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The Debate Digest
A steady supply of pro/con articles to help you deliberate, take a stand, take action, vote, and back yourself up.
Medical marijuana - Should marijuana be made legal for medical purposes? - November 19th, 2009.
Featured pro and con arguments from this article:
PRO: Marijuana is an effective medicine and treatment for many illnesses: Joycelyn Elders, M.D., Former U.S. Surgeon General. Op-ed: Providence Journal. March 26, 2004: "The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS -- or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day."[1]
CON: Marijuana is not an effective drug for treating illnesses Richard H. Schwartz, MD, physician in Advanced Pediatrics. Letter to the Editor, New England Journal of Medicine. July 14, 1994: "...support of the use of marijuana for medical purposes is scientifically unfounded. There is no evidence that marijuana is superior to ondansetron (Zofran), dexamethasone, or synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (Marinol) as an antiemetic in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Nor is there scientific evidence to support the use of marijuana for AIDS-associated anorexia, depression, epilepsy, narrow-angle glaucoma, or spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis."[2]
Recent Debate Digest articles
Gene patents - Are gene patents, particularly related to agricultural and biotech products, a good idea? - November 15th, 2009.
Gays in the US military - Should gays be allowed to serve openly in the US military? Is "don't ask don't tell" bad policy? - October 19, 2009. - This article being used for the National Debate Series: Boston, on November 10th, 2009.
Health insurance cooperatives - Should health insurance co-ops be part of US health care reform? Are they a good alternative to public insurance? - September 4th, 2009.
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November 18th: Pliddell outlined on Debate: Hydroelectric dams the argument that "The construction of dams destroys previous recreational opportunities."
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