Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

This paper will look at the benefits and drawbacks to legalizing marijuana by looking in at Colorado.The state made forty million dollars by taxed marijuana in 2014 alone, also Colorado saved countless millions because of the extremely lower amounts of marijuana arrest and court cases. It is not clear how having new recreational marijuana stores opening will affect the cannabis market, or businesses expanding around them. Gov. John Hickenlooper says that the economy is thriving with record setting numbers of tourists (73.1 million). 49 percent of those tourist said that legal marijuana influenced their decisions to vacation in Colorado. The ER’s in Colorado have also seen a rise in numbers of marijuana related cases and those cases in non-residents have almost doubled. An unexpected situation that arose from legal cannabis was the amount of electricity that is being use to grow the drug. Some cannabusinesses have to go green with solar or wind power. There are many varying views on the effects of legal marijuana have developed in Colorado since marijuana became legal in 2014.

If the substance was legalized it would give adolescence easier access to the drug. With easier access to marijuana the youth is at risk of health problems especially ones dealing with the brain. Marijuana use in adolescence is connected to anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. Marijuana doesn’t only put the youths health at risk it puts their whole life in danger. Frequent use influences their education negatively. Repeated use has been linked to dropout rates and poor grades. Our youth is our future and legalizing would only put our future in danger. Marijuana is also a significant factor in car accidents, which can lead to injuries and sometimes even death. Although many supporters of cannabis say “marijuana is not bad for you” it significantly increases the chance of many different health risks. Some of the health risk includes memory loss, cancer, immune system deficiencies, heart disease and birth defects. Also if used regularly decision making, memory and decision-making can suffer. Many consumers claim that smoking marijuana does no harm but Rosalie Pacula the co-director of the Rand Drug Policy research center has stated “If pot is relatively harmless, why are we weeing more than 100,000 hospitalizations a year for marijuana use?” also emergency room admissions percentages has increased by 164% from 1995 to 2002 and surely has increased since. These

The legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the “high” feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasons. First, I will present two common arguments against the legalization of marijuana and then refute them. Second, I will explain how there is no proof of harmful effects from marijuana and that there are many health benefits prominent. Third, I will describe how legalization would bring in tax revenue for the government. Finally, I will go into detail on how legalization would decrease crime rates.

Legalizing marijuana is a heavy conflicting topic; some people believe it should be legal for recreational and medical use and others think it should be completely illegal. The benefits of marijuana mentally and physically are extraordinary and could affect America in a positive way. Legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to the United States and our citizen’s lives.

Historically, marijuana was thought of as a harmful drug that children should steer clear of. However, the stigma surrounding marijuana has changed. Many have been calling marijuana the new 'miracle drug ' with medical benefits for cancer and AIDS patients. Although still federally illegal, states like Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana

Marijuana, hemp, Mary Jane, pot, reefer, herb, kush, sticky icky, and weed. Whatever one may refer to the drug cannabis as, it is no stranger to the typical American. With support for the legalization of marijuana growing rapidly in numbers over the years, the debate over decriminalizing the drug is more important now than ever. Over 50% of Americans now support legalizing the drug. In a random Twitter survey given out, thirty five of the forty people were for the legalization of marijuana when asked, “ Do you believe marijuana should be legalized?” Many people today believe that marijuana is not as dangerous as it has been said to be. Even the president, Barrack Obama,

There are many reasons, why one should say no to marijuana, but one of the most important ones is that it lowers brain function. If one starts smoking marijuana at a young age it could drop their IQ down a whopping eight points. If marijuana is made legal, then of course more people would engage in smoking. That means that the IQ of the population would have to decrease, therefore making the population less intelligent. High use of marijuana at a young age are strongly related to poor educational outcomes, lower incomes, greater welfare dependence and unemployment rate, and even lower life and relationship satisfaction. To add upon that most people don’t think of the physical harm that comes with smoking weed. Many people think it is a safe alternative to cigarettes. It is not. Smoking marijuana can have many negative effects on your body, including damaging airways and destroying blood vessels.

There have been many studies and real life events that point to many positive and negative side effects of the legalizing marijuana in the United States. And many political debates to the same issue. In many states, voters have voted in favor to the legalization of marijuana because of all the positive side effects this drug can bring and they see the negative effects it has brought up in the past. In many ways, marijuana can replace many very dangerous and addictive drugs that are on the market right now. At this point in time, there is a lot more benefits to the legalization of marijuana than there are draw backs. There are many real world examples of the benefits that marijuana has on communities.

Marijuana is a very significant and controversial issue in today’s society. Derogatory claims have been made about marijuana, otherwise known as cannabis or hemp. Marijuana arrived in North America with Christopher Columbus around 1492 A.D. The leafy flowering hemp plant, known as marijuana, was used for industrial goods such as clothing, ropes, and sails (Tudor). Distinguishing between marijuana and hemp has always been confusing. Plants containing less than one percent THC are called hemp, which is used in the production of industrial products. Plants containing ten to twenty percent THC are known as marijuana (Tudor). Without properly educating themselves on the history about marijuana, numerous individuals are against the legalization

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

In addition, another benefit in which legalizing drugs can provide would it’s health benefits. This argument is more applicable for the drug, marijuana, as there are many uses for this drug for medicinal purposes. Massachusetts, California and New Jersey are some states that legalize marijuana and use of the drug under certain conditions. A medical condition that marijuana has proven to have shown a positive effect on is cancer. Many patients diagnosed with cancer who experience and have to go under chemotherapy find that marijuana helps in aspects of mood, nausea and vomiting and

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

Marijuana is also considered a ‘gateway drug’. This title given to the substance means it is only the beginning of an addiction to many other ‘hard’ drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or heroin. Teens that smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to continue their abuse to cocaine . The addiction marijuana entails is very difficult to overcome. Addicts cannot seem to stop abusing the drug, even if they wish . The potency of marijuana is continuously increasing, causing the addictions to be more and more severe. This increase has brought many new rehabilitation programs to hospitals and clinics. The body takes physical tolls as the abuser becomes more and more accustomed to its effects. Wanting and craving additional ‘hits’, the amount smoked becomes essential as their bodies act as if it were an essential part of life. Breaking away from that perceived necessity is the most difficult part of recovery abusers need. Legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of people going through withdrawals and consuming their lives with this substance. Rehabilitation centers will be overflowing from the addictions it will cause.

Legalizing would substantially reduce marijuana use among underage mostly teens. Making it illegal gives the teenagers opportunities to make easy money by distributing it to their peers. Alcohol and tobacco are legal, and their availability does not enhance usage by teens or trading to their peer. The illegal market that has no price set or policies in place pose a significant menace to public health. The government that puts marijuana the same level with heroin and cocaine makes teenager perceive its government impracticable on matters of drug policy. The illegality of marijuana is what makes it more important. Sanctioning of weed would diminish the stream of cash over the American economy and

     In the United Stated of America, if someone breaks a law then they are arrested or penalized in some way or another. Smoking or having possession of marijuana is against the law, thus labeling over 18 million people as criminals (Brenner 1) and among them include important and successful people (Bill Clinton). People argue that legalizing marijuana would result in the downfall of the U.S., this is not likely at all. If marijuana were to be legalized there would be laws similar to tobacco and alcohol laws, therefore virtually eliminating the risk factor that is involved with this drug.