Should Marijuana Be Legal?

The decision whether to legalize marijuana, the third most popular drug in America is still a very debatable issue today. Some supporting arguments for legalizing marijuana include that the drug is not any more harmful than alcohol or tobacco if used in moderation, there are medical benefits of certain use, police and court systems would be freed up, it would create a source of additional tax revenues, the FDA could regulate quality and safety, less people would be subject to lifelong criminal behavior due to arrests associated with marijuana that trap people in the system, and the plant also has several industrial/commercial uses, over 25,000 products can be made from crop. Opposing arguments include that marijuana is a stepping stone/gateway to harder drugs eg. heroin and cocaine, driving and other dangers would increase, and that it would increase the chance of kids gaining access to the drug at an early age (Messerli, 1).

Marijuana has been a hot topic of conversation over the last few years, as some states in America have legalized it medically and recreationally. By discussing the legal aspect of marijuana, the economic benefits, medical usage and how marijuana affects the family, we can see the positive and negative impact that marijuana has on sociology.

The flame ignites, the smoke builds, the mind relaxes. It’s a process that at one point, could have

Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have been asked this question or have heard some type of news about the issue. Marijuana is commonly known as cannabis which refers to the dried up hemp plant cannabis sativa, even though marijuana is a plant and has no chemical additives it has been a tropic of controversy for many years but nowadays it is in the spotlight more than ever. For centuries, marijuana has been used by people throughout the world for religious, recreational and medical use. A few countries like the Netherlands and Uruguay have already legalized marijuana for recreational use and many other countries are taking a step towards doing so. Is it finally time for the United States to take a closer look into possibly legalizing marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized for medical and recreational purposes because it would aid in the War on drugs, it would become an important source of revenue for the government and reduce overpopulation of American jails.

Since the first efforts to legalize marijuana in the 1960s, Americans have become progressively more accepting of requests to liberalize laws restricting possession and use of marijuana, but the shift has not been a straight line. After 11 states decriminalized marijuana possession in the 1970s, recoil led by suburban parents led too much harsher implementation of drug laws. But since California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, outlooks toward the drug have relaxed significantly.("A Brief History of Public Opinion on Marijuana Legalization.")

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, continues to be a conflicting issue between the state and federal governments. This substance can be used medicinally and recreationally. The states and the federal government agree that recreational marijuana should be illegal. Although, medicinal marijuana is proven to have various health benefits making it a controversial issue on whether to make it legal or remain illegal. Different states have different views, while the federal government has separate views.

According to world recognized American Scientist Carl Sagan “the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insights , sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world”. These are just some of the benefits of Marijuana along with many others. All you have been taught about cannabis in your lifetime is the negatives but it is important to consider facts about the benefits if you would like to form your own opinion. The heavily scrutinized legalization of cannabis would have many benefits including an estimated 28

Prepare a plan for each of the topics; write a thesis statement and complete the introduction

I believe that the time has come to end the prohibition of marijuana in the United States of America. If marijuana were a legal substance and taxed like alcohol and tobacco, billions of dollars in revenue would be generated that could be put towards paying down our national debt. Further stimulation of our economy would result from the thousands of jobs that would be created in order to grow, manufacture, process, market and distribute the product. Overcrowding in our prisons would be reduced, creating much-needed room for violent and aggressive criminals. Finally, there is evidence that the legalization of marijuana will yield certain health and environmental benefits to American society.

Marijuana has been used for a very long time throughout the country for many medical uses. Starting in the 1900’s marijuana as well as other drugs such as cocaine and opium were not considered drugs and were in fact very commonly used. Not much later in 1914 the U.S. made cocaine illegal for non-medical purposes, 56 years later in 1970 cocaine was classified as a schedule II substance. The U.S. was very strict about the cannabis laws starting around the 1980’s. Then beginning in the early 2000’s scientists started discovering the medical benefits the marijuana has on people that are sick. Marijuana was used to treat many people with cancer and also people suffering from depression. Shortly after these studies were released the argument for medical marijuana began to grow throughout the United States. The government did not want any kind of marijuana becoming legal but by being able to overrule the government laws marijuana was legalized for medical use only in California in 1996. This was a huge step in the marijuana industry and a few other states such as Colorado and Arizona had also allowed medical marijuana shortly after. There are now 21 states in the United States that have legalized medical marijuana.

Attitudes toward the legalization due to the shifts over time take into consideration a shockingly exact reproduction of four decade of American social history. In November 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington State passed a law allowing, dispersion, and ownership of marijuana for medical and recreational use. This paper does not address the subject of whether cannabis ought to be legal; it concentrates on the configuration contemplation of making an adjustment in cannabis strategy. Regardless of whether marijuana authorization is positive or negative for general well-being and public security largely relies on upon administrative choices and how they are actualized. This paper contends that current federalism precepts neglect

Cannabis also commonly known as marijuana is a product that comes from the cannabis plant. Marijuana is mostly used as a psychoactive drug and as medicine although the cannabis plant does have many other uses. Marijuana although legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia for medical purposes and 2 states for medical and recreational purposes is still federally illegal and is considered by the United States a scheduled 1 drug. This means that according to the United States, via the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana has been found to fit the following three categories; The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse, the drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and

What is the new question on the table with politicians and law enforcement officials alike? The question is whether or not it is time to legalize, tax, and create a lucrative industry out of marijuana. For a few decades now the idea of legalizing marijuana has been met with fierce opposition and seen as being nearly impossible to accomplish. The current state of our economy and criminal corrections system have actually made the option of legalizing marijuana for financial aid as not only a viable option but a prudent one (Cohen, 2009). From a sociological standpoint it almost seems to be common sense to legalize and tax the plant. The research supporting the benefits of marijuana in the fields of finance, healthcare, economic stimulation,

My life experience has opened my mind to the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical needs. Knowing that people with cancer, MS (Multiple Sclerosis), PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), bipolar and many other medical conditions can be treated with cannabis, personally I do not understand how the Food and Drug Administration can withhold the use of cannabis to treat medical conditions. Keeping it a schedule I drug states that there is no current medical use for it, and that is obviously mistaken. Marijuana does not have any characteristics as Heroin or LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), therefore, it should not be in the same class. Watching my sister-in-law battle cancer was one of my hardest

Marijuana has a number of names, however, there are a few which have gained notoriety and are crucial to understand if one is to appreciate stoner literature or life style. Marijuana Marijuana is in many ways the original name. When Spanish immigrants came into the US they brought "marihuana" with them for both spiritual and recreational purposes.This is the technical name, the one you 've learned in DARE programs and seen plastered all over the internet in anti-drug campaigns. Typically, this is an accurate representation of who uses this name '"officials of some sort who do not actually smoke marijuana. Stoners usually employ second nature pet names or only use the term "marijuana" if they feel lazy or want to be either especially