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Negative Essay : The Legalization Of Marijuana

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Legalization of Marijuana What is “marijuana”? Marijuana is one of the most popular illegal drugs in the United States, and even worldwide (CBS News). The psychoactive drug is derived from the leaves, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant; it can be either smoked, inhaled through vapor, brewed, or eaten. The main ingredient in the hallucinogen is delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol, also known as THC, which, along with other cannabinoids, alters and disrupts normal brain functions, including memory, thought processes, concentration, movement, sensory and time perception. (Davis and Carter) Marijuana being such a popular substance results in there being a lot of “nicknames” for it; some examples of the most common nicknames for marijuana are pot, weed, and dope, but there are a lot more. Some would say that the reason for having so many different terms for what is just a plant is because the topic of marijuana is mostly frowned upon in public, and it is considered to be one of those “things-you’re-not-supposed-to-mention-in-polite-society”; Jonathon Green says that “the terminology doesn’t emphasize illegality,” but that “the illegality created the need for the terminology” (Steinmetz). A Gallup survey conducted in July of 2016 found that 13% of adults in the United States reported to be current users of marijuana, in comparison to the 7% reported in 2013. Of those surveyed, 43% said that they had at least tried the substance, an increase from the 2013 survey where 38% of

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