Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Marijuana is a very controversial topic in today’s society for a lot of different reasons. Much of the country is divided between whether or not the drug should be legalized, and as of today only 8 states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. There is great deal of evidence that proves that legalizing marijuana would be a great move for the United States government such as the numerous health benefits of marijuana, the relative safety of marijuana when compared to other drugs, the immense amount of money the U.S economy could gain through the marijuana industry, the potential billions saved in law

In the recent years, there has been a push, nationwide, to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. In most states, medical marijuana is legal and in some states, so is recreational. But the legalization of recreational marijuana may have detrimental effects. In the recent election, Arizona had a ballot measure (prop 205) which called for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Prop 205 lost and recreational marijuana is not currently legal. However, it is likely that the advocates for this campaign will work to get their issue on the next ballot. If Recreational Marijuana is legalized in Arizona the number of deaths per year will rise because it is likely there will be an increase in the use of other addictive substances, there will be an increase in traffic violations and accidents, and the number of people effected by lung cancer and other medical issues will increase.

My first reason for supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana is that it will provide an economic boost for state governments and their economies. According to a Huffington Post article, if all 50 states were to legalize marijuana today, they would be “collectively raking in more than $3 billion a year in

Although there has been a “war on drugs” since the late 1900’s, the legalization of marijuana has been a popular topic within the past couple of years. This topic is very controversial due to the fact that many people are unable to see past the bad rap that cannabis has accumulated over past years. Among the other aspects that have already given marijuana a bad reputation, some people are trying to find more and more reasons to postpone the legalization of marijuana. Since the legalization of cannabis in Colorado, Washington and Oregon the debate of legalizing this “drug” in every state became a very important topic. Cannabis has shown how effective it can

Should marijuana be legalized? In the eyes of some American 's, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies in today’s society. Since alcohol and tobacco, both a life threatening substances are legal, it is only right to question, why marijuana is illegal. When speaking of the legalization of marijuana, it is important to identify which facts pertaining to marijuana use are stereotypes, truths, and egregious slander. Many people that have never been exposed to the plant have preconceived notions of marijuana being closely related to delinquency while others, both knowledgeable and naive of the plant, strive to expose the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized on the grounds that the reputation it has

The American coalition- an anti-immigrant group in 1980 had this to say about the drug, “Marihuana, perhaps now the most insidious of narcotics, is a direct byproduct of unrestricted Mexican immigration.” It is through seclusion, Nixon’s outright war on drugs, and society’s fervent dislike for marijuana user that the subculture grew. It came to a point where one could not discern fact from myth about marijuana in the 60s/70s war on drugs, mainly because no research was allowed.

Today, more than 20 states are currently approving the use of Medical Marijuana. Gathering statistical data from Gallup Politics in 2013, 58% of Americans say the drug Marijuana should be legalized, for the first time ever recorded. Gallup had first asked the question of legalization in 1969, when only 12% favored legalization. Had I been included in the study, I likely would have been for the legalization. Medical Marijuana had been used for centuries prior to it becoming illegal, and it is important to know what decided the illegalization of medical marijuana, whether there is currently a benefit of treatment with medical marijuana, and the regulation of Marijuana.

Colorado attracts millions of tourists every year mostly because of ski resorts, touring and outdoor trips. This list has been enlarged by a legalized access to recreational marijuana in January 2014. People from other states can now stop by marijuana dispensary and purchase up to ¼ ounce of retail marijuana at once. According to the Marijuana Policy Group research, out-of-state visitors purchase 44% of metro area retail demand and about 90% of retail demand in mountain counties. This demand from tourists has increased income of Colorado marijuana dispensaries dramatically. However, as there are only 2 states in the US, which legalized marijuana for recreational use, it is hard to judge whether it is good or bad for our society, but its legalization would definitely have a positive impact on the US economy.

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 is a very controversial issue, but even more controversial is the use during pregnancy. There is no definitive answer to whether it should be used or not. Marijuana is known to have many medical uses but is still seen as a dangerous drug. The use of marijuana during pregnancies should be studied more thoroughly and, if the results are positive, should be looked at as a valid form of relief for mothers with symptoms.

All over the nation we are seeing economic growth due to the legalization of marijuana. In 2014 expected tax revenue from the marijuana industry is an expected $67 million just in Colorado alone. Now in Washington their government is allocating a 25% excise tax on marijuana. While in Colorado they assigned a proposition to enable a 15% excise tax, and a 10% sales tax on recreational marijuana. Marijuana is stimulating businesses all over, whether it be real estate, construction, or candy! Business owners are using the legalization of marijuana to their advantage. With the legalization of marijuana businesses like Whole Foods and The Body shop, that import an estimated 25,000 hemp product, can buy their hemp products from national

As of 2013, fifty-eight percent of Americans are in support of marijuana legalization. States are slowly beginning to defy Federal laws and live by their own guidelines regarding medical and recreational use of the product. Yes, technically, every state has its very own right to do as they wish on this law, but at the same time, individuals can still be Federally prosecuted. This causes the public to feel doubt and distrust. Statistics are beginning to show medical benefits, large profits, and a drop in the percentage of violence and other crimes in states that have already chosen to legalize. Individual states deserve the power to legalize marijuana over the Federal Government, and should be given the opportunity to treat their residents

The legalization of marijuana has achieved national attention within the last few years. Twenty-five states and the District Of Colombia have decriminalized marijuana but only 4 have legalized it strictly for recreational purposes. It has been an increasingly popular idea to legalize it across the U.S, but this new trend should not continue. Marijuana consists of very helpful benefits towards medical issues such as HIV, AIDS, and seizures. However, this drug should never emerge to legalization because it causes short-term affects on the users health and specifically the brain. It causes long-term affects including a negative correlation between smoking marijuana and ones income and learning capabilities. It causes dependency to people who smoke it especially before the age of 18. And, it does in fact show signs of a “gate way” drug for a significant amount of people. Citizens should not easily obtain this drug, especially younger kids. This drug should not meet legalization for these reasons stated; however the medical benefits should continue to help with serious health issues.

Many different web pages and read over the information that they provided and this is what is found. The debit for this topic is all over the place some say we should some say we should not legalize marijuana. The three main topics that will going to go more into depth with are the medical benefits, monetary benefits and the renewable benefits. But first, let a bit about marijuana, so other names for it is weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane to name a few. Marijuana can be used in many forms; it can be smoked in a pipe or like cigarettes, brewed into to a tea, or bake into foods. The main psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the intoxicating effects sought by

November 2000 Colorado resident voters passed Amendment 44 into law the legalization of the use of medical marijuana. Furthermore in November 2012, recreational marijuana use was legalized when Colorado resident voters passed Amendment 64 into law. Although these laws were passed in Colorado legalizing marijuana, it does not protect an employee’s job from a company zero-tolerance drug policy. Many companies such as Breeze view the use of marijuana as a violation of their policy and cause for termination, especially since marijuana is still illegal on the federal level.