Essay Legalize Weed: Yes or No?

The truths about marijuana are slowly starting to resurface, the government keeps ignoring that cannabis could one day be as powerful for the U.S. Unfortunately, these truths about marijuana are under a lot of criticism because of the stereotype of what people see as a "marijuana or cannabis smoker." There is a great difficulty in this law because marijuana is still recognized as a harmful and dangerous substance in some states. This can cause problems because each state has their different views and opinions on the matter, and have their own rules and how the rules apply towards it. The twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, but California, Massachusetts, and Nevada just passed the law for recreational use. The states that have medical marijuana and recreational legalization are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. The states that only have medical marijuana legal are Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii (Ingraham). However, legalizing marijuana could have some benefits instead of being a drug with some bad reputations. Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, safety reasons, and have some benefits to society.

“According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population” (Drugfreeworld.org, 2014). Marijuana is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world (Sewell). It has received a plethora of criticism in the past and its negative reputation has carried on throughout history, making the legalization of marijuana one of the most controversial topics today. Marijuana does not deserve the reputation it receives, and in actuality it serves many medicinal purposes for the human body. Marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states for medical use.

In the United States, we have enacted numerous bans and restrictions against certain drugs and substances with the purpose of protecting the general public from their negative effects. On this list of illegal drugs are harmful and addictive substances such as cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin. A substance called cannabis, also known as marijuana, is also on this list. As of now, it is illegal to buy, sell, possess, or use marijuana in any shape or form in the state of Louisiana. However, due to the advancement of technology and of human perspective and innovation, it has come to light that marijuana could actually be of benefit to our society through its medicinal uses in treating a range of conditions and diseases as well as its possible social benefits in helping individuals stray from heavier drugs by acting as a substitute. Now that the wheels of time are turning and that medical marijuana is becoming a budding industry, the question remains: should marijuana be legal all across the United States of America? With the benefits it could bring with its medical, social, and economic uses, marijuana could be a profitable asset to our society if it were to be legalized, and I believe that we should strive for that outcome.

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”.

Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While

This book explains real the medicinal value of marijuana. why is it illegal? David Ford explains how the federal government created a systematic campaign of deception that began in the 1930's. From fifty years of research and interviews with hundreds of marijuana users, the author offers many arguments why marijuana should never have been illegal. The government is aware that marijuana never resulted in even one documented death. In 1966, the voters of California and Arizona approved marijuana for medical purposes. This has sparked up a controversy. Should it be legalized or not? I want to write about this because, this is one of the most talked about and most argued about subjects in America today. It is definitely a subject that should be examined and researched a little more. I will use David’s book to illustrate whether or not marijuana should be legalized or not. In honesty I am not a fan for marijuana, I think the world functions just fine as it

Also, weed has been for the most part classified as a “victimless” crime. This means that only the user is being harmed in the use of this drug. With this in mind, you can’t legislate the morality of a society when the society itself disagrees on what is actually considered moral.

There have been studies done that have proven that IQ’s of people 21 and older that use this drug have not been affected in the long term, even though while under the influence their IQ may drop temporarily. There have been many studies done on cannabis and they have found that the drug should not be considered a schedule I drug and that it should not be illegal but Nixon dispelled this information and kept the drug’s illegal status. In addition, it has been shown that misdemeanors have decreased and opioid use has decreased in places that marijuana is legal. It was shown in Colorado that opioid use went down by about 30%. This would mean that the overall safety of communities would be on the rise. Lastly, there are many addictive substances that are currently legal that could be compared to pot. Alcohol is legal and has the same short term effects as cannabis. Also, tobacco is the number one cause of death by an addictive substance, followed by alcohol, with marijuana in the rear. Although, this side provides many compelling arguments, the opposition has a significant number of relevant points as

In “Why Congress Should Legalize Pot”’ Jeffery Miron, the senior lecturer of undergraduate studies in the economics department at Harvard University, reports that the reason marijuana should be legalized is for the same reason alcohol is legal. According to him alcohol is a similar substance that can be abused. He also explains that even though there could be risks with legalizing marijuana “economic trends with will stay the same.” This means there won’t be an increase in accidents and crime just because marijuana is legalized.

“In addition to easing stress, cannabis decreases anxiety and helps you relax. That’s why pot smokers, for the most part, are happy people. In this day and age, staying grounded is necessary. A little weed is all you need to help you find inner peace and tranquility.” (Sanger, Brittney. “10 Legit Reasons Why Weed Should Be Legalized Right Now.”). This shows that smoking marijuana helps relieve stress, making you feel better, and more relaxed. Making weed legal will help many people with this factor. “There are over 100 peer-reviewed studies that can confirm that cannabis kills cancer cells in more ways than one, from halting metastasis to triggering cell suicide.” (Sanger, Brittney. “10 Legit Reasons Why Weed Should Be Legalized Right Now.”). This shows that by smoking pot, it can help kill cancer cells. On the other hand, cigarettes can cause cancer. This is another reason why weed is healthier than

Abraham Lincoln once said "Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man 's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes.” The prohibition of marijuana has proven to be a failure and a waste of resources. In addition, prohibition has hurt society more than it has helped. Also, marijuana can be used as a medicine to treat many life threatening illnesses. The legalization of marijuana will generate enormous tax revenue, reduce crime, and give sick patients a new effective medicine.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes and personal use can be recorded as far as 12,000 years ago. Marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug. Schedule 1 drugs are drugs are drugs that have the potential for abuse (Drug Scheduling,2016). The government contains the high-level drugs, this is the reason we have pharmacies. Pharmacies are regulated so that people can not get medicine that can be easily abused. Pharmacies require a medical prescription from a certified doctor for any drug that could be used improperly. Marijuana should be in the same category as prescription drugs because, like any medicine/drug it can be easily abused. Decriminalizing marijuana is not helping millions of people that could benefit from its medical benefits from legalizing it. Even though legalized marijuana may result in an increase in black-market drug trade, marijuana should be legalized because its sale could benefit the economy and can also be used for medical purposes.

Weed, bud, ganja, chronic, dro, herbs, grass, trees, pot, reefer; these are all names of the one drug that causes so much dispute, marijuana. Loved by so many, and hated by the law. It’s a two sided argument which everyone has their own opinion on. Is there any specific reason why weed should be illegal, or is the government just making money from catching people with it? Is there any real medical purpose for marijuana, or is it just a gateway drug for kids? These are the questions everyone should know the answers to. Whose side are you on?

It is heavily debated as to whether or not marijuana should be legalized. There are numerous reasons for and against legalizing marijuana, some say that the government can tax it, some say that it helps with certain medical conditions. People also say that it is not a gateway drug and does not lead to drug abuse. Then there is the question of should we legalize it now even though there is no way to test the levels in your blood at a routine police stop. There are some really good points as to why marijuana should be legalized and some good reasons as to why it should not be legalized, the truth is that people are going to smoke marijuana whether it is legal or not.

Marijuana is a cannabaceae plant, which has always been associated with negative connotations until recently, when it has been discovered that this plant may be used to cure diseases and improve a country economy. Thus, the American opinion is split on the question of “Marijuana Legalization”. In fact, a survey undertaken by CNN/ORC International Poll states that 55 % of Americans believe that the use of marijuana should be legal, while only 44 % think it should be illegal (CNN). I also share the American majority opinion since there is some evidence that marijuana yields positive results.