Marijuana Argumentative Essay

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 medical marijuana debate is an interesting one because there’s such a wide diversity of opinions and views that oppose each other. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug. They consider these drugs to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse and to be some of the most dangerous drugs, because they’re highly addictive and may cause severe psychological or physical dependence. Other Schedule 1 drugs include heroin, LSD, ecstasy and meth. Many who are against marijuana believe the drug is dangerous, harmful and feel it should remain illegal.

Natural supplements are widely used throughout the world and are recommended by holistic doctors for patients who do not want chemically made medication and alternate treatments. Although natural supplements are better for the human body, cannabis is a product that is not seen as positive example of natural supplements. Cannabis is a plant that has many strains and can be used to treat different medical issues. Even though most sport organization have cannabis on a list of banned performance enhancing drugs it should not be banned; because it does not truly give a competitive advantage to an athlete, it can be used for pain medication and long term health problems that may be caused from over usage of this drug should not be the concern of sport organizations, but a personal decision made by each athlete. Unfortunately, cannabis does have negative side effects such as a change in the state of mind, killing brain cells, and societies’ negative perspective on cannabis.

In out society drugs are considered to be addictive and lethal. People tend to abuse drugs regardless of their side effects. In many cases government agencies regulate their use. Also there are drugs that are illegal to use, produce and sale. One of those illegal drugs is marijuana. For thousands of years, marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of sickness. It became illegal in 1937 under The Marijuana Stamp Tax Act. This act prohibits the use, sale and growing of marijuana. It was made illegal because no one understood why smoking marijuana made people feel the way they did and because appropriate researches had not been conducted about it. Though marijuana remains illegal

“In 1980, the average THC content in marijuana was about 1%. By 1997, the average THC content was close to 5.1%; in 2008, 10.2%. The average strength of the marijuana plant in the U.S. today is around 15–20%. The highest level found in the plant is around 32%.”(Alcohol vs. Marijuana). Marijuana has been around for a long time, but we are still learning things about it today.The history and the effects of marijuana are some of the reasons why it is illegal in a majority of U.S. states.

The first law that regarded marijuana in America required farmers to grow hemp in the year 1619 for clothing, rope, and other materials, but “as early as 1840, doctors recognized the medical applications of marijuana, and the drug was freely sold in pharmacies for over a century.” (Rich and Stingl). In 1937, the use and possession of marijuana was made illegal, but “before 1937 marijuana was freely bought, sold, grown, and used.”(Rich and Stingl). In 1970 the congress decided to classify marijuana as a schedule one drug, which has made the legalization more difficult, “schedule one drugs are considered dangerous, addictive, and have no medical benefits.”(Rich and Stingl). Marijuana fits the schedule one drug classification because

The initial usage of marijuana for medical or therapeutic purposes emerged in the early nineteenth century and gradually gained popularity among physicians. It was not until the late 1930s that the prescription of marijuana faced any legal restrictions. Minor federal limitations such as the Marijuana Tax Act, Boggs Act, and Narcotics Control Act eventually propelled the ultimate legislation which is still in place today (Clark). This legislation, the 1970 Uniform Controlled Substance Act, categorizes marijuana as a Schedule I illicit drug. That is, the possession, purchase, distribution, or medical prescription of marijuana is considered a felony. It characterizes marijuana as a substance subject to abuse and lacking any medical purpose or

Since being officially outlawed in the 70s with Controlled Substances Act marijuana has been a completely illegal substance for anyone to have or consume(Burnett). However, that has not stopped anyone from using the plant. Growing up in a small conservative town it was pretty surprising how many people actually admitted to using the drug. The drug has been demonized for years by parents that believe that it will turn their kids into burnouts. However, that has not necessarily been the case. Like other substances any form of abuse can ruin a person’s life. Let’s take for instance a legal substance that suffered the same fate as marijuana at one point in time. Alcohol has long been the

In a contemporary study that was published by the American Civil Liberties Union, there had been 49,904 arrests within the state of Illinois for the possession of cannabis in the year 2010 . This made Cook County (Chicago) the county with the most cannabis possession arrests, ahead of New York City, New York (59,451 for all 5 counties) and Los Angeles County, California (15,600). Within the same year, but strictly within the city of Chicago by itself, there is an average of 91 cannabis possession charge arrests on a daily basis. Within the time span of 1975 and 2009, there has been 1,023,434 arrests executed for cannabis-related infractions against the law . As stated in the Cannabis Control Act passed by the Illinois State Legislature in 1978, the first offense could prove to be detrimental to the individual’s future, as the penalty for conviction of possessing 30 grams of cannabis (just over an ounce) has a penalty of up to 264 days in jail

"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

With the proper use , Marijuana can have several benefits, as an alternative medicine to prescriptions. Marijuana has been thought of as a harmful plant that can hurt people's lives and is imagined to be nothing more than another problem in today’s society. However, based on its enlargement value and medical benefits, cannabis has proven to exceed its negatives with several other positives.The history of marijuana goes all the way back to 2700 BC., usually used for pleasure, ceremonies, and medicine.

The use of marijuana by Americans has been no secret; over the past century whether it has been legalized or not. It has only recently become a huge controversial issue in America in the past several decades. Marijuana was not outlawed in the United States until the 1930’s. By 1931, 29 US states had outlawed marijuana, but it wasn't until 1937, when congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, that the drug effectively became criminalized. In the early 1900’s marijuana was seen as an evil drug associated with Mexican immigrants; terrible crimes were attributed to marijuana and the Mexicans that used it. It wasn't until the 1960’s that attitudes towards marijuana became more relaxed. The drug started to be used for recreational fun in the white upper middle class. In the 70’s the drug took flight across the nation. With music festivals such as Woodstock and peace movements during the Vietnam War the drug became very popular. In 1996 California became the first state to legalize the medical use of marijuana with the passing of Proposition 215. Within the following years several states began to decriminalize marijuana, and legalize marijuana for medical use, but it wasn't until last year that the states of Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana for recreational use. With many states changing the laws on the use of marijuana it beings a problem for the federal government being that federally marijuana is still illegal. The use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes

“A total of 120 children and teenagers with Dravet syndrome—a rare disorder marked by drug-resistant seizures that can be nearly continuous in some cases, we tested with cannabis and over 14 weeks the amount of seizures decreased tremendously.’’Sam Riggio, director of operations for Realm of Caring, a cannabis research, education and advocacy group is trying hard to make cannabis beneficial to people in our society. Cannabis is is illegal in today's society for reasons, such as overuse can lead to insanity, it causes brain cancer, or neck cancer. But it has also been known to cure cancer and help with mental illness. Cannabis is a very conflicted topic in today's society.

Medical marijuana is very a big and controversial issue in today's society, currently the community is divided on the issue. Questions are always being thrown around such as "how does marijuana affect the body?" and "what good does’ marijuana do for a person?" Researchers have tried to answer these questions with multiple studies and they have shown some of the positives of medical marijuana. If something is able to help someone who is in dire need why not use it on those people to find a better solution for them. I myself am on the supportive side of the issue of medical marijuana. I don't think it should be legal to just anyone though I believe there should be a legal age law, a driving while under the influence, and a public intoxication law in effect for medical marijuana to be legal.

Public support for marijuana legalization has steadily increased over the last several decades. Over the past few years, support has hovered right around fifty percent. There is a slim majority of people that support the legalization of marijuana. Conservatives resist the legalization of marijuana. Less than a third of conservatives believe marijuana should be legal. As of now, 64 percent of people who are on the democratic side of the political spectrum believe marijuana should be legalized, while only 39 percent of republicans believe it.