Essay on Cannabis Legalization

Thesis Statement: Marijuana has been regarded as a harmful plant that can endanger lives and is thought to be nothing more than an extra problem to be dealt with in today’s society. However, based on its economic value and medical benefits, the cannabis has proven to outweigh its negatives with numerous other positives.

For many years, the prohibition of marijuana has led people to believe that marijuana was extremely dangerous, therefore, it could never be legal; but, most dangers spoken about marijuana are myths as it is found less harmful than alcohol, and even tobacco. In 2007, research done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare came to the conclusion that alcohol was a large contributor to death and the cause of more than 3% of the overall disease and injury in Australia, while marijuana was accountable for no deaths and only 0.2% of disease and injury. Despite what many are told to believe, this research poses that marijuana holds way fewer risks than alcohol does, and alcohol is legal. Around 88,000 deaths occur each year due to alcohol consumption, and half of those are due to binge drinking. With this in

The statement “marijuana is a lot safer than alcohol” cannot go unchallenged and should be debated. One important subject is the risk that marijuana use (especially in young adults) can lead to some kinds of mental illness. “Studies support findings that risk of schizophrenia doubles in young abusers” (U.S. National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 2009). According to Joseph Califano Jr., CASA founder and chairman of Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) “If we were to make marijuana legal and taxed it, for approximately every dollar of tax revenue, there could be as much as seven dollars incurred in medical costs”.

The three main arguments of decriminalisation, regulation and relative ramification are all tied in, and affect society positively should cannabis be legalised. The economic, fiscal, social and health benefits proposed by these arguments, with reference to articles, will open the mind of those who are sceptical about legalising cannabis. It is not all about reefing and high times, besides the medical appeal, cannabis can have a mainstream appeal from a commerce perspective. The potential capital is undeniable and far outweigh that which is gained from prohibition. It is understandable for those against cannabis, the stigma surrounding cannabis is too ingrained, and even a legal tag would not completely remedy the hesitation of some. But not everything is made for everyone, pro or anti-legalisation, it is clear that cannabis is an untapped resource buried by the political and social bias and

In the essay “Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized,” there are four supporting arguments stated of opponents on legalizing marijuana. For instance, opponents argue “scientific reports show harmful effects of habitual marijuana use” (2). In addition, prominent politicians in Massachusetts contend “legalization provides a veneer of acceptance that will encourage children and teens to try it” (3). Furthermore, “legalization will give the cannabis industry the same incentive the alcohol industry has to encourage excessive use and lobby against tax and regulation” is argued by opponents (6). Lastly, the essay counters “legalization has already had negative consequences on

According to a report put out by the British Police Foundation in March 2000, cannabis has been shown to produce less harmful effects than its other legal counterparts such as alcohol and tobacco. This kind of information calls into sharper focus the question on the minds of many as to why such a plant that is not only less harmful than legal drugs but has significant health benefits has remained illegal.

Available scientific evidence indicate that marijuana contain a useful chemical that treats several mental disorder illnesses. The useful purpose of this drug has prompted a long standing debate as

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

In the article,“There Are No Good Reasons to Legalize Marijuana.",by George Wright, Wright argues Legalizing marijuana simply digs a deeper hole in the fight against harmful intoxicants. He claims that, “The legalization of marijuana would have no benefits. To the contrary, doing so would simply add to the list of readily accessible and potentially addictive substances that can lead to irresponsible behavior and poor health. Given the widespread problems associated with addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco, why should laws be altered to add another substance to this list? The fact that so many people break laws prohibiting marijuana use does not mean that these laws should be repealed”(Wright 1). He states that, “With the possible exception of limited benefits in treating some diseases under a physician's direction, there are no advantages to the use of intoxicants such as marijuana or more potent drugs”(Wright 1). Wright then states that, “The principle argument such advocates put forth is not that marijuana has advantages or benefits, but rather that this drug is no worse than other substances such as alcohol and tobacco that are legal in spite of the fact that their consumption has been linked by the medical establishment to potentially fatal diseases or dysfunctions (i.e., lung cancer, intoxication or addiction)”(Wright

There are several myths presented to make marijuana seem harmful to one’s health, but many of them have been proven scientifically wrong. Three myths commonly presented and associated with smoking marijuana are: marijuana causes mental permanent mental illness, smoking marijuana is more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco, and also marijuana is a gateway drug. Through my research I have found that the commonly believed myths and misconceptions of marijuana intoxication are only social fears of those whom have not done any research on the effects of the drug.

Living in the 21st Century, a majority of the laws and regulations that guide our daily lives have already been legitimized and written decades ago. Although a large portion of these laws still exist today, there is always need to revise and rewrite laws. In this article I will talk about the myths and beliefs of marijuana and compare them to reliable sources to form an opinion on whether or not marijuana is a relatively safe drug for medical and recreational use along with the physical and social effects to the user and their environment. Regard, this paper will not focus on any other associated topics such as the price of prisons, annual marijuana dispensary revenue, drug trafficking or law policy’s. However many of the used articles compare and contrast the use of alcohol to cannabis.

The dispute regarding weed, more formally known as Cannabis Sativa, has been a topic of discussion throughout the years as people can’t seem to come to a conclusion about it. One side of the argument claims that people are addicted to this drug and its destroying brain cells of the users, and other people claim it not to be as overbearing as other drugs and it is harmless to use. Upon further research the answer is simple. Weed indeed proves to be beneficial and should not be prohibited or illegal. Society shames Cannabis smokers because it is inhaled the same way as tobacco, and those that are against it have developed the notion that it is bad for people’s health.

Despite the current marijuana laws, medical research has shown a variety of therapeutic benefits that arise from the use of cannabis. (Gowling et al. 1998, p. 446)) Revealed that ‘Over the years, cannabis has been claimed to increase appetite, relax the muscle, improve mood, relieve anxiety and combat pain and nausea’. As a result of these advantages, medical marijuana advocates support and has pushed for the legalisation of cannabis. However, it is argued that harmful effects can arise, demonstrating an association between cannabis with psychosis. Psychosis is a condition of the mind, involving a “loss of contact with reality”. Hall (1998) stipulated that ‘A high doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the

Within today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement because of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This image society has of a lazy and unambitious America has all been the result of almost one hundred years of false propaganda and stereotypes gossiped by certain private individuals trying to keep weed illegal for their own personal benefit.

in “Marijuana Facts” 1). From an outsider’s perspective, one has to ask why is there so much tension and hesitation in legalizing marijuana? If alcohol is the direct cause of many deaths, while marijuana has not been responsible for any, it only makes sense that our health would not be our greatest concern in legalizing the drug. Also, it is important to understand marijuana consumption is less susceptible to overuse than alcohol or other drugs (Marijuana 10:477). Despite this, critics often argue that marijuana is a gateway to other more potent and harmful drugs. According to Dr. Halbach of the World Health Organization there is no pharmacological link between cannabis and opiates (Marijuana 10:477). This demonstrates the physiological unlikelihood of marijuana being a stepping-stone to other more potent drugs containing opiates. Marijuana does have drawbacks and side effects, as any other drug whether medicinal or recreational. However, putting the drug in perspective helps one to understand the contradiction in legalizing other drugs while continuing to ignore marijuana even though it can beneficial in different capacities.