Should Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay

The truths about marijuana are slowly starting to resurface, the government keeps ignoring that cannabis could one day be as powerful for the U.S. Unfortunately, these truths about marijuana are under a lot of criticism because of the stereotype of what people see as a "marijuana or cannabis smoker." There is a great difficulty in this law because marijuana is still recognized as a harmful and dangerous substance in some states. This can cause problems because each state has their different views and opinions on the matter, and have their own rules and how the rules apply towards it. The twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, but California, Massachusetts, and Nevada just passed the law for recreational use. The states that have medical marijuana and recreational legalization are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. The states that only have medical marijuana legal are Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii (Ingraham). However, legalizing marijuana could have some benefits instead of being a drug with some bad reputations. Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, safety reasons, and have some benefits to society.

Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While

Marijuana is not a recent discovery, but the mysteries surrounding the controversial topic in question remains to be disputed since its prohibition. Classified as an illegal substance, cannabis has been restricted in Canada and around the world. Marijuana is a complex drug and its contradictory claims of medical purposes, and harmful destruction, fuel the debate on whether or not the legal constraints of consuming marijuana should be reconsidered. In consideration of academic journals and news article, citizen welfare, economy benefit, social progression and legal system implications, will be focused on. Despite opposing beliefs, prohibiting the recreational usage of marijuana does not counteract the dangers of the practise thus legalizing marijuana in Canada will allow greater benefit than harm.

In 2000, the citizens of Colorado voted in an amendment to the Colorado constitution allowing for the legalization of medical marijuana. However, the amount of licensed medical marijuana card holders was small until 2009, when the U.S Attorney General gave the prosecution and legalization of marijuana over to the states. After this, the number of medical marijuana licenses increased greatly in Colorado. Then, in 2012, the sale of recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado, to all those over the age of 21, and retail stores began selling marijuana in 2014 (Monte). Public opinion on Marijuana is generally divided fifty-fifty across the United States. Some are strictly against its legalization, even for medical use, and want to see it harshly punished, while others would like to see it as readily available to the public as alcohol and cigarettes. However, in Colorado, one is able to see how the public opinion changes after marijuana’s legalization, as well as the changes in public health and usage of marijuana. Due to intergovernmental relations between the state and federal governments, governmental competition, and the cannabis laws passed by Colorado, the actions of the government have a great impact on the public’s approval of marijuana use, and the amount the public uses it.

The plant is believed to haveoriginated from the mountainous region of India. It is also believed that 80% of cannabis entering the UK comes from Morocco, and the herbal form comes from Jamaica. Cannabis contains more than 400 chemicals. The main psycholoactive ingerdient id delta-9-tetahydrocannabinol, or ‘THC’.

One of the main reasons many people think that marijuana should be legalized is because it provides many health benefits. 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical uses. Marijuana has chemicals in it that could help treat many illnesses as well as their symptoms, which is a big reason why many people argue that it should be legalized for medical reasons. “Two THC-based medications, dronabinol and nabilone, are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and to boost appetite in patients with AIDS wasting syndrome.” (NIH, 2015). There is scientific proof that this drug is beneficial for medical use because of the chemicals it contains. People on the opposing side see it as it is an illegal drug, there is no health benefits to an illegal substance, but they really are not looking at all the facts, it has been proven to have benefits and it is legal for medical use in almost half of the United States. “There is also some preliminary evidence that THC or related cannabinoid compounds such as cannabidiol (CBD) may also have uses in treating autoimmune diseases, inflammation, pain, seizures and psychiatric disorders,

In this country, there are parents of sick children driving across state lines, breaking state and federal law by transporting medical marijuana. The drug is legal in several states for personal use, and 23 states for medical use. This does not change the fact that it is still a federally illegal drug under the Federal controlled substances act. There are stiffer penalties for being caught with even a small amount of marijuana, than those given to murderers and rapists. The federal government has the right to come into your home and arrest you for an ounce of marijuana, even for medical use. A first offence possession charge, for any amount of the drug is a $1,000 fine and 1 year in prison. Cultivation of the plant, even for personal use will give you 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It has been viewed by some to be a wonder drug. And yet it remains misunderstood and vilified.

