Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Cannabis, regularly known as marijuana, and by various other names is a composition of the cannabis plant intended for utilization as a psychoactive medication and physiological effects. People usually think that marijuana is unhealthy drug that needs to be avoided, but is it harmful than alcohol and tobacco? In modern days, cannabis is used as a recreational or medical drug, depending on the laws provided by different states in the USA. Although marijuana faces a strong opposition, a force for its legalization is extending across the nation. However, what are the after effects if marijuana is legalized? What are the pros and cons of it being legalized?

To begin, I believe that it is important to look at marijuana’s history. The history of marijuana dates back to the beginning of time, but by the mid 1940’s things changed for users. “Marijuana had been recognized and utilized as a safe, non-addictive, naturally occurring substance that was listed as a viable prescription for the treatment of coughs, insomnia, convulsions, asthma, opiate addiction, pain and

Marijuana legalization would allow for legal distribution and taxation of cannabis as well as decrease expensive enforcement and incarceration costs. Political authorities debate whether legalization or decriminalization is necessary. Derived from the hemp plant called Cannabis sativa, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States (Glauser). Usually smoked in a blunt, joint, or pipe, the dry, shredded brownish-green mix of stems and leaves can be mixed in food, or brewed into a tea. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) is the main active chemical that rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream when someone inhales marijuana. Once the THC reaches the brain, the chemical reactions lead to the “high” that users experience when they use marijuana. Only lasting a few hours, these effects are short term. More realistic concerns question whether or not users will become addicted to cannabis. “Compared to other substances, marijuana is especially un-addictive; it’s often paired with drugs like alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, but when discussing addiction, a much more appropriate comparison would be to caffeine” (Glauser). As a non-addictive substance that can be therapeutic, reduce arrests, and boost the economy, marijuana should be legalized.

In order to more effectively address the growing problem of the ‘war on drugs,’ many countries are striving to decriminalize or legalize drugs such as marijuana, considered to be less harmful than other, more dangerous and addictive drugs. Marijuana is currently classified as a Class C drug in the United States, the inclusion of marijuana in the ‘war on drugs’ has not provided the kind of results expected. Rather than eliminating undesirable drugs from the streets, the war on drugs has had the effect of increasing the level of violence in the drug trade, encouraged the development of organized crime, filled prison cells to unprecedented and beyond capacity levels, consumed huge amounts of government capital and yet has done very little to reduce the presence of these drugs within the general population or the numbers of people who make use of them. More recent theories have suggested that legalizing, or at least decriminalizing, lesser drugs such as marijuana may be a more effective approach as a means of reducing levels of violence, decrease incarceration, allow more individuals to remain productive members of society, and make more resources available to combat more harmful substances and criminals. To more fully understand the issue, available literature and theory regarding the topic of legalization will be examined as well as the results of decriminalization in those pockets of government where it’s been allowed and compare these to drug-related crime and possible

Economic analysts from all over the United States have predicted that we spend $20 billion dollars a year to fight a senseless war on marijuana. According to the United Nation over 94 million people in the United States have admitted to using marijuana at least once. This number is not shocking, because marijuana is a safe and harmless drug. Marijuana is used for several different medical purposes. It is also healthier than already legalized drugs. The prohibition on marijuana is failing, there is no valid evidence that it decreases drug use. People view marijuana in a negative light, because of the propaganda and bias opinions they have heard their whole life. If people would wake up and open their eyes, they will realize the legalization

Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana would have many benefits for the United States. This is a very common argument with people of all ages in 2016. Marijuana is a dried bud and leaf from the Cannabis sativa plant, which can grow anywhere in warm, humid weather. This plant also goes by many names, including pot, grass, weed, hemp, hash, ganja, and many others. Many people look at the legalization of marijuana as a way for potheads to smoke without getting busted for it anymore. For this very reason, people want to keep this drug illegal. Marijuana is more than a quick high a quick high at a party. This drug is used for preventing seizures, to cure Glaucoma, and much more. Marijuana will not only benefit the United States for several health reasons but also in the economy. This controlled industry could bring in billions of dollars in tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments. Cannabis could be the next best thing for the U.S.

The college campuses in the United States have the majority of the population that uses drugs among society (Wadley& Carlier, 2014). The ages of these students range from “18 to 24” that are the most likely candidates to use marijuana and are more susceptible to use and find themselves addicted while they are in college (College Drug Abuse, 2015). There is conflict on college campuses between the state and federal government laws because the college is ran by the state by falls under federal laws when marijuana is involved. The students may experience long term effects of the use of marijuana in their lifetime that they don’t factor into their health because they are not able to understand the risks involve with use. There are many aspects of marijuana that effect college campuses and the students need to find alternatives to stay on the straight and narrow path to become successful drug free adult.

