Legalization Of Marijuana Argumentative Analysis

     Marijuana does have some negative effects, but compared to other drugs marijuana is harmless. Other drugs are highly addictive were marijuana is not. Alcohol is one of the most leading causes of car crashes. Marijuana is nowhere near being a leading cause of death. Other drugs can lead to cancer where marijuana is used to cure it, and other drugs can lead to deaths. Other drugs impair you vision, but marijuana does not. All the other drugs except alcohol are gateway drugs, and the only way to purchase them is by smuggling them across the border. Many advocates say “we should begin to reflect that reality in our state and federal legislation, and stop acting as if otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are part of the crime problem. They are not, and it is absurd to continue using law enforcement resources arresting them.” (Gary) Many advocates also say, “Far more harm is caused by marijuana prohibition than by marijuana itself.”(Gary)

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 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. It was introduced in Jamestown in 1611, where it became a major commercial crop grown as an innocent source of fiber (specifically, hemp). By 1927, the production and possession of marijuana had been outlawed throughout the United States, causing a prohibition that is still in effect 80 years later. Since then, the world has seen the violent rise of drug cartels and the high price of fighting illegal marijuana use (Narconon). Marijuana should be legalized because significant research shows that legalization will benefit our society socially and economically.

The legalization of marijuana will lead to a boost to the economy. With the United States being trillions in debt, an increase in tax money would be a big help to lower the national debt. Colorado, one of the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal uses, is showing valuable data of an increase in tax money, “In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fees on medicinal and recreational marijuana. Sales totaled over $996 million” (Krishna, Mrinalini). Now, Colorado is joined by seven other states, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada, in the full legalization of marijuana. With these states joining with Colorado, the United States is seeing sales “[grow] by 30%, to 6.1 billion, in 2016 and a projected 20.1 billion in 2021” (Krishna, Mrinalini). With that in mind, these sales are shared among only eight states, add another forty-two states and the rates could surpass the trillions. Considering the evidence, the act of not legalizing marijuana would be foolish.

There is an intensive debate in society, today, about legalizing marijuana. Supporters of marijuana highlight that legalizing will not increase its consumption, and in fact will provide individuals with a legal choice. Opponents argue that legalizing marijuana will increase consumption, which would expose consumers to health risks as extreme as cancer. I believe marijuana should be legalized by the federal government. It is already being consumed in the society, and legalizing marijuana will facilitate monitoring its growth, usage, and help collect taxes. Marijuana has overwhelming support in the medical field as an alternate medicine. Also, marijuana will provide a legal alternative to individuals who rely on illegal and dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Legalization will significantly reduce marijuana trafficking and curtail black market activities. Furthermore, legalizing will divert the cash stream from black markets to the states and the federal government, in the form of taxes. The additional revenue can be used to do additional research on

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?

Marijuana smoke is a complex mixture that has many chemical components and biological effects similar to tobacco smoke. However, it also contains some different ingredients. This suggests the strong possibility that marijuana, like tobacco, could lead to lung cancer, or create respiratory distress. ?Smoking marijuana also causes changes in the heart and circulation that are characteristic of stress? states Morgan (5). Current evidence has shown marijuana also causes some chemical changes in the brain. After exposure to this drug, there have been reports of effects on brain electrical activity in human beings and in animals. Marijuana also has been found to produce an acute brain syndrome. ?This is a more severe mental problem consisting of confusion and loss of contact with reality? stated Berger (8). The main reason that the United States Drug Enforcement Agency doesn't want marijuana use to be legalized is because there is no evidence to date that proves that marijuana is an effective drug when used for medicinal purposes. Scientists have researched this drug for twenty years and have yet to produce reliable scientific proof that marijuana has medical value. New findings show that marijuana is acutely harmful to AIDS and cancer patients because the active ingredient in marijuana acutely reduces the white blood cells that fight off infection. The United States Drug Enforcement Agency agrees with police departments that if marijuana use is legalized, crime could

Recreational marijuana is legal in Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington D.C. Many bills have been brought forth in other states to legalize the substance. In October, 2017, 64% of Americans believed recreational marijuana should be legalized. The debate about legalizing recreational marijuana is argued from moral and economic standpoints. From a purely economic standpoint, the US should legalize recreational marijuana, because it would create many jobs, bring in more tax revenue, and would save tax dollars by keeping many out from being arrested.

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.

Should the use of medical marijuana in Adolescent be legal? Marijuana, according to the “DEA/ Drug Scheduling” (n.d.), is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means “substance, or chemicals, are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse”. Marijuana is one of the most discussed and controversial topics in the United States today. Many say that is has medicinal benefits and should be made legal. While others say that it has a high potential for abuse. The journal article Pots for Tots: Children and Medical Marijuana, goes in to detail about some children who have befitted from the use of medical marijuana in treating for epilepsy and the controversy that is associated with it. There are some that question the legality of the treatment, the problem is there is very little research to

The United States government restricts and makes marijuana illegal, including marijuana for medicinal purposes. However, in June of this year it was reported that 25 states including Washington D.C., have made medicinal marijuana legal, and 3 states have pending legislation or ballot measures (ProCon.org). Using medicinal marijuana on ill patients could help, and possibly, save their lives. For example, medicinal marijuana could help cancer patients, those who suffer from depression, and aids patients. Annually, 7.6 million Americans die just from cancer, 15 million are diagnosed with depression, and 50 thousand are affected by AIDS. (World Cancer Day & DoSomething.org). The use of medicinal marijuana is a controversial issue in today’s society.

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.

As of right now on April 23rd of 2018, “there are currently eight states that have fully legalized recreational marijuana, and 18 are in the midst of doing it, this information comes from a map that shows the state marijuana laws and has been updated to today” (Governing). That is a combined number of 26 states that are going to have marijuana legalized for recreational use within the next few months. That is over half the states in the United States. At this rate most likely the other 24 states that have yet done anything about this controversial topic will soon follow and become part of the “legalized” side. To me it seems very odd on why these states are still bothering to wait, considering the fact that there really has been no negative effects proven of marijuana. In other words, marijuana should be

The argument that cannabis or marijuana is bad for you has been around since the early 1930s. In fact, prior to this time period cannabis and hemp was widely used and produced for many sectors of the economy as well as recreational consumption. In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act was passed by congress; effectively criminalizing all uses of the plant. Since this time cannabis has been a topic of discussion and argument. Recently, the US has seen a few states legalize cannabis while others continue to charge and persecute citizens for it’s use. The article titled “The case for marijuana legalization just got stronger” by Christopher Ingraham was written at the tail end of 2015. The article, published by The Washington Post, claims that despite the