Marijuana is a shredded mix of dry flowers, stems and the seeds of a plant called cannabis and people usually smoke it in the form of cigarettes for relaxation. Ever since marijuana hit mainstream America over 30 years ago, government prohibition of it has been the subject of an ongoing debate. Should marijuana be legalized? Proponents of marijuana argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is not more harmful than tobacco or alcohol. Therefore, prohibiting it intrudes on personal freedom. On the other hand, opponents argue that marijuana is too dangerous; its legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of kids and that marijuana use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine. In the past decade, a number of movements to legalize the use of marijuana has been gaining momentum. According to the 2011 Gallup survey, a record high 50% of Americans say that marijuana should be legalized and this figure marks a 4% increase compared to the previous year. Support for legalizing marijuana was 30% in 2000, 40% in 2009 before reaching 50% last year. This shows that despite government efforts to eliminate its use, marijuana is becoming more popular. More and more people realize that legalizing marijuana brings a host of benefits. It not only offers medical benefits to the terminally ill but it could also be a source of tax revenues and could save the tax payers billions of dollars that is spent on enforcement costs. Most doctors would ascertain that marijuana is not harmful if used in moderation. It is only when people abuse the drug that problems arise. Marijuana is less addictive and less dangerous than tobacco and alcohol. If a person abuses alcoho... ... middle of paper ... ...ponsible consumption and behavior. Works Cited “Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use” www.gallup.com/.../record-high-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuan... 2009. Web 15 Mar. 2012 “FASTSTATS – Alcohol Use” www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm 2009. Web 15 Mar. 2012. “Bureau of Justice Statistics Drugs and Crime Facts: Contents” bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/dcf/contents.cfm 2007. Web 15 Mar. 2012. Rosenthal, Ed. and Steve Kuppy. Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. 2003 Print. 20-75 “ASA : AMA Report Recognizes Medical Benefits of Marijuana, Urges … www.safeaccessnow.org › Press Room › Press Releases 2008. Web 15 Mar. 2012. “Making an Economic Case For Legalizing Drugs” www.cato.org/publications/.../making-economic-case-legalizing-drug... 2010. Web 15 Mar. 2012.
While Cannabis use can be very effective in relieving pain and relaxing a person it has many negative effects. Marijuana use is a danger in the way it impairs the way your mind creates memories. When driving your judgment is altered and not many would appreciate if someone under the influence is on the road. Another way is the effects it has on a person’s lungs causing respiratory illnesses. Not only that, but Smoking marijuana is a factor to poor education outcomes from that smoker. Marijuana can be a very unpleasant thing to think about especially when you start to think about what it does to your mind.
Marijuana, or Cannabis, is a plant that has been in use since ancient times. Cannabis has had significant affects on history and societies throughout the years. It is a plant that can grow in any environment, with the exception of the Arctic Circle. Up until recent years the Cannabis plant has never been looked upon negatively. The debate on Cannabis has started again; with some people thinking that it should be legal and others thinking that it should stay illegal. It is time for people to see Cannabis as what it really is and not as what manipulative advertisements have shown it to be.
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.
5. Preliminary Estimates From the 1993 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1994).
The legalization of marijuana in the United States is a long and historically debated subject. Pro-legalization advocates provide many reasons for the decriminalization of marijuana; some of the reasons include, zero recorded deaths from direct use, wasting tax-payer money prosecuting non-violent offenders, and prohibition promotes organized crime. Anti-legalization organizers condemn legalization due to marijuana being considered a gateway drug, moral and religious opposition, legalization could lead to harder drugs being legalized, and the fear that legalization would enable the drug to be more accessible to children. There are many positive and negative aspects of legalization, but personally I am in favor of legalization and taxation of the non-deadly drug. In this paper, I will outline the good and the bad of legalization and investigate if legalization would be beneficial to America and society as a whole.
