Against Legalization Of Marijuana Essay

The legalization of the drug marijuana is a hot topic nowadays. Many people want this substance to be legalized and regularly available like cigarettes. But what some people do not know are the serious health risks involved when using marijuana. There is a lot more to marijuana than just smoking it.

The role that social policies have in the lives of every citizen cannot be understated, as the rules, regulations, and laws that govern our society provide the foundation off which our social welfare system operates. Over the past several decades, the social policy issue of the legalization of marijuana has gained substantial traction in the public eye, making it a priority topic to be addressed on the government agenda. With Colorado and Washington becoming the first states in the U.S. to legalize marijuana (TIME, 2012), Alaska and Oregon were soon to follow (Fortune, 2016), prompting more discussion and research around the effects of legalizing marijuana in North America, particularly in regard to social policy.

Cannabis sativa or Marijuana as is commonly known worldwide is a hard drug with adverse side effects to the users. With this reason it is an illegal drug in a majority of parts in the world. However according to research statistics, with this illegality there is still a high rise of both users as well as those initiated into the practice annually with the United Nations placing it first among the illicit substances widely used in the world (UNODC 198). Having worked previously in a number of facilities for juvenile delinquency and correction in California I observed and participated in the numerous ways, methods and tactics employed by the government to reduce the use of cannabis sativa with little success. Instead, the number of crimes

With all of the complex issues facing the nation today, it seems as if the legalization of marijuana is being set on the back burner of legislation. There are so many opinions, sides, and overall arguments for and against it that many vote seeking politicians and policy makers have put up a strong resistance to this issue. In this paper I will illustrate the reasons why I think marijuana should indeed be legalized and also the arguments from people who disagree and feel that it should stay an illegal drug.

Given stark figures like numbers of cannabis smokers and amount of money spent to keep stoners in jail, it seems ludicrous to argue that prohibition of cannabis be maintained. Yet despite of all the credible scientific, medical and sociological reports indicating that cannabis prohibition is damaging, or, at least, not helping the nation, public opinion of U.S. residents is counter. This can be attributed to the multi-million-dollar propaganda campaign waged by the government and the anti-drug industrial complex. It may not surprise you to learn that major sponsors of D.A.R.E. and similar (mis)education and advertising (propaganda) campaigns are often alcohol and tobacco companies! The opposing opinion that cannabis should not be legalized is often based on erroneous and outrageously wrong evidence. Statements that cannabis is a "gateway" drug, that it "causes" schizophrenia and

Imagine being a cancer patient with only 24 hours until your death. You are sent home to die. “I’m sorry about this,” says the doctor. So there you are, at your house and with your family for the last 24 hours of your life. Instead of living it, you are unable to walk and eat. You wish to be roaming freely instead of staying in a 21 ft. by 21 ft room. Sadly, you ran out of options. You tried the antibiotics, morphine, literally everything. But then, your mom or dad comes in with great news. “Son, we might’ve found a solution to your problem; medical marijuana.” Medical marijuana is a leaf that is used for recreational or medical purposes. You take the drug, and after a couple of days, you feel like you had just woken up from the best sleep that you have had. This is just

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

Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is globally the most commonly used illicit drug. Classified as a controlled substance, marijuana is a mood-altering drug that affects almost every organ in the body (Davis). Marijuana was first prohibited in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act.

Despite its legalization in many states today, the FDA still has not deemed marijuana to be safe or effective for consumption. (Ascik, 2017)

The Canadian government has created many laws with the intention of ameliorating the quality of life of its citizens. Unfortunately, in some instances these laws and policies become public nuisances that do more harm than good. This has become the case with the federal government’s decision to criminalize marijuana under the Narcotics Act. This legislation was created by bureaucrats without fully weighing its advantages and disadvantages in an attempt to protect Canadian citizens from the effects of marijuana, which include a loss of coordination and temporary memory loss. As a result of passing this law the Canadian justice system is clogged with marijuana offenders whose lives are being ruined at great expense to taxpayers, and the

Many anti-medical marijuana supporters have said that there is not medicinal value in marijuana. They claim that safer, more effective drugs, such as Marinol, are available. Marinol is a synthetic version of THC. In reality, smoked marijuana has been shown to reduce nausea induced by chemotherapy, increase appetites in AIDS patients, and reduce intraocular pressure in people with glaucoma. Marinol is a synthetic THC capsule and is available by prescription but is not as effective as smoked marijuana for many patients. Furthermore, pure THC may produce more unpleasant psychoactive side effects than smoked marijuana (Morgan 2). Marinol is more expensive than regular marijuana and seems to cause higher levels of anxiety and depression. Also, because one of the main problems combated in chemotherapy is nausea and vomiting, a pill

Unmarked warehouses are popping up across the country, and many individuals are unaware of what they house. In the past, these structures may have been home to a granite cutter, a screen printer or a business of another type. Today, however, they now house a medical marijuana operation, such as the one in a suburb just south of Boston. This building is currently being rented by Ermont, a medical marijuana company.

Marijuana, as a legitimate medication has for some time been a front running issue in the Medical Field here in the United States. With many states legalizing medicinal marijuana, and with even a few having legalized recreational marijuana consumption, the subject has become very popular over the last few years. Marijuana research, in the medicinal sense, has provided us with a flood of information on the benefits of medical applications, but also indicates certain risks that come with consumption. While many people support medicinal use of marijuana, there are still many unanswered questions about the validity of its effectiveness. There is no denying that medical marijuana is an increasingly popular and controversial topic. With research

Cannabis or better known as Marijuana, is one of the oldest psychoactive elements used by man. Marijuana is also known as weed, pot, ganja, Maryjane, and countless other nicknames. A little history on marijuana is that it is made from the cannabis plant which can grow up to sixteen feet tall and likely originates in Central Asia. There are hundreds of compounds in Marijuana but tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC is believed to be the cause of it psychoactive effects. The “high” that people get comes from the THC binding to brain regions responsible for pleasure, time perception and pain. This plant was first brought to America in the 1800s used for medicinal purposes as an extract and which was popular during that time. But it soon was discovered by Mexican who began to smoke it and shortly after it fueled the marijuana prohibition and by the 1930s marijuana was banned in twenty-four states. By 1937 congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which effectively banned marijuana except for a few medicinal purposes. Fast forward to this present day and time and we will see how things have changed with Cannabis and this economy.

Anti-legalization groups argue there is not enough scientific data to support marijuana’s medical benefits. According to Whitehouse.gov (original emphasis), “To date…neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.” It’s highly unlikely that anyone will be able to prove the substance is entirely safe, because (let’s be honest), it’s not. As with all drugs, there is an associated risk that comes along with any benefits the drug may have. It’s just like on those prescription drugs, when you hear how a medication may