Making marijuana legal in all fifty states is one of the biggest debates going on right now. Well, that is, if it isn 't already legal in your hometown. There are twenty-five states that has it legalized. Alaska, New York, Oregon, and Maryland are just a few. There are possession limits that each state has issued, though. For example, Alaska is only allowed to have one ounce usable, which is six plants and Oregon is allowed to have up to twenty-four ounces useable, which equals to twenty-four plants. So, of course, other states are now hoping for their chance, but these states have legalized marijuana because it has improved conditions such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, epilepsy, and other disorders characterized by seizures. For decades and generations Americans only knew of marijuana as a powerful and dangerous drug. One that could rise the number of deaths and criminal behavior if it was allowed in their community. This fear came about in the United States in the early 1900’s just after the Mexican Revolution, As stated on www.drugpolicy.org. At this particular time there was an influx of immigration from Mexico into states such as Texas and Louisiana. These new Americans brought their native language, culture, and customs. Of course, one of those customs were the use of cannabis as a medicine and relaxant. The Mexican immigrants referred to the plant as “marihuana.” Which is a foreign term. This issue is so important for the present because everyone needs to understand

There are many people who are against the legalization of marijuana. They give many reasons why marijuana is bad for you and they go into detail about the health risks of marijuana. They also tell us that marijuana is highly addictive and that people who are addicted should seek medical help. According to Phoenix House “25 out of 50 people who

America is currently embroiled in a debate about the use of marijuana. Our nation is slowly moving in the direction of legalization for both medicinal and recreational use, but we’re still not actually sure of the effects that it will have on our society in the long term. I want to find out if using marijuana at a young age can be directly linked to an early death. By examining a group over a very long term, you could compare the age they started using marijuana and their age when they die.

In 1973, marijuana was decriminalized in Oregon, Washington and became classified as a controlled substance for medical use. Cannabis marijuana is a drug derived from the group of planets that incorporates hemp, which can deliver a gentle feeling of euphoria. Alcohol is a flammable liquid that can be consumed in a beverage form, or could be used in industrial processes. In order to reduce crime and corruption, federal law prohibited alcohol use among people who are under 21 years old.

There are many places where we can find marijuana successfully legalized, both by individual states here in the United States and by Federal governments abroad. I’ll start by introducing an example here in the U.S.: Colorado. On November 6, 2012, the citizens of Colorado voted in favor of Amendment 64 which allowed for the personal use and regulation of Marijuana (Ferner, 2014). Through this legislation came the Colorado Revised Statutes which regulates the medical and retail marijuana industry (Colorado Department of Revenue, 2015). These statutes outline everything from how much an entity can produce legally to the penalties involved if they don’t follow the rules. Colorado has seen great financial success from this, as it has taken in $53 million dollars in tax revenue in 2014 (Colorado Department of Revenue, 2015).

In recent years, the use of marijuana is commonly looked down upon. Using it labels you a multitude of things like: stoner, pot head, etc. What most people do not know is that marijuana has a long history, many different uses for many different things, and many different strains. Also, marijuana has gained some reputation through its legalization in states like Colorado and Oregon. In the world, marijuana has a long history with humans and history is still being made to this day. Even though the use of marijuana is highly satirized in today’s society, the many strains have many different uses.

The legalization of marijuana in the United States would drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The United States government is spending millions and millions of dollars each year to enforce petty marijuana crimes and it’s time for this change. Embracing marijuana for personal, medical, and industrial use will encourage economic growth and stability. Associating taxes along with eliminating risk of illegal activity will increase consumer confidence whereas the ease of growing requirements will boost substantial profit. Over the next couple pages I hope to convince you as to why marijuana should be legalized for the many reasons that I will touch on throughout this paper.

With recreational drugs becoming more common in our society, the public is growing more concerned with the negative effects of these substances, especially the effects of marijuana. Those who do not know enough about drugs generally think that “marijuana is bad for you” or “marijuana can kill people”. Although these preconceived notions do not often have scientific data as backup, there have also been multiple studies supporting the claims that marijuana is detrimental to people´s health. Even though today many people, especially teenagers, do support the legalization of marijuana, this recreational drug is detrimental to health because it affects motor skills, mental abilities, and suppresses motivation, and therefore should not be