Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana

Marijuana has been proven to be safer than alcohol, yet marijuana is against the law. Alcohol is known to contribute to acts of violence and crime, while in most cases cannabis can reduce aggression in its users. “In last year’s cases of reported violent crime three million offenders had been drinking. Almost all cases of date rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence had some kind of connection to alcohol” (Medical Fact: Marijuana is Safer Than Alcohol, 2009). Marijuana has not been linked or has

“According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population” (Drugfreeworld.org, 2014). Marijuana is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world (Sewell). It has received a plethora of criticism in the past and its negative reputation has carried on throughout history, making the legalization of marijuana one of the most controversial topics today. Marijuana does not deserve the reputation it receives, and in actuality it serves many medicinal purposes for the human body. Marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states for medical use.

In the United States, twenty-one states have no laws on legal marijuana use, even for medicinal marijuana. Another twenty-one have legalized marijuana for medical use only. As for the other eight, those states have legalized the use marijuana for medicinal and recreational. The states that have fully legalized marijuana have seen a boost in the economy due to taxes from marijuana sales. Along with helping the economy, marijuana is proven to provide medical aid for illnesses, such as cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. The legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational use will be a benefit to society.

On the other hand, marijuana which has proven to be much less damaging, continues to be illegal in the majority of states. The article, “7 Facts That Prove Alcohol is Way More Dangerous Than Marijuana” states, “The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 37,000 U.S. deaths are attributed to alcohol use alone while on the other hand, the CDC does not even have a category for deaths caused by the use of marijuana” (Short). It is also shown that medical related expenses are significantly greater for users of alcohol versus users of marijuana. Also, while alcohol has been linked to both brain damage and certain forms of cancer, marijuana actually has properties that act to protect brain cells from impairment. In a 2006 experiment directed by Dr. Donald Tashkin from the University of California at Los Angeles, it was determined that marijuana users do not have an increased risk for developing lung cancer and that use of the drug actually decreases the risk of lung cancer happening because of the drug’s “neuroprotective properties” (Short). While alcohol is very addictive producing detrimental and sometimes fatal withdrawal symptoms when it is consumed chronically, marijuana has been found to not create any significant

Cannabis Sativa, more commonly known as Marijuana, is made up of dried parts of the Cannabis hemp plant and is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. For centuries, people all over the world have been using marijuana to achieve “euphoria”, but the drug has remained illegal in the United States despite countless efforts to reverse the law. In the last few years, the legalization of Marijuana became both a prominent and controversial issue in our country and remains an extremely touchy subject. Despite its short term effect of distorted perceptions and memory impairment, Marijuana has several pro’s that can not only help individuals but could benefit our country as a whole. These “pros” include medical use, a boost in our

Are drugs always bad for people? The first impressions of drugs are probably that drugs make people lazy, make people sick, and make people uncontrollably addicted to drugs. Cannabis, which has several names such as marijuana, weed, pot, dope, hemp and so on is listed as Schedule I, referred by the Drug Enforcement Administration which means marijuana is highly addictive and dangerous material. However, Marijuana should not be in that category because marijuana has useful functions. Marijuana is different from other drugs such as Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Heroin because marijuana does not contain hazardous chemicals as much as Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Heroin have. Legalizing marijuana provides several benefits to people and the government. Legalizing marijuana educes crime, it has positive effects on serious physical symptoms, and it can bring massive amount of economic benefits

Marijuana (cannabis) is a greenish-gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves and flowers of the hemp plant called cannabis sativa. It is the most used drug worldwide. The main active ingredient in marijuana is titled delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol, mostly known as THC, which enables users to feel “high.” Despite, the many negative statements about marijuana, it is compact with loads of benefits. Some of the most common benefits are: its ability to treat glaucoma; it may reverse the carcinogenic (toxic) effects of tobacco and improve lung health; it can control epileptic seizures; and lastly, cannabidiol (CBD) –the chemical found in marijuana—stops cancer cells from spreading. With marijuana’s handful of health benefits, I would support the legalization of this herb, also it will improve the economy by providing jobs for cultivators and supplying them with customers. Marijuana should be legal due to its

Legalizing marijuana may serve as a medicine for ill and unhealthy people. Marijuana is famously known for its ability to relieve pain for people that suffer with ADDs/ ADHD, Alzheimer’s, seizures, migraines, and physical pain relief like knee or back pain. In addition, marijuana can be used to, “treat those disorders but also cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana kill cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth!” (Torres). American states like Colorado and Washington have already legalized the use of marijuana, not to mention