What is marijuana? Cannabis, also known as marijuana, and is a preparation of the cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine. According to Greenhaven “They point to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said in early May [2009] that it's now time to debate legalizing marijuana—though he's personally against it. Indeed, a legislative push is on in his state (and several others, such as Massachusetts and Nevada) to treat this "soft" drug like alcohol—to tax and regulate its sale, and set an age restriction on buyers”. (Greenhaven, 2009)
Much debate has been brought to Capitol Hill concerning the legalization of the Marijuana. Analyzing the history, data, and health effects of marijuana it becomes clear that the debate for the legalization of marijuana should be seriously considered and should be brought to congress as an issue that can stimulate the economy and bring together a divided nation. This issue along with many others will not be a reality until congress takes action and addresses the issue directly. Conflicting views arise when so much time effort and money have been spent to eliminate drugs. America’s “War on Drugs” has been an intense operation to eliminate narcotics on the streets and often catch the criminal distribution before it even reaches the public. Citizens of the United States have petitioned for the legalization of marijuana since its origin, yet minimal progress has been made and the illegal existence of the plant remains. Congress has faced the vote to legalize marijuana countless times while the majority of politicians favor the ban on the substance, however there are certain individuals of political office that have and continue to vote for its legalization. America’s emphasis and concern for the use, distribution, and growth of marijuana is outstanding with arrests reaching nearly 5.9 million since the year 1990. A large amount of time, money, and man-power has been applied to the operation of controlling the substance of marijuana in society and many people argue against this. As long as marijuana is not legalized, the debate and fight for its legalization will undoubtedly continue from the millions of people who use the herbal matter in this country alone.
Legalization of marijuana has become an increasingly popular topic for debate in society with “sentiment in favor of legalization [increasing] by 20 [percentage] points in just over a decade,” bringing support for legalization to 52% (Dionne and Galston). The most common arguments for reforming current legislation are the following: enforcement wastes public resources, taxation can provide a new source of revenue, and enforcement of current laws is discriminatory (Dionne and Galston). It is necessary to look at the impact on the primary stakeholders by analyzing the various harms and benefits through application of the ethical theories of utilitarianism and deontology, in order to determine the solution that will result in the best possible outcome.
"National Drug Threat Assessment Summary." Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. .
In light of recent laws allowing Cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, to be prescribed for medicinal purposes, the question has been raised: Should marijuana be legalized in the United States? (“Marijuana”). With recent studies refuting many common anti-marijuana beliefs, international perceptions are increasingly shifting towards the side its supporting legalization. Most scientists agree that the toxicity of marijuana has been exaggerated and does not earn it a place in the same drug category as heroin and other heavy drugs (“Marijuana Is Not Addictive). The new market created, coupled with decreased government spending on law enforcement, could help give new life to the dwindling economy. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States because it poses less of a health risk than projected by anti-marijuana activists, could generate billions of dollars while helping combat crime, and opinions on it are changing nationally and internationally, along with its predicted effects on our country.
For thousands of years human beings have attempted to find ways to get passed the struggles of their lives. With the pain of the world stopping people from enjoying simple pleasures, sometimes there is a need for help. Marijuana brings millions of people relief from the pain they feel on a day-to-day basis. This completely natural plant which helped so many people has puzzled the leaders of our nation for a long time. The THC in marijuana causes its users to experience a mild-huluciginic or high. The effect that marijuana has on a person has prevented the product from being legalized. Many other details about the plant, like the speculation of it being a gateway drug, have put another blockage on its legalization. Even though there are speculations about the plant, the benefit that it brings to the table most definitely out way its disadvantages. Marijuana can also alleviate several symptoms associated with cancer and Aids treatments and disorders. While Marijuana is effective as a medicine, it is also extremely lucrative. The economic benefits that Marijuana brings to the table are endless. Upon marijuana’s legalization, the economy would experience an immediate influx. Legalization of Marijuana would also drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The benefits that marijuana brings medically and economically are considerable enough to legalize its use medically or recreational.
For decades the marijuana prohibition has been violating individual’s rights, but scientific research has proven that marijuana has therapeutic uses and is harmless compared to other drugs. Therefore, marijuana should not be considered a dangerous drug and should be legalized. The prohibition of marijuana did not end with crime; nonetheless, it is responsible for the imprisonment of thousands of its users. The government’s campaign against marijuana has also created cultural factors that make the use of marijuana socially unacceptable. However, it should be up to each individual to decide if he/she wants to use marijuana whether it is for pleasure or for therapeutic reasons.
Marijuana is a drug which is accepted by most people as “safe”. Though marijuana is not exactly safe, it is a lot less harmful than other drugs such as cocaine and meth. Pretty much all of marijuana’s adverse effects are reversible and even then it makes the user just as high as he needs to be.
The discussion whether marijuana should be legalized and taxed is very present within the last month. That’s why I’m going to discuss the pro and cons about the legalisation of weed, as it is often called, in the following research paper.
Marijuana use for medical purposes has been a major controversy in the United States and other countries for several years. A few doctors favor medical marijuana use because it specifically helps certain types of medial issues such as cancer, Aids, etc. It is obviously hazardous to give a patient too much medication and in some cases, the medications that is prescribed does not help and can make the patient more sick. Across the United States doctors should be allowed to use it to help patients whose conditions may be alleviated by marijuana use. Doctors should legally be able to use marijuana to assist patients who have certain types of medical problems.