Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

The dispute over the legalization of cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, is one of the most controversial issues ever to take place in the United States. Its use as a medicine has existed for thousands of years in many countries across the globe. Legalization should be considered despite efforts made by groups who say marijuana is a harmful drug that will increase crime rates and lead users to other more dangerous substances. The legalization of marijuana can improve our society by helping with our economy, freeing legal resources, and benefiting the overall health of the nation though medical uses.

Marijuana legalization has been a topic of interest for many years in this country. How to regulate it? Tax it? Where it can be used? By whom? How old? Who can sell it? Federally legal or locally legal? The penalties involving it? All of those are questions that have been debated about and fought over in courts of law. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been jailed for minor crimes involving Marijuana. It has many proven benefits both economically and medically. The times are changing and prohibition against marijuana is starting to fade away. Although still illegal federally, it is now fully legal in eight different states, and medically legal in thirty! This is great progress, but still isn’t enough. Marijuana will soon be legalized. There is plenty of benefits and I am fully for the legalization of marijuana nationwide.

Since the first efforts to legalize marijuana in the 1960s, Americans have become progressively more accepting of requests to liberalize laws restricting possession and use of marijuana, but the shift has not been a straight line. After 11 states decriminalized marijuana possession in the 1970s, recoil led by suburban parents led too much harsher implementation of drug laws. But since California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, outlooks toward the drug have relaxed significantly.("A Brief History of Public Opinion on Marijuana Legalization.")

Legalizing marijuana is one of the biggest controversial debates in America today. Although legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to America, the government will not allow it. Marijuana should be legalized because it can help in medical areas, help the economy, and lower crime rates

The legalization of Marijuana for recreational use has been a hot topic for quite some time. Arguments about why it should or should not be legal have been some of the highlights of many debates. Marijuana, which is usually wrongfully conveyed as a harmful drug that will only do harm to our society if it get legalized for recreational use. Skepticism aside, the history and facts about weed don't illustrate a dangerous drug that leads to the deterioration of the human body and mind, but the opposite excluding it's already proven pain tolerance .The legalization of Marijuana for recreational use is something that should be instated in every state in the country due to it already being legal in some states, people are gonna use it no matter what, and because its effects being less harmful compared to other substances that are legal.

Do you believe marijuana should be legal in the United States? Many people wonder, “What are some pros and cons to this?” Common pros include: medicinal use, federal approved THC, and better law enforcement. However, common cons include: altered perception, considered to be the “gateway drug,” addiction, and decreased mental and/or physical health. Decriminalizing marijuana in the U.S. would be more of a benefit, to society as a whole, than a disadvantage.

One of America’s biggest controversy today is the legalization of marijuana. There are two forms of marijuana usage, medicinal and recreational. Personally I am in favor of medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. In comparison to the use of prescription pain killers (Opiates) and alcohol, the use of marijuana is far safer. The legalization of marijuana would lead to reduced crime rates and increase local, state and federal revenue.

There is no denying that there are problems with the marijuana laws currently in place in the United States. Left and right, there are people using marijuana with blatant disregard to the fact that it is, in fact, prohibited. The black market for marijuana is surging out of control. As a result of this, drug-related street crimes have become more prevalent, which, in turn, has increased the number of offenders in prison for those crimes. This is very costly to the United States government. Also, there are personal dangers involved with buying drugs on the black market. By legalizing marijuana, the government could help solve the problems caused by the laws that are currently in place.

Legalizing marijuana has been an ongoing discussion in the united states for many years. Many people think there is no good way to use, while other people believe it could be a helpful medical treatment. Recreational use is what makes this drug a problem. Many people use this drug for non-medical purposes causing it to become a cash crop drug. Marijuana should be legal for medical purposes only. If it was made legal for medical purposes it could help many people who have diseases that can be cured or postponed, the country will have more economic growth, and many people will stop “self prescribing.” It can be helpful and healthy in many ways, as doctors prescribe. Marijuana is a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves

Support for marijuana legalization is rapidly increasing throughout the United States. “A slim majority, 53% of Americans, say the drug should be made legal, compared with 44% who want it to be illegal” (Motel). What would change if marijuana was legalized federally in the United States? Would everyone be sane? A lot of things in the United States could happen by legalizing marijuana. There would be less marijuana related crimes. With all the laws that are being passed, would it be harder to tax? Would it benefit the economy? marijuana should be legalized, federally.

Similarly, Marijuana also has an extremely almost non existent risk of addiction in comparison to other drugs.The article titled “The Truth About Pot” published in the Scientific American Website stated that, “only 9% of users of marijuana show signs of a dependence based relationship with marijuana.” In addition, this article also stated that “alcohol has an addiction percentage of 15 , cocaine has an addiction percentage of 17, heroin has an addiction percentage of 23, and nicotine has an addiction percentage 32.”

In 2012, marijuana was legalized for recreational use in Colorado. Now it is legal in Washington D.C., Oregon and Alaska, only fully legal for recreational use in Washington D.C. and Colorado. Legalization is not necessarily the issue any more. Child psychiatrist Mitchell S. Rosenthal stated, “At this point in the country’s history, whether pot is legal or not is no longer the main issue. The issue is the danger that marijuana poses to kids, how parents can protect their children from that danger, and what the rest of society—absent the criminal justice system--can do to support them.” Although legalization is rapidly spreading, it needs to come to a halt. Marijuana should not be legalized due to the dangers it poses

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

Marijuana is currently illegal in the United States, and according to popular belief, is considered a dangerous substance like any other and decriminalization of this substance would send a message to the nation’s youth that marijuana use is acceptable, resulting in higher use rates. Some believe that it is dangerous and needs to be contained, while others believe it should only be a civil infraction, and not a crime punishable with steep fines and jail time. Marijuana offenders can experience jail time and fines up to $1000. First time marijuana offenders however, are offered drug treatment programs instead of prison time. There are several court cases involving the fight for, and against marijuana. Some of these include Ravin v. State and Gonzales v. Raich. The Gonzales v. Raich court case was the closest the Supreme Court had ever come to suggesting that marijuana use should be decriminalized in any manner. Marijuana should be decriminalized due to the consequences of possessing something that is basically harmless and could potentially have medicinal uses.

Using marijuana wreaks havoc on the user’s social life. It robs them of the facets of life. They are never able to overcome challenges or enjoy the simple pleasures in life because marijuana distorts the individual’s perceptions and causes an artificial sense of pleasure that becomes addictive. Once an addict attempts to quit marijuana the person becomes irritable, tired, and constantly craves the drug. Marijuana is addictive because it produces the toxin THC. THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, causes the chemical response in the users body. It bonds to receptors in the brain that releases dopamine that causes euphoria or a person to feel "high".