Persuasive Essay About Legalizing Marijuana

     Marijuana does have some negative effects, but compared to other drugs marijuana is harmless. Other drugs are highly addictive were marijuana is not. Alcohol is one of the most leading causes of car crashes. Marijuana is nowhere near being a leading cause of death. Other drugs can lead to cancer where marijuana is used to cure it, and other drugs can lead to deaths. Other drugs impair you vision, but marijuana does not. All the other drugs except alcohol are gateway drugs, and the only way to purchase them is by smuggling them across the border. Many advocates say “we should begin to reflect that reality in our state and federal legislation, and stop acting as if otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are part of the crime problem. They are not, and it is absurd to continue using law enforcement resources arresting them.” (Gary) Many advocates also say, “Far more harm is caused by marijuana prohibition than by marijuana itself.”(Gary)

Growing up everyone is always told “drugs are bad for you” over and over. As children, we have no perspective and do not fully understand the use of drugs. Drugs are always around us, especially marijuana. It is the most commonly used drug in the world. As much as we are told not to use this substance or be around it, many have encountered it in some way before. Marijuana being illegal in most states does not stop people from using the substance. Since this illegal drug is still used no matter the situation why not benefit from it and legalize it throughout the United States? Marijuana could have a positive effect on America in relation to health and the economy.

Marijuana legalization has been a topic of interest for many years in this country. How to regulate it? Tax it? Where it can be used? By whom? How old? Who can sell it? Federally legal or locally legal? The penalties involving it? All of those are questions that have been debated about and fought over in courts of law. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been jailed for minor crimes involving Marijuana. It has many proven benefits both economically and medically. The times are changing and prohibition against marijuana is starting to fade away. Although still illegal federally, it is now fully legal in eight different states, and medically legal in thirty! This is great progress, but still isn’t enough. Marijuana will soon be legalized. There is plenty of benefits and I am fully for the legalization of marijuana nationwide.

Legalization of marijuana on a federal level may benefit society more than cause it harm. When people hear the word marijuana, cannabis, hemp, etc. they tend to compare it to dangerous hardcore drugs. In all reality, unlike these other hardcore drugs, marijuana has many advantages that could possibly outweigh its negatives. For example, federally legalizing marijuana could stimulate growth within an economy by allowing the government the opportunity to reduce expenses on prohibition, create jobs and collect sales tax revenue, create a healthier more organic agriculture through hemp industrialization, and offer a more natural remedy to alleviate medical symptoms.

Every year, 400,000 Americans die of complications caused by tobacco products. Smoking kills more Americans each year than alcohol, crack, heroin, murder, suicide, car accidents, fires, and AIDS all put together. Every week, eight children under the age of eighteen die from alcohol related crashes. Alcohol abuse contributes to almost 50% of all traffic accidents, suicides, and homicides. However, despite the proven dangers of these "socially acceptable" drugs, they are still legal. Marijuana, a much less acceptable drug, is not legal however, despite the fact that research has yet to pin any specific dangers to this drug.

The health concerns of marijuana, while valid, are no more serious than that of cigarettes, alcohol or a lot of other legal drugs on the market. People in today’s society have widely accepted the use of marijuana, as evidenced in the passing of state laws allowing recreational use. The tax revenue created and money saved by using resources in other areas, gives the states huge financial rewards. Also, the disproportionate criminal penalties that minorities suffer due to marijuana laws are relieved by legalizing the drug. The benefits greatly outweigh the concerns of marijuana use.

Not only can money be gained through tax revenue if it was legalized but money that was previously spent because of marijuana prohibition can now be saved. Every year our country spends $68 billion on prisoners with one-third of them being imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes (half of these being marijuana-related charges). Therefore, legalizing marijuana would save $11.3 billion because it wouldn’t be spent on prisons. That money being spent on prisons is your tax dollars! Not only does keeping those in prison with marijuana-related charges cost a lot but so does time and money of our police enforcement when they have to charge someone simply having a joint in their home or with friends. Imagine how much police officers could focus on other crimes if they didn’t have to worry about marijuana charges.

Medical marijuana is legalized in 29 out of the 50 states in the United States and the main goal is to obtain legalization in all states (Procon, 2017). People around the world have different views of using marijuana for medication, especially when it is being used for children. The benefits of marijuana are endless and it can be used for numerous different medical conditions. Of course with anything positive there is always a negative side of it. People believe that the medical marijuana will affect the brain of people that use it since it is a drug. Overall medical marijuana should be legalized in all states throughout the United States, because it is safe, and it provides a huge amount of economic benefits and health benefits.

