Legalizing Marijuana Argumentative Analysis

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.

In a study by New Frontier data, it is predicted that after the nationwide legalization of recreational marijuana, the marijuana industry will create around $132 billion in tax dollars in the next decade. In the 2017 fiscal year, the federal deficit was $666 billion dollars. Tax revenue from marijuana sales can lessen the deficit if legalized nationwide. Colorado is just one example of this – from January 2014 to May 2017, its tax revenue from marijuana exceeded $500 million. Colorado used the extra revenue mostly for K-12 education, but also for public health initiatives and infrastructure projects. Brian Vicente from the Vicente Sederberg Law Firm, which specializes in marijuana law, says “the impact is really felt at the local level. Some counties have done 20 years of infrastructure work in just one year's time,” he said. “They've provided lunch for kids who need it.” These things are crucial to Colorado’s well-being, but also stimulate the economy. In another state where recreational marijuana, Washington, the revenue from marijuana income and processing fees was $319 million in the 2017 fiscal year. In Washington, the excise tax is 37% for retail sales of marijuana. This high tax rate contributes to the substantial revenue from Washington’s marijuana industry. Washington uses $3 million of its revenue from recreational marijuana to fund substance abuse prevention programs and drug education. The

The legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the “high” feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasons. First, I will present two common arguments against the legalization of marijuana and then refute them. Second, I will explain how there is no proof of harmful effects from marijuana and that there are many health benefits prominent. Third, I will describe how legalization would bring in tax revenue for the government. Finally, I will go into detail on how legalization would decrease crime rates.

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

This year, millions of Americans are weighing in on one of the most controversial and pressing issues in our country today: medical marijuana. It’s no secret that some states have already embraced the ambiguous federal laws surrounding this topic. However, when examining the pros and cons of medical marijuana it is important to distinguish fact from fiction.

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.

The legalization of recreational marijuana has recently been a widely debated topic, especially since medical marijuana was legalized in several states. Critics say that cannabis is a Class I drug that has both negative health effects and behavior effects. However, there is minimal evidence to support these claims, and none of the benefits of marijuana are taken into consideration when the arguments are made. The possession and use of recreational marijuana should be legalized in the United States because it would provide a steady source of income for the government in the form of taxation, it would reduce the sale of more dangerous drugs since they would not be present in dispensaries.

Many people are incarcerated and shamed throughout our great country simply for buying or possessing a harmless drug. The harmless and relatively weak drug that I am referring to is marijuana. The United States Government as well as state governments spend millions of dollars trying to stop the sale, cultivation and use of marijuana. I strongly feel that it’s time to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use across the nation. As a matter of fact, I also believe that anyone convicted and currently in prison for offenses related to marijuana should be immediately released and have their record wiped clean. However, legal use of marijuana should be for adult’s only and out of public view. Countless money can be saved and taxes on legal

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

Legalization of medical use began in 1996 with California, and legalization for recreational use began in Colorado and Washington in 2012. Although marijuana use is still technically illegal under the federal government, there are twenty-six states, plus Washington DC, that allow some form of use. Of these, twenty-one have legalized medical use, eight have legalized both medical and recreational use, and five will no longer sentence jail time for possessing small amounts. All of these legalizations have happened in the last twenty years, showing just how much support has grown recently. In 2006 and again in 2016, Pew Research Center took a poll in which they asked people of all ages about legalization. In the ten years, the support for legalizing went up by thirty-two percent. (6.) It is very obvious from this data that support for this movement is growing, and it will continue to grow.

When it comes to the discussion of marijuana, several controversies and debates emerge and individuals are able to express their standing on the topic. Despite the misleading statements made about the substance, marijuana has numerous advantages that outlook the negatives. Marijuana has been studied by many doctors and organizations, and it has been proven that there are no serious complications or side effects to the drug. In fact, doctors suggest marijuana to be used for medicinal use because it can help individuals suffering from cancer or other diseases. Marijuana should be legalized because it causes little to no harm on society, is safer than alcohol and other hard drugs, and can potentially save the lives of those who are in tribulation.

In recent years, marijuana has been at the center of a hot debate (Ferner 4). The prohibition of marijuana, first effective in 1937, was based on myths and bad scientific information (Nathan 2). Prohibition has caused millions of dollars to be thrown away on jailing people for using a substance safer than alcohol (Ferner 3). Even in its illegal state, marijuana has been proven to be an effective medicine and is already medically legal in a few states (Szalavitz 2). Legalizing marijuana could produce many positive benefits, both medically and monetarily.

You probably see tons of this in the news but do you ever really get the full story or is it

This is clearly evident in Colorado where they are pulling in giants amounts of money every day. In 2014, when Colorado first made marijuana legal, the state pulled in 44 million dollars. In 2015, they made a significant increase in revenue, pulling in 76 million dollars in the first seven months alone (Keyes). The Centennial State is blazing a trail that the rest of the states should follow in order to improve their economy. One state in particular that should be heavily considering the legalization of marijuana is Louisiana. We are in the middle of unprecedented budget cuts on higher education. These cuts have stirred talks about some schools in our state potentially shutting down, LSU included. During this trying time, Louisiana needs something that will generate millions of dollars relatively quickly. The answer is legalizing marijuana. Furthermore, the legalization of this drug could tremendously lower our national debt, which stands at 19 trillion dollars. If every state was to participate in this multi-million dollar industry, then the national debt would be lowered in no