Argumentative Essay: The Decriminalization Of 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.

In 1995 the Supreme Court stated that schools could randomly drug test their athletic students. By 2008, 16 percent of school districts had started to take on some kind of drug testing program (John 2). Even though the Supreme Court has a certain amount of ruling on who is tested at the schools, some schools have expanded their range of students, a few going all the way to the whole student body (John 2/3). One of the main reasons the supreme court ruled towards testing the student athletes is because they are supposed to be seen as the role models and influencers of the school, and outside the school. Seeing athletes doing drugs might increase the drug use of the school. (John 3). Student

In January of 1996, six months after the United States Supreme Court ruled that it was appropriate for Oregon’s school district 47J in Vernonia, to require student athletes in middle school and high school to participate in random, suspicionless drug tests, one percent out of the 16,000 schools in the country had brought the random drug testing into their facilities. (Taylor, Robert) Even though the Supreme Court ruled this way, they did not feel that this testing was a good idea. There had to of been some reason for this. (Bailey, William) If only one out 16,000 schools pick up on drug testing as a good idea, then there is more than likely something that the schools don’t think is right with it or they are unable to do it for some reason. Research shows that drug testing of public school athletes is not a good idea because it singles out athletes from all of the students in the school and suspects them of using drugs it is also a waste of time and money, and consists of low accuracy tests that so not always give the correct results.

There was an official investigation that led to finding high school athletes in Veronia School District in Oregon participated in illicit drug use. The school officials were concerned that drug use would and can lead to increase of sports-related injuries. The school districts adopted the Student Athlete Drug Policy which authorizes random urinalysis drug testing of its students athletes. A student, James Acton, was denied participation in his school's football program when his parents and him refused to consent to the drug testing. The drug testing was completely private. The results were viewed only by limited authorities. Furthermore, the governmental concern over the safety of minors under their supervision overrides the minimal, if any,

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.

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.

Recently, the topic of marijuana legalization, has raised controversial questions on whether decriminalization of the recreational use of marijuana is beneficial or not towards the society. Some may argue that marijuana should stay illegal because it is dangerous for the mind as it can mentally strenuous for the user. From this perspective, marijuana can especially affect the young minds of children as their minds have not fully developed. Therefore, the chemical toxins released by the use of marijuana can be harmful and affect the development of the mind. Conversely, Marijuana can also be beneficial towards the entire society as a whole. In New York City, “the total fiscal impact of legalizing marijuana in New York City at roughly $431 million annually.” With this in mind, it would make more sense to legalize marijuana as it would prove as an effective income source for the government given the relative safety of the drug while also freeing up police resources.

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.

Decriminalization of marijuana would not cut down on all crime; alcohol, which is legal, still causes family disputes, rape, robbery, reckless driving, murder, and other countless crimes.

Many high schools across the country have brought much attention to the idea of giving random drug tests to students in high school. The newfound interest in student drug testing may be as a result of recent polls, which have shown an increase in drug use among high school students. Many teachers, parents, and members of school comities are for the drug testing, while most students and some parents feel that this would be a violation of students rights as Americans, which is true.

While on marijuana, one may suffer from the following side effects; relaxation, peacefulness, tie dye shirts, creativity, and humor. The side effects are terrifying. Who in their right mind would do this terrible drug? Marijuana is a natural drug that comes from the cannabis plant, a wondrous plant that has many uses. In most of the world cannabis is illegal for the wrong reasons. Without the prohibition of cannabis our community would have a safe alternative to a deadly elixir named alcohol, create much more revenue from sales and reduce the hold that the violent black markets have on the US.

The debate on whether marijuana should be legal is very controversial. Cannabis is illegal to possess, consume, purchase, grow, and transfer in most countries. Currently medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and has been legalized for recreational use in Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and now Oregon. Many people want to keep marijuana illegal, yet they have little information on all facts about marijuana and the purposes it can serve. While some people may enjoy a glass of wine after work to relax, others may want to smoke a little weed to find the relaxation they desire after work. Just as some people are social drinkers, we now know there are social smokers as well. Over the years the number of people supporting Marijuana legalization has

To smoke or not to smoke? That's the question for voters across the United States, as debates on the legalization of marijuana light up the news. Marijuana is a drug made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant called Cannabis sativa (“History”). Also known as weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, Mary Jane and a vast variety of other slang names, marijuana is the new image of the modern culture. Rappers and other artists base their music and appearance off of the drug and also movies like Neighbors or any film written by Seth Rogen, lean on the glorification of marijuana for their story lines and butts of their jokes. However, this “funny” drug contains over 400 known chemicals, including the same cancer-causing substances found in tobacco smoke (“History”). By legalizing weed we are helping shape the misconception that this mainstream drug is safe and has no ramifications, just like in the movies. The mistaken belief that marijuana is “harmless” is why this drug should not be legalized.

Cannabis which is more commonly known as marijuana is considered a psychoactive drug and is used as a medicine and is also used for religious and spiritual reasons. Cannabis or “marijuana” is usually taken to heighten moods, euphoria, relaxation, and an increase in desire for food. The earliest recorded use of cannabis was as early as the 3rd millennium BC and was used for rituals. Much evidence was found near various locations in the world that exhibit cannabis was used for consumption and for medicinal purposes, smoke for rituals and trances for meditation.

The scientific journal article, Longitudinal Effects of School Drug Policies on Student Marijuana Use in Washington State and Victoria, Australia states that Marijuana is the most used taboo drug worldwide and an estimated 181 million of the world’s adults used marijuana in 2011. School-based prevention programs/policies have become the most prominent mode of drug prevention for adolescents. The main object of the study in this scientific journal article is adolescent students marijuana use. There are multiple goals of this study. The first goal of the study is to determine if student marijuana use can be predicted by the amount in which the school enforces their drug policies. The second, is to determine if student marijuana use can be predicted by the different ways in which schools respond to drug use in school The last goal, is to determine if student marijuana use can be predicted based upon the level that a school’s drug policy is based on refraining from using marijuana and the minimization of harm. The hypotheses of this study are affirming the goals. The first is that student marijuana use can in fact be predicted by the amount that the school enforces their drug policies. The second is that student marijuana use can in fact be predicted by the different ways in which schools respond to the drug use in their school. The last hypothesis is that, student marijuana use can in fact be predicted by the level that a school’s drug policy is based on refraining from using