Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

The major debate in America today, is whether Marijuana should be legalized or kept illegal. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in America, of the nearly twenty million current drug users, 14.6 million are using marijuana (National 73) . Therefore, if marijuana is legalized in America, the number of users will skyrocket. Hence, marijuana should stay illegal in America for the reason that if it is legalized, more adolescents would acquire the drug easier, roads will become more dangerous and finally, more marijuana means higher chances of addictions and use of other harmful drugs.

At the beginning of the year when marijuana was legalized in the state of Colorado there were a lot of concerns and complaints, most of them had to do with the children being able to access marijuana easier or being more likely to be exposed to it. For many anti-marijuana activists though there was the fear that legalizing this drug would increase the number of marijuana users, and would potentially increase crime rates; concern was raised that the number of pot users would possibly increase from the legalization, and would then lead to an unwelcome acceptance of drug using behaviors as well as drug users within the community. I have found evidence that this fear is

Marijuana is most commercialized drug in the world, so why not just legalize it? Although there are legal restraints against marijuana, 1 in 3 Americans have tried it, out of curiosity at least once. Multiple studies have proven that, marijuana is psychologically and physically healing. Medical marijuana should be legalized for its beneficial advantages, such as, treating or preventing health conditions, increases in tax revenues, and improvements in our communities.

Colorado schools have earned $13.6 million of funding in the first five months of 2015 from the recently legalized sale of recreational marijuana. This is a major increase from 2014 with a total of $13.3 million being paid for the entire year. All of this rapidly growing revenue is being generated through the taxes paid by the marijuana sales industry. This substantial sum is a part of an approved excise tax of 15% on wholesale marijuana sales which orders that 15% of the taxes be used strictly for the construction of new schools. This, of course, comes from the total marijuana tax revenue which has already reached over $60 million in 2015 alone as of August. This unprecedented increase in state revenue and school funding is one of the most obvious benefits to the legalization of recreational marijuana.

They say that marijuana is natural, calms one down, and gives a good satisfying feeling. They also say that marijuana is not as dangerous as Marijuana is a huge issue in today society. With the new liberal government in place, Trudeau takes an irrational lead in legalizing marijuana. Marijuana contains an active ingredient, THC, which is responsible for the psychological effects of marijuana. The THC binds to the receptors in the brain and influence one’s memory, concentration, mood etc. If marijuana is already a nuisance in today, while it is illegal imagine the danger that come from the legalization of marijuana. Personally, I knew people in high school, who would smoke marijuana during normal school . In class, they would always being

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.

Cannabis has many slang terms such as weed, pot, dope, Mary Jane, reefer, however it is most commonly referred to as marijuana. Marijuana and its many forms can be taken in multiple fashions. The most common of them is smoking them as a joint or a blunt, but it can also be vaporized, eaten, applied as a cream, and even consumed as a tea. With elections coming up, marijuana use has recently been making headlines for its popularity in propositions and proposed bills, which would legalize recreational use of marijuana in many states if passed. These bills however, do not take into consideration the many negative effects of marijuana use on the body, the wide availability to underage children, and potential harm to others. All of these

Marijuana is contervisol topic all around the world, some countries like Amsterdam and states in the United States have legalized marijuana, and this has put preasure onto other countries to legalize. Marijuana is also referred as weed, herb, and pot and is derived from a plant called cannabis sativa, also known as hemp plant. The cannabis plant produces THC, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, and there are over 85+ individual cannabinoids, which are found in marijuana, but THC is responsible for the sensation of “high” felling. THC binds to special receptors in the brain and all around the body called cannabinoid receptors, the receptors trigger series of chemical reactions, which causes change in the body, and function of the brain. Prominence of marijuana, is surrounded by great controversy, there are two definite sides, those who believe marijuana should be legalized for recreation use, and those who believe marijuana should stay illegal for its own good for the society. Legalizing marijuana can create more jobs but marijuana should be kept illegal because we do not know the long term affects, marijuana can damage your health, and the use of the drug can impact public safety.

The legalization of marijuana is a controversial topic within today’s society. It is commonly debated upon during election time. Many states are trying to legalize marijuana, while others are firmly against it. As people in the United States vote for their political leaders, they are also voting on whether or not to support bills such as those that legalize marijuana. There are several states that have already legalized recreational use of marijuana such as Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Maine, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and the District of Columbia. Some states condone recreational use but have endorsed medical usage. A total of 27 states have medical providers that are currently prescribing marijuana to patients for a variety of medical purposes. The legalization of marijuana in Kentucky would be a tremendous mistake because it is harmful to the body, it leads to increased crime rates, it can ruin a person’s life, and legal regulation will be extremely difficult.

