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Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized

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Should Marijuana Be Legalized? Marijuana is a drug that is also referred to as pot, weed, or dope. It is made up of dried flowers and leaves from the plant cannabis sativa. Marijuana is the most abused drug in America and is very popular among teens. Recreational marijuana is legal in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, and Alaska. Medical marijuana is legal in all of these states plus 20 more states (Governing Data 1). Despite this fact, the federal government outlaws the use of marijuana. However, they don’t interfere with the state laws unless they violate certain rules like selling to minors. Many people believe that the medical and recreational use should be legal in all 50 states, however, the belief …show more content…

Marijuana is considered to be a Schedule 1 drug due to its high probability of abuse and the dangers that come with using it. This places it in the highest level of controlled substances among LSD and heroin. Recreational marijuana should not be legal simply due to the fact that it is harmful to everyday life and health. Amsterdam is the most famous place in the world that has legalized marijuana. This experiment is not working there because citizens are reporting that students are showing up high and that children are being exposed to it more (Hawkins). Also, the crime rate is going up in the places where marijuana is sold in Amsterdam (Hawkins). The legalization of marijuana should not be experimented in …show more content…

It can be used for medical purposes as well. However, it should still not be legal. The first reason why medical marijuana should be illegal is that its function can be performed by other, not as harmful drugs. Marijuana is most commonly used for pain (Harding 1). It is also commonly used to treat muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, seizure disorders like epilepsy, and Crohn's disease (Harding 1). There is no need for marijuana to be used in any of these cases because less harmful medicines can be used. For pain, medicinal opiates can be used or OTC drugs like ibuprofen. For multiple sclerosis, baclofen can be used to ease the muscle spasms (Senelick 1). To treat nausea from cancer, drugs like Benadryl or Zofran can be used (Mayo Clinic 1). Also, to treat epileptic seizures, Carbatrol or Tegretol is used to control them (Lava 1). Finally, for Crohn's disease, Azulfidine can be used first to treat it and reduce inflammation (Robinson 1). Therefore, the main things medical marijuana is used for has less damaging options to replace the use of medical

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