Legalization of Marijuana: More Research is Needed

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America spent around $18.1 billion last year fighting the war on drugs. The very controversial issue of should marijuana be legalized has been asked for the longest time. Owning marijuana was made a crime in 1937 when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. Despite this law, the drug was still somewhat commonly used. Here we are years later, still without a satisfactory answer to the question. Legalizing the use of marijuana could have psychological effects on people, provide medical benefits to people needing it, along with economical benefits it would provide there could also be a decrease in the incidence of crime.

One debate against legalizing marijuana is its use will cause Americans to suffer from psychological and personality problems. According to Elizabeth Scheichert, who is the author of Marijuana, The Drug Library, THC is the active chemical in marijuana that causes the user to feel “high” (Scheleichert 32). This is also the chemical that is most destructive to the user’s body and mind. The THC from smoking one marijuana cigarette can accumulate in the user’s body fat and stay there for weeks at a time (Scheleichert 34). Smoking marijuana causes a lack of motivation, ambition, and creativity. Many user’s lose interest in life and become very lazy. People who use marijuana often find it very difficult to concentrate on anything more challenging than television. Marijuana causes a decreased attention span and feelings of isolation. High school and college students who are regular users of marijuana find themselves to be struggling with inner turmoil, feeling depressed, scared, and having very low self-esteem. To a frequent user, time and surroundings become constantly distorted, causing judgment, logical thinking, and memory to become impaired.

An equally important fact for legalizing Marijuana usage is the many medical benefits it provides to people with certain medical problems. Marijuana became popular as a medicine in the United States during the mid-nineteenth century. Then, marijuana was used to treat general headaches, migraine headaches, depression, muscular tension, insomnia, and menstrual cramps. Today, marijuana has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of many more medical conditions including glaucoma, cancer, and asthma (Meng). In 1976, Robert C. Randal...

... middle of paper ...

...nals would be alive” (Schmoke). Instead of drug addicts shoplifting, mugging, breaking into homes, and stealing from others to pay outrageous prices for marijuana from dealers, they could support their habit by simply holding an honest, decent paying job.

Some people feel legalizing marijuana could have a very positive effect on the public. These people believe that it could have many medical and economical benefits, along with the decrease in the incidence of crime. Opponents to legalizing marijuana feel that legalizing it could lead to psychological and personality problems. Whether you are for the legalization of marijuana or against it you cant deny that it is a decision that needs extensive research and deliberation before a decision is made.

Works Cited

“Marijuana and Medicine.” Institute of Medicine, 1999 Nat. Academy of Sciences. Feb. 2, 2002. www.nap,edu/readingroom/marined/

Schmoke, Kurt. “The War On Drugs Is Lost,” Sept. 1999, www.november.org/Schmoke.html

Meng, Ian. “Medical Marijuana”. /~olsen/medical/meng.html. Nov. 20, 1997. Doing the Science. Feb 1, 2002.

Schleichert, Elizabeth. Marijuana. Enslow Publishers: Drug Library, Jan. 1, 2002.

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