Marijuana as Medicine?

Does marijuana actually constitute a medicine? Although marijuana does temporarily alleviate the pain, it does not constitute a medicine. Marijuana has been used as a medicine and an intoxicant for thousands of years in many different parts of the world. In the United States, state and local laws have prohibited the use of marijuana since the early 1900's and by federal law since 1937. Many young adolescents experiment with this drug between the ages of twelve …

…not only are they smoking marijuana regularly, but using one drug leads to many others more dangerous drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy. Because marijuana is smoked for pleasure and not for legitimate reasons, it clearly doesn't fit the definition of what medicine is. Nowhere in that definition does it say anything about causing harm or other bodily problems to one. For those reasons and facts about cannabis herb, marijuana does not constitute a medicine.