06 Dec. 2013. "Pro's of Marijuana Legalization." MarijuanaToday.com. N.p., Aug. 1010. Web.
"Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized." Civil Liberty. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. why-marijuana-should-be-legalized.htm>.
Many states are moving in the direction to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes while a few have casted a ballot to legalize it and create revenue off of it. Legalizing marijuana should be up to the people. Decriminalizing it does not seem to be enough. This means that marijuana would still be illegal but the consequences of using it are not criminal. This still leads to corruption, drug cartels, the black market, and prohibiting the right to make choices.
The Right to Legal Marijuana With alcohol and tobacco butchering substantial portions out of the general public each year, does it really make sense for something that helps people, has so many positive aspects in the medical field, and is natural without the need for additional things to be done to it like marijuana to be illegal? It can be easily understood by most why heavy man-made drugs, such as methamphetamines and LSD, which are almost guaranteed to cause addiction and contain harsh chemicals would be illegal; though marijuana grows naturally and it has been around so long, the exact date it came about cannot be determined for certain. “The earliest cultural evidence of cannabis comes from the oldest known Neolithic culture in China, the Yang-Shao…about 6,500 years ago” (“Why Should Marijuana Be Legal?”). Marijuana was used in many cultures around the world long before the United States created its marijuana laws. The smoking of marijuana, or cannabis, for many of the reasons it is used in present day is in general the main purpose of what it was originally used for, it has undoubtedly had an impact on our lives today.
(2005). The Budgetary implications of marijuana prohibition. Marijuana Policy Project, Retrieved June 30, 2010 from http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/mironreport.html KAPLIN LIBRARY SOURCES: Green, J (2010, July). Refer sanity. Atlantic Monthly, 306(01), p40-40.
In our society, there are things that are frowned upon, and there are things that are commonly accepted. Some ideas, traditions, and customs are shunned away from acceptance. Advances in medical studies show an acceptance for products, and even herbal medicines that can do even more to help cure patients than what they have now. The legalization of marijuana is one of the highest talked about topics currently and is being heavily considered while the product is still illegal. Legalizing marijuana would bring great advances in medical opportunities, our government, and our country as a whole.
U.S.News & World Report, 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. Porche, Demetrius J. "Legalization of Medical Marijuana (Cannabis)."
Points Of View: Legalization Of Marijuana (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. Sledge, Matt.
The actions taken by the government, both for and against the legalization of marijuana, are an attempt to resolve the controversial usage of this popular drug. People favor the legalization of marijuana for its various benefits such as its medical uses, recreational use, lowering the number of drug dealers and users in jail and on the street, and the more efficient regulation of marijuana legalization would bring. Marijuana has been used as a treatment for many illness and ailments, such as glaucoma, nausea, Tourette’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and even side effects of cancer. Research suggest that its therapeutic use has increased tremendously in just twenty years. In 1992, roughly 93,000 people were treated with marijuana, while by 2010, 353,000 people were treated using medicinal marijuana (“Arguments For And Against The Legalization Of Marijuana” 1).
Legalizing marijuana may not get the US out of dept, but with marijuana popularity growing, there is no reason the federal government shouldn't legalize, tax an regulate the sell of Marijuana for recreational use. If marijuana is so harmful, would doctors recommend it for their own patients as a form of medicine? I sure would hope not. The reason they do is because it can be beneficial. Marijuana has been found to help people with multiple sclerosis, helping with the painful muscle spasms that come with having it (Kilmer 103).