Because marijuana is illegal in the United States and decades of government sponsored anti-marijuana programs, it’s often associated with crime though there is no association between weed use and crime. Although there are studies that link marijuana and crime, its almost all focused on illegal distribution. People who are high don’t commit violence. Its common knowledge that a person should never take alcohol or weed and drive, but although its true that marijuana affects the ability to drive, it is not as dangerous as drunk or buzz driving. A recent study show that marijuana use increases the odds of a fatal crash by 83 percent while driving with a blood alcohol level of at least .05 increased the chance of being in a crash by 575 percent. It is clear that the roads are threatened more by alcohol than weed but society is also affected by both in very different ways. Colorado is a state where weed is legal to those twenty one and older and offers a look on marijuana’s effects on society such as states with medical marijuana painkiller overdoses deaths have dropped 25 percent due to people substituting their prescriptions for weed (Christensen, Wilson "Is Marijuana as Safe as -- or Safer than -- Alcohol?”). Alcohol does not lower the number of painkiller but because

In the span of 2013-14 the reports of drugs in Australia increased. There were record high reporting’s of many types of illicit drugs at the border patrol. Furthermore, many other illicit drugs had their second highest reporting in history. Cannabis is the most common drug in Australia. The number of detections of cannabis in 2013-2014 decreased, but the total weight of detected cannabis at the border control increased dramatically and was the biggest cannabis find in the last decade (Australian Drug Commission 2014). In the draft for the National Drug Strategy 2016-2025 cannabis is mentioned as a priority drug as it is the most common used illegal drug (Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs 2015). As the recent news that the Australian government is planning to legalise growing of medical cannabis there a gap in the policy of how to regulate medical cannabis and cannabis used as an illicit drug (Yaxley 2015).

legal it would benefit both those who use and those who don’t use because of tax revenue.

Marco was sitting at a park smoking marijuana when the police quickly arrived. Someone who lived in the neighborhood had called the police and reported a minor smoking marijuana at the park. The police quickly arrested Marco and took him to jail for 3 months. The police were asking questions about why Marco was smoking marijuana, knowing it was illegal. He responded saying, marijuana helps him think and helps him clear his head. Marco was having a bad day and decided he needed to collect his thoughts. This was not a typical day in the life of marco. He never really smokes unless he is going through a rough time. People fail to realize that marijuana is a plant that many people smoke to clear their head and forget about bad things that may have happened that day. Marijuana should be legalized because many people use it as a stress reliever, alcohol and tobacco cause more health problems than marijuana, and it is used for medical reasons. so why shouldn’t it be used for other reasons?

“Marijuana has been effective in pain relief, it can cause one to sleep better, it can help with depression, and it is a much safer substitute for alcohol, and other drugs” (Lau, et al., 2015). Marijuana has been tested and proven to be a safer option as opposed to alcohol, cigarettes, and other more frequently used drugs. Unlike other man-made drugs that have been tampered with, cannabis is an all-natural plant grown straight from the ground and ready to use. Marijuana can be used as a stimulant or a depressant and can really calm someone who has suffered from PTSD, epilepsy, or depression, and it can even help one tolerate pain. According to WebMD as of June 13, 2016, “marijuana has been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, appetite loss, cancer, and Crohn’s disease; it has been used to help patients with a number of eating disorders, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, nausea, and wasting syndrome (cachexia)” (“Medical Marijuana FAQ,” 2016). As I said before, when this drug is used properly it can provide one with a plethora of

The prohibition of marijuana has sparked a big debate in today’s society Views of a dangerous killer drug we once thought as common knowledge are now being proven wrong by science and it is time for our society to reassess based on our knowledge. Although many still view marijuana as a hazardous drug, it in fact has medical, economic and social benefits such as a lowering the cost of the war on drugs, reducing the prison population, generating tax revenue, and creating jobs. These are just a few of the many benefits that can come with the legalization of marijuana. As we learn more about marijuana and its effects we need to revisit our social, political and legal views on its use.

Drugs are heavily used throughout the entire world. However, it is important to understand and not undermine the variability in which drugs are used. It is clear some are for distinct medical treatment and others are for recreational use. In the United States, marijuana has been and continues to be a very controversial drug. Some states have allowed marijuana consumption for medicinal purposes, while others have completely outlawed the drug. Those who are against the legalization and regulation of marijuana suggest the economical and health risk associated with consumption of the drug are too high. Although there is risk involved with the legalization of the marijuana, our country has already been risking too much banning the drug.