Argumentative Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic in the media for many years now. There is a major divide in those who believe it should be legal, those who do not, and those who think it could be legal with modifications on the usage. The number of those who support the legalization of marijuana is on the rise with nearly 50% supporting recreational marijuana legalization, and 81% supporting marijuana legalization for medical treatment as of 2015 ("Public Support for Marijuana Legalization, 2015”). Marijuana should be legalized on a federal level because it is safer than alcohol, it will increase the economy, and there is an unfair criminalization of marijuana.

There are many controversial topics being discussed in the United States today. Some will have more of an impact than others. Some you may have never even heard of. One of the major and most controversial topics in my opinion is whether or not marijuana should be legalized in the US. There are many factors that play a role in deciding if marijuana would be beneficial to our country. In this essay we will dig into the positives and negatives of legalizing marijuana and you can decide for yourself if legalizing marijuana is a good idea or not.

Growing up, I’ve always been taught that drugs are bad, and my parents have always told me that there is nothing good to them. I remember taking D.A.R.E in fifth grade, learning how marijuana was bad for you and that you should go to jail if you use it. My teachers and parents were my role models though, so I took in everything they told me as a fact, until now. Now I realize that drugs are a good thing. Drugs are a way of life, and they are used by millions of people everyday. There are drugs such as advil, which is used to help patients who suffer from many things, including headaches and fevers. But the drug i’m talking about is marijuana.

Debates over the legalization of marijuana have been around for a long time now. The process to pass a law is long. Marijuana has been legalized in some parts around the country, and in different states in the United States. Several articles have been written, some approving of marijuana and some opposing it. The questions of the approval of marijuana come from a long run of opinions. Written articles have been made to express an individual’s own hypothesis over it. The articles “Why It’s Always Been Time To Legalize Marijuana” by Katrina Vanden Heuvel and “The Real Reason Why Pot Is Still illegal” by Lee Fang go further into detail on the pros and cons for the legalization and also differ into shaping up this argument. The authors of the articles

Marijuana has been used in religious ceremonies or for medical purposes for thousands of years. I have always been against the use of Marijuana up until four years ago when my husband at the age of twenty seven underwent invasive surgery on his knee and has never been the same since. Colorado took a huge step several years ago legalizing marijuana for medical use and in recent years took the plunge to legalize it for recreational use. Marijuana is not always a bad thing nor is it always a good thing. A lot of people will compare it to any other mind altering substance and have very valid points. I would rather have a loved one or myself smoke marijuana or ingest it, instead of popping pain pills or other harmful substances put on the market by the pharmaceutical industry; Recreational use can be safe and accepting if it is regulated correctly and used responsibly.

When is comes to marijuana many U.S citizens have mixed emotions on this topic. The people who are all for it, argue that it would have a great impact on health such as medical marijuana and a tremendous boost in our economy. The opposing side thinks that marijuana can lead into health issues as well as many teens being omitted to the E.R for the marijuana use. Which levaes you with something to think about, Should Marijuana be legalized on a Federal level?

In America’s present-day society, it’s people are faced with the question of whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The issue brought with the legalization of cannabis is the fear that it is a gateway drug that will lead users to try other, harder drugs. More states have decided to legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use but not all agree with the decisions. There has been much research done to show the positive and negative effects of marijuana, itself, and the legalization of it; some concerns dealing with health, economic, and societal issues. Marijuana is a mixture of dried flowers of the Cannabis Sativa and may be consumed in many different forms. In a video made by ASAPScience called “ Your Brain on Drugs; Marijuana”, the speaker explains how the THC in marijuana is what creates the mind-altering effects on the brain, which considers it a “drug”, although it comes from a natural source. Some people are against the legalization of cannabis simply because it is considered a drug, which they may tend to stay away from in general. It is clear that both sides discussing the issue of whether marijuana should be legalized or not contain valid arguments, but there must also be a clear solution to what must happen.

The subject of marijuana legalization has been an exceedingly popular discussion topic in recent years and, as time goes on, only seems to grow more popular. This discussion has resulted in many arguments that support marijuana’s legalization. One popular argument says that since alcohol is worse for you, and alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legalized. However, this argument that marijuana should be legalized because marijuana’s effects when consumed or smoked are better than those of alcohol is a purposeless argument. This argument fails to consider the many negative effects marijuana would have on the individual, environment, and, society.