The police and prosecution are capable of pursuing criminal charges for marijuana possession, however there is a lack of consensus with regard to the legal status of marijuana in Canada. Where the superior and appellate courts in Ontario have declared marijuana laws to be of no force and/or effect and public opinion polls have found an increasing majority of agreement in that marijuana use should not be a criminal offence, Justin Trudeau announced that the possession of marijuana for recreational and medicinal use would be legalized. Taking the form of a federal/provincial/territorial process created to discuss a joint suitable process for the legalization of possession for recreational and medicinal purposes, the plan is to remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code. Nevertheless the Liberal governments pledge to legalize marijuana use is a step that raises health, social policy, and criminal justice issues, whilst also encompassing economic and financial impacts. However, the news article “Legal pot revenue could reach $5B a year”, neglects to incorporate many of these themes, focusing strictly on the tax revenues in which Canada 's federal and provincial governments will collect from the sale of legal marijuana.

Whether you refer to this plant as Mary Jane, cannabis, weed, ganja, or one of the other nicknames for marijuana it is still the same. Marijuana is a plant that can be cultivated for use directly from the earth. Unlike heroin, crack, cocaine, meth, or other drugs it is a plant that doesn’t have to be synthesized or mixed with any other products to create. Many individuals look down upon the use of marijuana, let alone any discussion whatsoever about the plant. The controversy over several states legalizing the usage of the plant has built the hatred within some people’s minds while providing relief for those that wish to use it freely. There are many very ill people using marijuana as medical treatment for their sicknesses. Cancer, epileptic seizures, arthritis, gout, social anxiety disorders, insomnia, and PTSD are rumored to be lessened in severity and, in some cases, eradicated from the people suffering from these conditions. Speculation of whether these claims are true continues to run rampant as the same “haters” of the plant consider it an illegal and illicit street drug. Also, the Federal government and its officiates will not scientifically support the cases of illnesses being helped and/or cured by marijuana.

According to information collected by the drug policy alliance organization, it shows heavy financial spending “amount spent annually in the U.S. on the war on drugs: more than $51,000,000,000”. ? Have you ever been in trouble for smoking marijuana? Do you know someone that is in jail for possession of marijuana? This is an issue that has become prevalent in recent years. The whole country along with its citizen is divided on legalization of marijuana. ? How marijuana became illegal is by a tax act. The citizens that desired to consume marijuana had to pay a marijuana tax act. Most people didn’t pay the tax act and that led to prison time and hefty fines. A drug prohibition was initiated and targeting marijuana. Anslinger who is the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotic had tried to eradicate marijuana with great prejudice. In 1952 nearly all states had established their own anti-narcotic laws. The legalization of Marijuana would yield revenue, make jails less crowed and slow cartel activity.

In the debate to legalize Marijuana there are people for the legalization, and there are people who are against the legalization. Before I get too far into my own side and the opinions I have to go along with it, I’m going to give you some information to help you better decide your own side. The main thing going around right now to legalize Marijuana is Prohibition 48. Prohibition 48 is the amendment to the state constitution proposed by the people of Mississippi. In my research on the subject I found that prohibition 48 is said to be the ending of Marijuana prohibition in Mississippi. This prohibition will legalize medical and recreational marijuana use. It will also follow up with growing up Marijuana and all Hemp products. Forgiveness will be given to all offenders that aren’t violent. The only thing is that recreational marijuana will be taxed and I am not particularly sure how I feel about that. According to Yes to Prohibition 48 “Proceeds from these taxes will wholly and directly benefit Mississippi schools.” The end of this prohibition will bring with it many changes to legal, economy, educational, and healthcare systems.

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).

Most proponents of the legalization of marijuana will refute that Marijuana is becoming a basis in the medical field. They claim that marijuana is the only drug that eases the pain and suffering of patients. Marijuana is the only drug that treats their symptoms without devastating side effects. It alleviates the symptoms of cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, AIDS, and glaucoma. Over seventy percent of today’s voters, which include majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, support marijuana use with a doctor’s recommendation. In 1972, the United States Congress placed marijuana under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because they considered it to have “no accepted medical use.”