Your state is considering passage of a statute that exempts possession and use of marijuana from prosecution if it is used for medical purposes. One of the cases that has been used to support the statute is that of Regina S., a 65-year-old woman, who has a son who has been undergoing treatment for cancer. The chemotherapy treatment made her son nauseous and he was in pain. Prescribed medication was not working, and Regina read that marijuana might be of help to her son. Regina is a gardener and decided to start growing marijuana in her back yard in order to give her son. The marijuana helped his nausea and discomfort. Your supervisor has asked you to write a short memo on marijuana and medical marijuana issues. You cover the following issues:

What is the history of the prohibition of marijuana in the U.S?

Explain how the U.S. and many state governments categorize controlled substances into Schedules I-V. In which Schedule is marijuana classified?

Identify and describe the effects of marijuana usage on the brain and behavior.

Is marijuana addictive? Support your answer with research.

Are there scientific studies that support a finding that marijuana usage can have medical benefits? If so, what are those findings?

Do you support medical marijuana legislation? Use your research to support your answer.