Marijuana has been made legal for some form of use in 29 of the 50 states in America, with eight states having it legalized for recreational use. Notable states with it legalized for recreational purposes include Washington, Colorado, and California. Marijuana shops create millions in tax revenue and loads of job opportunities for these states. Not only does it generate millions of dollars in revenue for each state, there plenty of health benefits from marijuana. Along with those positives, marijuana is responsible for zero deaths per year, while alcohol is responsible for an estimated 88,000 deaths per year. Marijuana, both recreational and medical, creates jobs and boosts the economy, has a lot of health benefits, is safer than alcohol, and also has its disadvantages. Marijuana should be made legal and available to everyone in every state across America.

Directly compared to other legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco products, the health risk is minimal in the sense of death count to substance related deaths in the US. While Cannabis has never directly caused any deaths at any point, it does not mean it comes without health risks. A few health risks include damage to the lungs, stunting the growth of a developing teen’s brain, and some instances it could cause a lack of motivation in users. Daily and often consumption of inhaling smoke could cause damage to the lungs. Although marijuana smoke does not contain the chemicals often found in cigarettes such as nicotine, tar, and ammonia, which does not mean it is completely harmless. Inhaling smoke into one’s lungs is never healthy for them and marijuana is not excluded from this. The Effects of marijuana can also be dangerous in different scenarios. It is never safe nor smart to operate a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana as it hampers coordination and impedes the judgment of the brain. One should never smoke marijuana daily while their brains are still developing as it can lengthen and disrupt the growth of the developing brain and can also damage nerve cells. Studies show that frequent chronic marijuana users have a lower Intelligence Quotient compared to a nonsmoking population. Many argue that it is impossible to get addicted to marijuana which is not the case at all. Addiction isn’t always your body developing a dependency on a substance to function because addiction can be completely mental. Anybody in this world can get addicted to anything; it’s possible for people to get addicted to chocolate, coffee, soda, collecting something, sometimes an addiction can be helpful instead of harmful. Addiction is defined as “an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something.” Marijuana fits right into this

Marijuana is a well known drug that a lot of people have used either by smoking, or remedial way. There are many names use for it, such as weed, mary-jane and grass. Marijuana is one of the most debate and controversial issue; it has been an extensive debate with a valid argument in the United State today. Arguments for legalizing marijuana are not just an easy pros and cons argument in both national and local media. There have been growth rates of marijuana use among adults and youth in the United States, and this have made the headlines. There are different approaches and opinion to each arguments. There are three main arguments, the medicinal use, recreational, and the government enforcement. However, there are many positive points to support

Marijuana usage is a topic that has been discussed for some time now but the recent medical and recreational legalization of this drug has brought about a new area of unchartered territory. The business industry will have to revise many of their employment and safety requirements. After viewing some current policies many businesses are likely to be forced to established new protocols for intra and inner state practices. There are many types of complications as to why the marijuana usage laws should stay at the federal level and not within the state.

There are many controversial topics that are discussed in our society and when we discuss these issues we sometimes can come into conflicts on deciding what is the right decision to make because there are too many perspectives. A controversial issue that has been in America for years and has recently become more popular is the issues of the legalization of marijuana. Should marijuana be legalized? Is the popular question that no one seems to have a solid answer to. In recent New York Times articles, they have covered the topic of the Legalization of Marijuana; all articles differ in opinion about what the necessary precautions are for this issues. After reading and analyzing the articles, one could agree that Marijuana should be legalized because it will stop racial discriminations, lessen the rate of crime and help certain health issues.

The times of hearing that marijuana is the devil?s lettuce, evil, illegal, etc. are coming to a halting stop. According to The Boston University of Public Interest Law Journal, ?Marijuana is the illegal drug of preference, with reportedly approximately 16.7 million American users at present? (167). Many citizens are overcoming the false stereotypes associated with marijuana use perpetuated by people who are uneducated about the true benefits legalization would have on society. The number of users is continuing to grow, as well as the number of supporters. For instance, ?In April 2015, a CBS News poll found that eighty-four percent of Americans support medical marijuana as a treatment if prescribed by a doctor? (Titus 39). Most

“Now, for the first time, marijuana legalization is winning majority support in public opinion polls and a drug used by about 6 percent of Americans--and one-third of the nation's high school seniors--is starting to shake off its counterculture reputation. It is winning acceptance even from some police, prosecutors and politicians” (Fisher). Controversy commenced when the general question “Should marijuana be legalized?” derived. Many people and organizations helped pass laws and set up institutions in which marijuana users could be aided in stopping the use of the drug. For example, President Ronald Reagan signs the Anti-Drug Act and a newspaper article written about it says, “ ‘This legislation is not intended as a means of filling our jails with drug users,’ he added.