Cannabis has many benefits to many people around the world. Although people say it does nothing but bad how come people don't say nothing negative about cigarettes. Methanol does nothing but bad affects into your body it has killed thousands of people around the world. Especially by lung cancer , throat illness , heart attacks , and even death. Never has it been reported that someone has died from medical marijuana , and if it has been reported that's because they're were driving while intoxicated. That is another individual freedom that people have. They have the right to drink as much as they want .As long as they aren't driving plus there has been many report of people dying under the influence due to driving , having heart attacks m high cholesterol , and even lose of memory. Cannabis does not make a person loose their memory however they are more aware of their surroundings they are more cautious of what's to come. People have more control of what they are planning to do

Legalizing marijuana is safer to consume than alcohol. For example, “Alcohol is more likely to contribute to acts of violence than marijuana” (qtd. Marijuana Policy Project n.pag.). This means that people are calmer and less aggressive when they consume marijuana than when they drink. “MPP claims that research shows marijuana is less addictive than alcohol and less damaging to your body” (qtd. Marijuana Policy Project n.pag.). Alcohol is hard on your body especially when you are drinking regularly it's hard on your liver, but it doesn't matter how marijuana is consumed it is safer than drinking. “Clinical and Experimental Research, conducted that an estimated 36% of hospitalized assaults and 21% of all injuries are attributable to alcohol use by the injured person. Meanwhile,

My last reason is because more people will go on welfare. Since marijuana cause serious health and mental issues, which may easily destruct social relationships with family, work and school. People who smoke pot are tend to think themselves better will diminish because it deprives the excitement and emotion in your life and causes them to have one constant mood. Due to smoking weed, people lose enthusiasm to work and eventually ask government help to sustain their lives. If we legalize marijuana, it causes increase in the number of people who are unemployed, and it will directly affect government with social welfare system. The welfare system is supported by government, yet its financial resources depend on taxes paid by employed citizens.

Legalizing marijuana is obviously complex and involves a lot of review, research, and regulation but with several states already legalizing they have paved the way for other states. The revenue generated from marijuana would help states with financial problems and get communities much needed resources. Crimes would still occur but law enforcement would not have to handle marijuana related crimes and focus on other crimes. Those who suffer from chronic and debilitating diseases would get the relief they need from medicinal marijuana. As with every drug out there today that is legal, marijuana is just as important and should be legal as well despite what the opposition

According to government surveys, 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so on a regular basis, despite harsh laws against its use. Marijuana is far less hazardous than tobacco or alcohol. Nearly 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Additionally, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to smoking tobacco. By comparison, marijuana is non-hazardous and cannot cause death by overdose. The United States public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it. (NORML) The legalization of marijuana is a liberty that people deserve to choose for themselves. Legalization would also reduce crime, and give sick patients a new effective medicine.

Recent studies at various Universities have shown that marijuana is in fact not an addicting drug. This could go to show that marijuana could be a way safer alternative than drinking alcohol. Alcohol causes more deaths in America than any other drug alone. Alcohol also has taken the lives of many people. If anything alcohol is what should be illegal. People just don’t get that being high isn’t dangerous. Being drunk on the other hand is obviously hazardous especially when one drives. Cigarettes on the other hand, are a million times worse. Cigarettes have around 1000 different chemicals around 50 of which pose potential threat to the human respiratory system and other organs in the human body. Down to the point, there is almost little to no marijuana related deaths in the U.S. each year which is why this beautiful plant should be available for anyone who needs a little bit. If one has a problem with the drug being legal than better start arguing soon before it becomes street legal world

Many people claim that there is no known case of people dying due to marijuana. This is a half truth since it’s not the marijuana itself that kills; it’s its side effects. Marijuana causes lung and throat cancer much like cigarettes. As a matter of fact, marijuana is worse for the lungs, since it contains three times as much tar as cigarettes and it’s usually smoked without a filter. They also claim there is not nearly as much crime due to marijuana use compared alcohol. This is also true but for one simple reason. Alcohol is legal and more easily accessible than marijuana. It’s the fact that marijuana is illegal that is keeping these numbers so low. Legalizing marijuana would be like adding fuel to a fire. If marijuana were to be legalized these number are sure to increase.