see with this is as follows: if a Texas resident was to become sick and desire to be cured in natural ways, such as with the use of marijuana, they would have to move to an entirely different state to have their requests met. To have to go through the stress of moving states on top of having a life-altering disease simply to receive the treatment you desire is just plain dumb!
Of course marijuana is going to have its downfalls, as does alcohol and many other substances. I think, if legalized nationwide, it just needs to have strict regulations, the same as alcohol: age restrictions, driving restrictions, etc. There's always going to be cases in which people abuse substances, it happens every day with things that are legal right now. But in this case, I think that the pros of giving people an all natural option to cure whatever they are dealing with would be a nice little addition to medical practices nowadays.

A cool website: Norml (there's an interesting part that shows the effects in states and countries in which marijuana has been made legal)

House Republicans to Blame?

Hunter, a writer for "Daily Kos" political blog who prefers not to mention his last name, wrote an article today about the government shut down that just occurred. Although many citizens have many things to say about what just took place, this particular article caught my eye because it seems to place all of the blame on the House Republicans, even mentioning it in the title of the article, "Prison, border guards required to work with out pay during House tantrum". Tantrum?! My opinion on this matter is that the House Republicans are not completely to blame for the government shut down. Our debt has been accumulated for years now, and the blame for this shut down can be placed on every single person involved in politics. I think that Obama, the House Republicans, and every government official bickering about Obamacare are being stubborn, and they need to come to a negotiation before this gets even more out of hand. I feel that there should have been a better alternative to a shut down, but I'm sure if there was we wouldn't have proceeded with the shut down, so I guess they did what they had to. Although this article may contain some truth, such as the citizens required to work with out pay, it lacks little, if any evidence to prove that this shut down should be blamed solely on the House. The argument isn't even well formulated, it just makes witty little puns about how the House Republicans should have made better decisions. Fortunately for the writer, it has some logic behind the argument because, from what I've seen, people either side with the House, Obama, or just think that they are all being ignorant (neutral). So I guess this particular blog was just directed towards House-bashers, in which case maybe they did a good job of getting them all worked up into blaming the House. However, one thing I do agree with Hunter about is that it is absolutely ridiculous to expect people to do their jobs with out being paid (prison guards, border patrol, etc.). I know I wouldn't come to work if I were that person, and if something doesn't change I think that the outcome of that matter could be very bad as well.

Blog Stage 3: Obamacare? NObamacare?

The Editorial Board of USAToday recently posted an article in the opinion section of their website entitled "Mend Obamacare, don't end it: Our view". This article is in support of Obamacare, stating that it will help many that do not currently have health insurance or those that cannot afford it. The article admits that the beginning stages of Obamacare may be "rocky", discussing the potential penalties for those who oppose or refuse to sign up for the new health care act, but goes on to state that the overall effects of the bill will be beneficial to many people; even those who currently pay for their health insurance will save money because those who do not have insurance will no longer "drive up health costs for everyone else". Although I haven't been too keen on the idea of Obamacare from what I've heard, this article is making me think twice. The pros that it offers greatly outweigh the cons based on the facts that the article is stating. The writing delivers a good overall message that may change your mind about a few things. However, it fails to tell the reader about the ill effects that Obamacare may produce, therefore making the article seem very one-sided. It's hard to find unbiased information these days, and I don't blame them for only using examples that support their opinion. If someone was looking to gain knowledge about both pros and cons of The Affordable Health Care Act, this article would not be the place to start. It does provide a well rounded argument though.