Republicans and Democrats. Coke and Pepsi. McDonald’s and Burger King. Delta and American Airlines. What does each separate group have in common? In America today, there are a wide range of things that create controversy, offend people, and bring on competition. One pair that brings on a lot of issues is alcohol and marijuana. Most likely because of the fact that they are both recreational substances and there a wide range of views on alcohol and marijuana. In this paper, I will research which substance is safer; alcohol or marijuana through research. I will talk about both of the recreational substances advantages and disadvantages, what other opinions are out there, and conclude with which one is the safer choice.
To start off with, alcohol
…show more content…
Drinking and driving is dangerous and not a smart decision. While in middle and high school I have lost friends and people that I know of due to the act of drinking and driving. When someone consumes alcohol they are not only putting themselves in danger, but putting whoever is in the car with them and whoever is around them while they are …show more content…
In some other states, they allow medical marijuana for adults. Some of these states include California, Montana, and New York. On this topic there is a wide range of opinions. The opinions can range from “yes” to “no”. Within the “yes” and the “no’s” there is the opinions of “Yes, it should be legalized.”, but there should be restrictions and “No, it should not be legalized but can be used for medical reasons.” Marijuana is good, but not all the time because, people abuse it; not in some of the ways you think. When there are different opinions involved there can be stuff that is entirely not true especially when it comes to the topic of addiction. Some people say “Marijuana is highly addictive. Millions of Americans seek treatment every year because they become dependent upon marijuana.” (Fox, Armentano, and Tvert 62). The reason why they think that marijuana is so addictive is because they have never tried it. While more people say “Marijuana lacks the physical and psychological dependence liability associated with other intoxicants-including tobacco and alcohol. Very few cannabis users voluntarily seek drug treatment for pot “addiction.” The majority of marijuana smokers in drug treatment were arrested for pot possession and ordered into treatment as a condition of their probation” (Fox, Armentano, and Tvert 62). That they are saying is that it is not
There is a major debate in today’s world about the legalization of cannabis, especially, in the United States. States such as California and Illinois have already moved forward in their open-minded thinking about the drug and are allowing people to use marijuana as an alternative to other prescribed drugs in treating the effects of certain ailments. The idea of legalizing marijuana is a touchy subject for many people; on the one hand its properties are beneficial to many people who suffer from many different illnesses, on the other hand, it is an illegal substance that has many addictive qualities. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s website, “Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in the treatment, in the...
Legalization of Marijuana has quickly become a controversial issue in America. In the United States, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is spreading to the state level. For example, in November 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons. As a result of Proposition 215 in California, patients now smoke marijuana provided their physician recommends its usage. A prescription is not required, and marijuana continues to be illegal to prescribe. The Clinton administration responded that it “would not recognize these decisions, and would prosecute physicians who recommend or provide marijuana to their patients.” Although California and Arizona are the only two states to have already passed laws regulating marijuana usage, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have laws and resolutions regarding marijuana usage. These laws and resolutions range from establishing therapeutic research programs, to allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana, to asking the federal government to lift the ban. Despite the states’ desires to have marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes, the US National Institutes of Health examined all existing clinical evidence about smoked marijuana and concluded that, “There is no scientifically sound evidence that smoked marijuana is medically superior to currently available therapies.”
In Conclusion, drinking and driving is never a good idea. We must work together to urge our government to create stricter drunk driving laws so we may have safer roadways. So next time you are thinking about drinking and driving, think again because in the future it could mean $1,000’s in fines and maybe even years in jail.
The legalization of marijuana is, and has been a heavily disputed issue for decades. On one hand, marijuana could lead to a medical breakthrough, or at least provide relief to cancer and AIDS patients. On the other hand, legalizing a drug could expose it to too broad an audience. As a drug, marijuana has never proven to be anywhere near as harmful as cigarettes or alcohol. Each year in the United States, 400,000 people die from tobacco, 50,000 from alcohol, and from marijuana, zero. Regardless of what side one may take to this argument, there are some causes to this marijuana debate that everyone should know. Marijuana was not always illegal, and the reasons behind the history of narcotic regulation are interesting when viewed from today's perspective. The history of marijuana prohibition is a story of racism, political repression, and poorly represents the qualities this country claims to embody.
Marijuana has had a negative appearance towards the public and government, but that all seems to be changing. Medical marijuana has started to have a huge impact on the United States and the world. It is a borderline substance that some people frown upon, but it has boosted the economy and has helped thousands of people across the United States overcome illnesses. But most people relate medical marijuana to recreational marijuana, which is still illegal in some states. Although many individuals find medical marijuana illegal, and unnecessary, it is a natural herb used to help symptoms caused by chronic illnesses. Over three million Americans use medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is the most widely used drug used to treat chronic illnesses. The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue here in America. Although, there are healthcare professionals that do believe that the use of medical marijuana can be very beneficial for certain patients. Just as there are benefits associated with the use of medical marijuana there are also negative effects associated with it.
People should stop arguing about the use of marijuana and how marijuana is bad, because people only like to research the cons instead of including the pros. Despite the fact that people believe everything they hear, they should look up more and try to see how good marijuana can be for them. Marijuana is good for their health, and it has helped to cure people who are very ill. Marijuana is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol, there has been studies proven that people have died over drinking other than by smoking marijuana. Marijuana will be able to have less people prosecuted for the possession of carrying it around, which will help people not get arrested for a small amount of marijuana.
