Should Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay

The question of whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational and medicinal use has been a three decade long conversation. There are many pros and cons to legalizing marijuana. There are many different ideas about the effects of marijuana, but as with any drug answers are going to vary depending on the person you survey. Age, health, and mental stability are all factors to consider how a drug can positively or negatively affect you, and marijuana is no different. To be legal or not to be legal is the million dollar question up for debate.

“Long term marijuana use can be addictive for some people” (CQ Researcher 531). For those

The marijuana screening inventory is an individually administered test. It was developed as a psychometrically reliable and valid tool for clinical use in general health and primary care settings. This is a thirty-one question assessment that assess the participant need for marijuana. The assessment is completed with paper and pen and takes approximately ten minutes to complete. Participants have the ability of answering yes or no to each question. After the participant has completed the assessment the scores are added calculating yes as one point and no for zero points. Seven or more “Yes” responses suggest a “High Risk-Problematic” pattern of marijuana use; four to six “Yes” responses suggest a “Moderate Risk” pattern; one to three a “Low

Adults who continue to use cannabis are described as those who “disregard drug laws, and fulfill otherwise conventional adult roles” (Erickson, 1989). Cannabis has been shown to help people deal with social and personal issues, while at the same time possibly limiting the closeness that one feels with others (Hendin, Pollinger Haas, Singer, Ellner, and Ulman, 1987). Cannabis has also been shown to be used as a social drug, like alcohol (Reilly et al., 1998). The use of marijuana is starting to “normalize” and become a part of everyday life for many (South, 1999). Importantly, cannabis has been said to help to reduce nausea and vomiting, to prevent weight loss and huger loss, to act as a sedative, and to help with “insomnia, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, and asthma” (British Medical Association, 1997; 2000; 2001). Also, instead of merely using cannabis to get high, many do it to assist with psychological and emotional troubles (Bottorff, JohnsonMoffat, & Mulvogue,

Marijuana is considered in popular culture to be a widely accepted mainstream recreational illegal drug used in the United States; its use comes with severe adverse side effects that are often overlooked. Long-Term use of marijuana 'sis shown to have negative effects on physical, mental, and environmental health. Studies have shown that in the United States, up to 20% of daily marijuana users become dependent (Marijuana and Lung Health) showing a physical or emotional need for the drug. Marijuana use has the potential to affect every aspect of a person 's physical and mental wellbeing negatively. Its use also comes with potentially life-altering risks to one 's future including an individual’s likelihood of obtaining a degree, impacting their future earning potential and decreasing their overall reported life satisfaction. Once dependent on marijuana, people stop caring about their schooling. Long-term use of smoking marijuana can result in the inability to learn, retain information and think critically.

A person’s daily life is a stake when marijuana is in their lives. Marijuana has the potential to pose difficulties in daily life or cause someone’s existing problems to become worse ("Health Effects of Marijuana Use."). Consumers have reported lower life satisfaction, worse mental and physical health, problems within relationships, and less success in their schooling and careers as opposed to their non-smoking peers ("Health Effects of Marijuana Use."). Studies have shown that marijuana usage is linked to accidents, increased absences, workman’s compensation claims, and job turnover ("Health Effects of Marijuana Use."). Studies have shown that marijuana usage is linked to accidents, increased absences, workman’s compensation claims, and job turnover ("Health Effects of Marijuana

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

Some medical reasons that marijuana shouldn’t be decriminalized are that it has long and short terms effects. Examples of the short term outcomes include memory loss, difficulty with thinking, loss of motor skills and increased heart rate. According to the National Institutes of Health show that someone smoking about five joints per week is taking in as many cancer causing chemicals as someone smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. There is no science proof that smoked marijuana can be used for medication. Since cannabis plants are polluted with a range of fungal spores, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of infectious organisms. Taradiff, J. "Marijuana and the War on Drugs. “Marijuana. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Thomas Gale, 2008. 157. Print.

Marijuana is a contrast to tobacco and alcohol when addiction characteristics do not show with the use of marijuana while addiction shows with legal tobacco and alcohol. It shows that less than one in ten marijuana smokers convert to consistent consumers of the drug, and most intentionally terminate their use after age 34, by comparison, 15 percent of alcohol users and 32 percent of tobacco smokers display indicators of drug dependency. Cannabis withdrawal indicators are uncommon and do not need replacement medication to stop the habit. When smoking marijuana comes to an end of an intake, the vast majority of smokers do not feel subjected to uncomfortable withdrawal indicators commanding restarting the use of marijuana.

This source summarizes the 2014 meeting of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAP). Dr. Brezing recaps the main points from the meeting, speaking about the pros and cons of marijuana legalization with a particular focus on treatment strategies for those with both substance use and a psychiatric disorder. The article also touches upon patients suffering from PTSD, and the effects of cannabis consumption on the adolescent brain. Dr. Brezing is highly qualified on the topic as she is a clinical and research fellow in the Division of Substance Abuse, Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City, who gives an unbiased summation. Right from the get-go, the author describes the

The case of marijuana legalization has always been conflictive among people but I personally think that cannabis should be legalized as it is a drug that provides many treatments with minor side effects. Scientifically proven, cannabis is one of the safest drugs. Cannabis including all its components can never affect the respiration process of human which means that marijuana can never cause overdose. Unlike most of the “legal” drugs prescribed every day, marijuana is not physically addictive, in other words, if a person uses cannabis for a period of time and then stops using it there would be no any negative consequences to the users health. Marijuana is a drug that was and still is being recommended by many physicians because it provides

There are many debates on whether marijuana should be legal or not. Some people believe that marijuana should be legalized for medical use and not recreational use. Others believe that it should not be legalized because stoned driving and other dangers or accidents would be increased. Based on gathered information, marijuana should be legalized for patients to use as a medical treatment but, not for use recreationally.

When anyone uses marijuana there is a chance of them becoming addicted. In some cases it may be a very low chance but in others there is a high. Usually a person becomes addicted if they cannot control their urges to seek out and use marijuana. Once a person is addicted it affects heir family relationships, school performance, and recreational activities. Some marijuana users develop “tolerance” from its effects; to they tend to use larger amounts to obtain the desired effect that they would gain from using smaller amounts. In conclusion, marijuana is that one drug that should not be legalized.

Should marijuana stay legal? In my opinion marijuana has its good effects and bad. It treats migraines, prevents Alzheimer's, prevents seizures, it calms Tourette's and ocd. But it has short-term effects including High, euphoria

Marijuana should not be legalized because it will increase health issues, its use will rise rather than decline, and taxation will result in economic failure. In recent years, however, society has become very moderate, and this is why society’s views can be swayed by the benefits of legalization. Nowadays, legalizing marijuana is not that big of a deal as it was in the 60’s and 70’s when hippies and peace organizations were advocating for marijuana use. However, if marijuana is legalized it has been said that it might be the gateway drug to legalizing all illegal drugs.