Marijuana: The Great Debate Essay

The role that social policies have in the lives of every citizen cannot be understated, as the rules, regulations, and laws that govern our society provide the foundation off which our social welfare system operates. Over the past several decades, the social policy issue of the legalization of marijuana has gained substantial traction in the public eye, making it a priority topic to be addressed on the government agenda. With Colorado and Washington becoming the first states in the U.S. to legalize marijuana (TIME, 2012), Alaska and Oregon were soon to follow (Fortune, 2016), prompting more discussion and research around the effects of legalizing marijuana in North America, particularly in regard to social policy.

In the society we live in, everybody wants to be right. People will have their own unique stance on any controversial subject, and marijuana is no different. Marijuana is a very important topic of discussion especially in the current election season. The drug is discussed on television, social media, and virtually everywhere on the internet. In the article “This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere” associate viral content editor for The Huffington Post, Renee Jacques, challenges traditional notions of the prohibition of marijuana by brilliantly using rhetorical appeals to persuade you to join the majority. Contrary to Jacques, John Hawkins, writer for www.townhall.com, takes a different stance in his article “5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal” holding tight to the traditional, negative view of the drug by using a mixture of logos and pathos to make you question why any human with a brain would smoke cannabis. Although both writers use rhetorical strategies to persuade you to their respective side of the argument, the differing degrees the authors use those strategies renders Jacques’ article much more persuasive to a general audience.

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.

For many years in the past, marijuana has been made to look like a dangerous drug, linked to crime and addiction. In the early 1920s and ‘30s most people still did not know what marijuana was or had even heard of it yet. Those who had heard of it were largely uninformed. The drug rarely appeared in the media, but when it did it was linked to crime and even thought to be murder-inducing. A 1929 article in the Denver Post reported a Mexican-American man who murdered his stepdaughter was a marijuana addict (Baird 2011). Articles such as this began to form a long-standing link between marijuana and crime in the public’s mind. Soon, laws against marijuana began coming into place. In 1970, Congress classified

Flyers and posters were placed everywhere reading “Marijuana a puff- a party- a tragedy! Assassin of Youth(marijuana).” All sharing one common goal: convincing the public of the abominable drug that marijuana was being presumed to be. Then came the grand slam, the Reefer Madness film. The film’s main focus was how badly the teenage marijuana users were affected by the drug. These adolescents became unexplainably violent and deranged. The film even showed an extremely irrational behaviors, like suicide, because of how “potent” the high was. The movie was successfully advertised and pushed to be seen. Quickly after, this falsified idea of marijuana spread across the US like wildfire and its information was absorbed. Generation after generation carried on these false interpretations on cannabis. All medical miracles and its obvious economical benefits were lost due to blind ignorance and lack of knowledge.

Many researchers and voters believe “Mary Jane” will cause Californian students’ academic performance to decline if marijuana becomes legalized; however, some do not accept this theory. While “Mary Jane” is constantly put down, new sources have proven that since the legalization of cannabis, teenagers have not increased their use of medical marijuana (Borchardt). “One of the biggest worries about legalized medical marijuana was that teenagers would smoke more pot, but it turns out those fears were wrong” (Borchardt). Since the legalization, the unincreased use of marijuana has not affected the academic performance of students. On a report from a National Survey on Drug Use, says other sources believe that the use of marijuana is increasing,

The controversy of legalizing marijuana has been raging for quite a while in America. From some people pushing it for medical purposes to potheads just wanting to get high legally. Marijuana has been used for years as a popular drug for people who want to get a high. All this time it has been illegal and now it looks as if the drug may become legal. There has been heated debate by many sides giving there opinion in the issue. These people are not only left wing liberals either. Richard Brookhiser, a National Review Senior editor is openly supportive of medical marijuana yet extremely conservative in his writing for National Review (Brookhiser 27). He is for medical marijuana since he used it in

Media outlets are a modern-day tool for manipulation. Manipulation comes in many different forms, such as Documentaries, News Articles and magazines. Something they all have in common is the ability to brainwash audiences into believing their opinions. Throughout the last decade media outlets have used different techniques, such as selection of material and the specific selection of people being broadcasted to influence audience’s attitudes, values and beliefs towards medicinal cannabis. Evidence to support this can be seen in documentaries such as Canadian Marijuana Documentary: The Health, The Benefits, The Truth! (2013) and The Truth About Smoking Cannabis (2008) and articles such as The University of Sydney to study effectiveness of medicinal

Cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, is a highly controversial substance in regards to its’ use for medicinal or recreational purposes. The term marijuana refers to the dried leaves and flowers of the marijuana plant which are most commonly smoked for their psychoactive properties. The current research on marijuana as a medicine and recreational drug is inconclusive, but as research continues and legislation is relaxed marijuana can be utilized to its full potential and may be a good replacement for tobacco, alcohol, and some prescription drugs.

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.

The debate over whether or not marijuana should be legalized has been active throughout the United States for nearly a century with arguments from both sides, pro and con, posing quite valid points. Research has proven that cannabis, in various forms, has been used for hundreds of years for recreational, medicinal and industrial purposes. Contrary to common misconception, cannabis, or marijuana, is not smoked in all forms. Only the flowers, or buds, and leaves are harvested for recreational use. Some believe that the legalization of marijuana could save the economy and would lower crime rates in certain areas. Marijuana can also be prescribed medically in certain states across the U.S. and is a Schedule I controlled substance, but THC, the

The medical use of marijuana has been a discussion that has been in the news and all around us recently. This is currently a hot topic of interest. There is an enormous amount of evidence that marijuana could be effect against many things. For example evidence shows it could be used to help relieve pain during chemotherapy, but along with this there is also evidence that at times marijuana can cause harm to someone as well. As nurses we must see each side of the debate to make our care for our patients sounder. One quote that directly applies to this topic, which is very important, was written in the Journal of Clinical Nursing:

Within today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement because of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This image society has of a lazy and unambitious America has all been the result of almost one hundred years of false propaganda and stereotypes gossiped by certain private individuals trying to keep weed illegal for their own personal benefit.

The legalization of marijuana is a very controversial issue that is being debated across the United States. In the article "Going to Pot?," by Damon Linker, Linker attempts to persuade readers that legalizing of marijuana can cause more harm than help. This publication was released in November of 2001. Although two other writers, Richard Lowry and Andrew Sullivan, try to change readers beliefs Linker maintains his stance against marijuana. Without discrediting their facts he explains and defends why he feels they are wrong. The article is formal and although religion is not talked about, morals and society standards are questioned. Throughout the argument, Linker proves that effects of marijuana are detrimental to our society and

For years, marijuana has been labeled by officials as a “dangerous drug” and criminalized in the America. Now, many scientists are discovering that marijuana can be helpful rather than harmful. They have discovered that marijuana can be used to treat many diseases including, epilepsy, glaucoma, Crohn's disease, and cancer. It can also treat the constant effects because of those diseases. Marijuana is proven to help many people with many ailments, yet it is still illegal in many states. But why has marijuana been demonized in America for so long? Where did it all begin?