It is simply unconstitutional to have a prohibition on marijuana. In my opinion we should be able to put what we want into our bodies. The government should not be able to decide this for us. If the US government continues force pharmaceuticals in our bodies and ban nature from us we may as well be a monarchy. Surrounding people are five times more likely to be harmed if they are around alcohol rather than Cannabis.

First, marijuana has legitimate medical effects. Many patients with either serious or terminal illnesses use marijuana for many different reasons. They are either in extreme pain and need something to ease it, or they can’t keep food down and need something to help them. Marijuana is that something for a good number of patients. In one patient’s case, she was addicted to pain pills. The pain from her illness was so intense that she took pill after pill, but nothing could ease her pain. She went to the doctor and got a prescription for

Should marijuana be legalized? Marijuana is the most commonly used drugs in all of the United States. Some reasons why marijuana should be legalized is because it will help increase the country’s economy , help people to function better , to help generate taxes , help out with all the medical purposes. Legalizing marijuana could benefit all levels of the government, which may include the federal and local. Marijuana is a commonly used illegal drug made from dried leaves of the hemp plant. Some of the ways marijuana is used is by smoking, eating, beverages, capsules or sprays.

Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conducted by Pew Research Center has concluded people’s view may be changing. For the first time since 1969, the public’s opinion has undergone a dramatic long-term shift. According to Pew’s 2015 survey, 53% of the people polled favor the legal use of marijuana, while 44% are opposed. However, in 2006, just 32% supported marijuana legalization, while nearly twice as many 60% were opposed. The group that was responsible for this change was the 18-34 year olds with 68% of them in favor of its legalization. However, across all generations, with the exception of the age group of 70-87 year-olds, support for this drug’s legalization has risen over the past decade (Pew Research Center, 2015). People believe that the legalization of marijuana will lead to a decrease in recreational use, drug addictions, and crime.

First, when trying to decide what you think about the legalization of marijuana, you need to stop to listen, and actually understand where each side of the argument is coming from.

Due to the elevated desire of marijuana in the United States, “advocates think legalization reduces crime, raises tax revenue, lowers criminal justice expenditures, improves public health, bolsters traffic safety, and stimulates the economy” (Dills, et al.). Twenty-eight states have now been legalized for medicinal use of marijuana; of those twenty-eight states, six states have also legalized recreational marijuana. Marijuana is described as “The dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as a narcotic or hallucinogen” (“Definition of Marijuana”). The overall effects of marijuana on the brain and body, the difference between recreational and medicinal marijuana and how marijuana has stimulated the economy and the role of government in the legalization of marijuana are all reasons why marijuana should be legalized in the United States.

It is only recently that hemp was made out to be the demon that it is not. People are told inaccuracies about cannabis and are believing them without sufficient evidence. It has been known to aid in pain management, nausea, epileptic seizures, mental illnesses and addiction. “Recent animal studies have shown that marijuana extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others” (NIDA). Though there is not extensive research that has been done, what has been shown is that it can contribute to the medical field, clothing industries, paper mills, food, and many others. Even if there was a small chance to contribute to the betterment of mankind, it would be worth the research to definitively say one way or the other. Five thousand years of history should prove its worth in humanity, however, due to the greed of some and the racism of the era, marijuana has a way to go before its reputation can be as it once was.

Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. It is among the most widely used of all drugs. Much debate has been conducted regarding the legalization of marijuana. Whether states should have just medical marijuana or both medical and recreational marijuana. That if we do pass marijuana that there will be more people driving high which will result in car wrecks. What a lot of people don't know is how beneficial both kinds are. Also, how it doesn't affect you when you driving. Marijuana is beneficial to both medical and recreational when it comes to health and doesn't impair driving abilities.