Using the argument that marijuana will cause addiction upon the individual is purely inadequate to other drugs that come with the similar potential to cause addiction. All of medications come with risk factors, it just depends on the whether the individual is responsible or irresponsible. For example, a responsible adult will take the drug for amount of time prescribed and after the drug took its course of action he or she will cease taking the medication unless told otherwise by a healthcare professional. Prevention strategies for addiction includes “Reducing the availability of excess prescription medications” (Addiction Prevention). With marijuana, yes, it may be more of a challenge just to cease from taking the drug but as mentioned above, responsibility and education of long term effects are essential to reducing the risk of becoming addicted just as other drugs. Commercialized treatment options or medications, always speed up the narrator’s speaking when it comes to the mentioning of the adverse effects. Most of the time, the adverse effects outweigh the main purpose of taking the drug, despite that we still ingest the medication to return back to our normal health or to recover. Society has not overlooked the ugly or imperfect portion of marijuana being a treatment option, instead society has done the exact opposite. Medical use of marijuana should be a medical options
When many people think of using marijuana, the image of Woodstock, “Cheech and Chong” or Willy Nelson immediately pops into their heads, but marijuana isn’t just used to have a good time. Marijuana has generally been used recreationally. In recent years, however, research has found new ways to implement its effects. Marijuana has the ability to help bring comfort to patiens who have nausea and appetite loss, chronic pain, and mental disorders. I believe that marijuana should be legalized, not for recreation, but for the betterment of the lives of people suffering from illnesses throughout the United States.
Drugs have largely been viewed with fear and disgust by society, and rightly so. Certain drugs do horrible things to people. They can make one lose their self control, see things that aren’t there, damage the mind, deteriorate the body, and cause a dependency in the user that utterly consumes them. But while this is the case for many drugs, it is in no way universal. This is the case of Marijuana, which has long been subject to the same treatment as other, illegal, drugs and, despite it’s many benefits, is currently illegal in The Greater United States. Marijuana is not only less dangerous than other drugs, legal or otherwise, but provides many medical benefits. And yet, someone in The United States found using or possessing the substance can face harsh jail time. Marijuana should be legalized because it would provide medical benefits, help the economy, and it is no more harmful than other legal substances.
The decriminalization of marijuana has been an intense debate since the end of the prohibition era. Although congress has their reasons for not legalizing marijuana, they are most likely clinging to their personal beliefs and failing to face the facts when it comes to this hot issue. Marijuana should be legalized because the cost of keeping marijuana illegal is expensive, prohibiting the use of it does not help the problem of over usage, and people deserve the freedom to use marijuana.
Overall, the society of Cultural Relativism, such as the government, medical group, and doctors have all agree to say that the reason medical marijuana remains illegal due to being addictive and therefore it has always been classified as a Schedule 1 drug since 1979 (T. Head). As mention, many medical group and doctor agreed that that medical marijuana should remain illegal, especially, The Director of Addiction Service at Linden Behavior Health, Dr. Aaron Weiner, quoted “Marijuana is like an opioid, a dead-end for pain . . . you’ll develop a tolerance and need to go up the amount. In the end, you will be ending up getting high to achieve the pain relief without being cautious. (A. Weiner)”
When someone makes the decision to consume alcoholic beverages, it should go without saying that they should also be choosing to be a responsible drinker. Being a responsible drinker means not consuming more alcohol than their body can handle and more importantly, not getting behind the wheel of any type of vehicle after drinking. In an article written by high school student Steven Engler, he says it well; “If you choose to use it, do it responsibly, and don’t put anyone’s life in danger, including your own.” (New York Times, 2003) No matter the person’s age or the type of alcohol consumed, alcohol lowers a person’s inhibitions and ability to think clearly, while also increasing their chances of engaging in risky activities. It is possible for a person to have a few drinks, relax and have a good time however, all too often people overdo it and end up making bad decisions that they most often regret. Many times, the worst of these decisions is convincing themselves that they are “fine” and what they drank will not impair their driving. Some may say that these individuals simply “made a mistake.” Yes, everyone does make mistakes however, driving while intoxicated is not a mistake that affects only them, it is something that affects and risks the lives of many people and themselves. The sad thing is that drunk driving is one hundred percent preventable and therefore the loss of lives due to the recklessness of drinking and driving is preventable as well. Mr. Bloomberg hit the nail on the head when he said “Simply put, drunk driving is selfish, criminal and it kills, and we are not going to tolerate it.” (New York Times, 2002) Drinking and driving is a selfish act made by a person who seemingly does not care about the people around th...
Marijuana continues to be one of the most used illegal drugs in the United States. Marijuana has been used for many years and at one time was legal to consume. Throughout the years, marijuana has been used for treatment of different medical conditions and has been used recreationally by people of all ages. While the use of medicinal marijuana has proven to be effective in treating medically ill patients, society continues to question its recreational use and the long term effects it will have on its users. Some feel that legalizing marijuana will only open up avenues for the use of more potent drugs, causing an increase in criminal activity. However, a number of people question why it is considered illegal being it is a naturally growing
Medical Marijuana Marijuana is a very hot topic and also brings a lot of controversy among the topics in the U.S today. Many believe it has medicinal benefits and should be made legal when necessary. Many believe it has a really high risk of abuse. Amongst those arguments, some of the ingredients in medical marijuana have presented a greater argument for possible legalization through their use of research and evidence of beneficial use. Those against medical marijuana have given many reasons for why it should not be legalized.
Alcohol has been in the world for many centuries and has become a pain but also somewhat of a solution to society. It can be viewed as something to be a social gathering that brings friends together or it can be taking as destruction to someone. Over the years alcohol has played many roles in the world but it plays an even bigger role in substance abuse. Doctors have made several points that it is okay to have a drink every now and again but people need to realize when one drink has become too many. The ideal of having a drink with friends or going out and having an occasional drink is acceptable; However, is it still acceptable when a person find their selves having a drink first thing in the morning or runs to a drink to solve their people.