Legalization of Marijuana The legalization of marijuana is a greatly debated subject in today’s society. Many people argue over the question of whether or not it should be legalized. People that support the legalization of marijuana say that police officers will have more time to pursue criminals for other crimes and also that it would boost the states revenue. However, people against the matter claim that marijuana can lead to health problems. In Muni Ruben’s article, “Political and Medical Views on Medical Marijuana and its Future,” he says, “marijuana functions to treat chronic pain and physical symptoms through different mechanisms in the brain” (121). However, Misty Millhorn disagrees with Burden. In her article, “North American’s Attitude Toward Illegal Drugs,” she defines marijuana as “gateway drugs that can lead an individual to use and abuse other drugs, and can lead to dependence” (126). Beth M. Anderson agrees with Millhorn. In her article, “Sex, Drugs, and Cognition: Effects of Marijuana,” she states that, “smoking marijuana commonly causes acute subjective effects such as euphoria, depersonalization, altered time sense, lethargy, and drowsiness” (413). In this paper I will examine if marijuana should be legalized by researching its economic, social, and medical benefits and disadvantages. A majority of American’s money goes to taxes, whether it is income tax, sales tax, or state taxes. So, it would only make sense that, should it be legalized, marijuana would also be taxed, same as cigarettes and alcohol. By legalizing and then taxing marijuana, states can use that money towards schools, construction, or upgrades for cities and roads. In Bruce Bartlett’s article, “Why Legalizing Marijuana is a Smart Fisca... ... middle of paper ... ...also helps to stimulate the appetite. When large amounts of THC are present in the body that results in what is known as the marijuana “high.” This can alter a person’s perception of time and space. Marijuana also makes colors seem brighter than they originally are and intensifies their taste and smell. This is why people on marijuana are said to constantly be seeing things and are said to have the munchies. Medical marijuana has helped a lot of people who suffer from many different things. In Muni Ruben’s article, “Political and Medical Views on Medical Marijuana and its Future,” he tells us that “smoking marijuana elicits harmless effects and improves the quality of life, especially in chronically ill patients” (121). A medical study showed that marijuana can function to treat chronic pain and physical symptoms through different mechanisms in the brain.
There has always been controversy about marijuana and the affects it has on health and the issue of legalization. Some people believe it is very destructive to one’s health, and yet others feel the complete opposite about it. Is Marijuana truly harmful to one’s health? “Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug”, written by George Bierson, was published in the Massachusetts News. In this article, Bierson determines that marijuana is harmful in many ways. He seems to think that it damages the brain, the reproductive system, and also contributes to the halt of production in the immune system. Bierson also tries to persuade the reader that marijuana is a “gateway drug” that leads to larger drugs in the future. However, by conducting research of my own, I have come to the conclusion that Bierson’s article simply lacks truth.
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.
“One function of government is to protect citizens from harm, whether it is from foreign enemies or from internal causes such as poisonous food or contaminated water” (Wright). Therefore that is what one should be doing. Marijuana use to be legal in the United States. About 90% of the 782,000 people that are in the United States in 2007 were arrested for marijuana- related crimes (Decriminalizing). They were kept in custody for having possession of the drug (Decriminalizing). Between 60,000- 85,000 people of those 782,000 arrested were put in prison (Decriminalizing). Marijuana should not become decriminalized for many reasons. Some of the reasons include that it doesn’t meet classification standards to be a legal or illegal drug for medical purposes and people aren’t using the drug for the right reasons.
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse marijuana causes the user to feel euphoric by acting on the brain’s reward system. The euphoria is caused by the release of dopamine it to the user system. Other effects can include heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite. Marijuana also inhibits the formation of new memories and causes coordination and balance to be degraded. These reactions are caused by binding the receptors in the cerebellum and base ganglia. The effect is similar to the impairments that are normally associated with consuming alcohol. Habitual users can also develop acute psychosis, a fundamental derangement of the mind (as in schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality especially as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech and behavior (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The IQ level of a marijuana users also decreases over time according to a Duke University study conducted by clinical psychologist Madeline Meier “people who bega...
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.
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.
The legalization of marijuana has been a highly debated topic for many of years. Since the first president to the most recent, our nation’s leaders have consumed the plant known as weed. With such influential figures openly using this drug why is it so frowned upon? Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, a menace to society, and mentally harmful to its consumers. For some people weed brings a sense of anxiety, dizziness, or unsettling feeling. Like alcohol, tobacco or any other drug, those chemicals may not respond well with their body. For other people marijuana brings joy, a sense of relief, and takes the edge off of every day stress. For those who are associated with cannabis, purposes usually range from a relaxant, or cash crop, to more permissible uses such as medicine, and ingredient to make so many other materials. We now need to look at what would change if marijuana were legal. Benefits to the economy and agriculture, health issues, and crime rates are three areas worth looking at. Deliberating on the pros and cons of this plant we can get a better understanding for marijuana. From there it will be easier to make a clear consensus on what is best for the nation.
Marijuana can help people. It can help cure illness, and at the very least can be vital in alleviating suffering, as it has for those like young Charlotte Figi, whose constant, life threatening seizures were
Cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana, is a plant that people have been using recreationally for years. In fact, people have consumed marijuana since ancient times. Until 1906, the year the United States Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act. The debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized in the United States has really blown up within the last decade. And finally, in 2012, Colorado became the first state to officially legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational uses. The prohibition of marijuana has gone on for far too long, and it is time for America to change its views.
The legalization of marijuana has the potential to bring our economy back to life if it were to be legalized. There are a number of ways in which legalization could improve the economy. We could use the revenue from taxes on marijuana to provide for a better quality of life for Americans in need. Legalizing marijuana would also save us money by cutting the cost of putting someone in jail for harmless marijuana related charges that waste tax money. Also it would put more money into circulation by keeping the profits off the black market and into the legal and taxed market. With an estimated twenty-five million active marijuana smokers in America that consume nearly thirty-one million pounds of marijuana each year, we are missing out on extreme revenue that this country cannot afford to go without for much longer (Krulick).
The legalization of marijuana is considered a controversial issue, something that can benefit people for medical purposes, but what about recreationally? Marijuana has been illegal since 1937, but there’s never been a bigger push for legalization. There are several reasons why it is illegal, because of government propaganda and big industry not wanting to lose money, but this will be discussed later. The purpose of this paper is to educate, theorize, and discuss various aspects of marijuana, such as its history, development, and the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana legalization. Finally, my personal reflection on legalization and marijuana in general will be discussed.
Let’s begin with US revenue gain that would occur from legalizing marijuana. Marijuana Offers Extreme US revenue boost in several different ways. Shouldn’t we want to collect revenue due to taxation other then criminalization? Marijuana is too expensive for our justice system and should inst...
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.
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