Medical marijuana is a controversial subject among many people.  Opponents see it merely as an illegal drug that should be banned.  Proponents see it as a natural way to deal with medical problems and think it should be widely used.  Whatever way the drug is seen, more and more states are legalizing medical marijuana for use among patients with a variety of conditions and diseases. 

But, what are the uses of medical marijuana’s and its benefits?  For most proponents, medical marijuana is used to help patients deal with a variety of symptoms, including chronic pain, nausea and depression. 

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the following diseases or symptoms can be legally treated with medical marijuana if a state has legalized medical marijuana:


But, only patients in states where medical marijuana is legal are allowed to use medical marijuana for these purposes.  Federal law does not allow for marijuana to be used at all. 

The uses of medical marijuana include the treatment of depression, and patients say it works better than more traditional drug therapy.  Opponents to the legalization of medical marijuana take issue with these claims.  According to them, there has been no definitive link that medical marijuana improves the symptoms of depression.  There has also been little proof that medical marijuana has helped people with multiple sclerosis, except in dealing with the pain associated with the disease.

Many countries, including Canada, Austria and the Netherlands, have studied the uses of medical marijuana and have legalized the drug for patient use.  While the use of medical marijuana in the United States remains controversial, many proponents of the drug have promoted the vast improvements seen in patients with nausea, vomiting, chemotherapy hunger issues and general pain.  While medical marijuana is still considered illegal according to the federal government, the use of medical marijuana will remain a contentious issue.