Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Two things that all living people can not avoid is sickness and pain. Along with you and I, an additional 1.5 billion people worldwide and 116 million Americans suffer from pain and are usually prescribed opioid pain relievers to ease their troubles. (Rough, Lisa) With more states and people becoming more aware of ,medical marijuana, a controversial drug that has the potential to sooth the millions of people who suffer from chronic pains. However due to the controversy of prescribing people a drug that is commonly abused, many people tend to either shy away or chastise it, forgetting the problems that come with opioids. With both drugs having their own sets of pros and cons it is necessary to compare and contrast both to find which one is better for the good of everyone.

Medical marijuana can be used to treat many different illnesses such as chronic pain relief, nausea, cancer and chemotherapy, arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, spasticity, glaucoma, and many movement disorders (NORML.org). In my opinion, it medical marijuana is a huge help to those that are in pain and suffering. The people I know that use medicinal marijuana say that it is a huge help to them because it literally takes the pain away and even though there are a lot of known chemicals in marijuana, it is still a plant, and it can be easily accessible to those in need. Steven Kotler states that many medicinal marijuana users say that they prefer using marijuana rather than taking prescription drugs such as vicodin or morphine for their pain. This puts a damper into the pharmaceutical industries because if marijuana was fully legal for recreational use, many different pharma companies would be in competition with the plant because of all its medical uses. In 2009, the pharmaceutical market was worth $837 billion, and if all goes well, will top $1 trillion by 2014. This could be lost with the legalization of medical marijuana (Kotler). The medical uses of marijuana continue to grow, and with more conducted research, medicinal

Taking opioids or pills can cause accidental addiction. Marijuana however is against this. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports “more than 30,000 annual U.S. deaths are attributed to the health effects of alcohol. On the other hand, the CDC does not even have a category for deaths caused by the health effects of marijuana.” (Young 1) A study published in Scientific Reports in January 2015 found that the mortality risk associated with marijuana was approximately 114 times less than that of alcohol. All these benefits become expensive due to the laws on

If it is reasonable to legalize marijuana on the basis that it is an effective pain killer, it would follow that the legalization of cocaine and other dangerous drugs. According to a study, very few people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. Therefore, it’s a dangerous, gateway drug that lead to experiment with other illegal drugs.

legitimate medical use, it has been tied to physical, mental, and emotional damages. “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds” (National Institute on Drug Abuse). There are many supporters of the legalization of medical marijuana that deem it is safe and of benefit. Plenty of states have passed laws for the use of medical marijuana. Many advocates claim it will treat symptoms of severe illnesses, but there isn 't enough studies to prove it. The legalization of medical marijuana will make it easier for young adults to get their hands on this dangerous drug. Also, many people will abuse the law and receive this drug for no particular medical reason. Abuse of marijuana can result in addiction, and will bring upon numerous negative impacts in many areas of your life. Medical marijuana is not beneficial and will cause physical and mental damages. It will jeopardize your health and expose your body to diseases. Marijuana puts you in risk for the wide-ranging dangerous effects it consist. There are many social harms from the use of marijuana, and they will have a great effect on a marijuana smoker 's life. Medical marijuana should not be legalized for any reason until a sufficient amount of research has been

In most countries, the use of marijuana that is also commonly known as marijuana is considered illegal. Small amount of marijuana have been allowed in some regions such as Europe, North America and South America. In the United States, some states such as Arizona, Delaware and Colorado have also legalized the “State Medical Marijuana Law” for several beneficial causes. Overall, the legalization of marijuana has have positives and negatives effects to the world for many reasons.

I never dreamed that one-day people could walk into a retail store and buy marijuana! The states of Colorado and Washington are already allowing this (Pro & Con 2014 p.20). I feel strongly that the drug marijuana should not be legalized. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug (Pro & Con 2014 p.19). When Colorado legalized this their “state went from the healthiest in the nation to one with thousands of mostly young adults in need of medical treatment (Congressional 2014 p.5). To me this is a big indicator to stay away from it. Some may say that marijuana has benefits but its consequences far outweigh the benefits. I will first inform you of the benefits of marijuana and then inform you of the negative aspects of the drug.

Should marijuana be legalized? The answer would vary widely depending on the circumstances and who you ask. Marijuana use is prohibited in the state of North Carolina, and is currently only legal in four states and the District of Columbia (State Marijuana Laws Map). It is hard to believe that the same government that banned the drug in the 1930’s actually encouraged the growth of the plant in the 1600’s (Guither). The antagonist against legalization claim that it is highly addicted and will lead to other drug use. Another claim is that it makes an individual violent, although there is not much data to support the allegation. I use to agree with the government and others stance on the subject matter, but I now feel that there is not much difference between Alcohol and Marijuana. As with any substance, whether it is alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or food there is a chance for addiction to occur. However, it should be an individual’s free will to make their own personal decisions.

These addictions can often be traced to pills being prescribed to patients suffering head trauma, a serious injury, or a disease. Marijuana has been proven to enhance mood and relieve pain in trauma patients in a clinical based out of Canada (Scientific research shows the effectiveness of medical cannabis on pain, 2015, 1). Dr. Mark Ware launched a large experiment involving two hundred and fifteen patients said to have chronic pain, and were monitored. During the course of the study, it was shown by data that users of medical Marijuana didn’t have any greater risk of adverse effects than patients that were not using medical marijuana (Barcott, 2015, 3). It isn’t clear whether medical marijuana will strictly be prescribed as an edible or made available to smoke because the policies are different across the nation, but it appears in most cases that users smoke. Regardless of these minor details, marijuana is beneficial in the medical field due to the fact that it will reduce the amount of overdoses due to addiction to opiates and prescriptions that are used in place of marijuana for pain (Thompson, 2016, 2-3).

In today’s society we are currently debating whether marijuana should become legalized. There are currently 19 states who allow marijuana for medicinal use and 4 states who allow marijuana for recreational use. Abraham Lincoln once said “Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are crimes.” The United States spends billions of dollars a year on the “War against drugs,” it’s time we stop wasting tax payer’s money. How about instead of spending billions, the nation earns billions. If marijuana was legalized it would generate an enormous tax revenue, reduce crime, and give cancer and Aids patients another natural form of medicine.

While growing up, everyone is told that drugs are bad for you, time and time again. As a kid people don’t really understand why, but they listen anyways. Do you remember being told this your whole life? As we got older we realized that many people would use drugs even though it is illegal. Some people never understood why somebody would break the law and risk their life just to use drugs. That drug would be marijuana, and it is all around us even if we don’t know it. Now being a young adult and knowing its effects on other people, people wonder why marijuana is not legal. Why is it that this marijuana has become illegal all over the world? Marijuana has been tested and was proven to support a very positive impact on the American

So you have heard the question “Should marijuana be legalized or stay illegal” many times already. This won’t be the last time you will hear it either. As it is illegal in most areas around the world, the places that have legalized marijuana has had a dramatic economic growth. People complain as to why marijuana should stay illegal, but they list facts that are incorrect. People discriminate the use of the drug which has actually benefited others dramatically rather than the uselessness of beer and alcohol that is legal globally that hasn’t had an impact towards anything since it has been around. The federal also waste millions of dollars to catch the people who have/used marijuana, which is money that can be saved.

Grass, hemp, wacky tabaccy, ganja, and many other names are what you might have heard as slang for marijuana. It is a cannabis plant that is most commonly used when the leaves are shredded and then hand rolled into cigarettes to be smoke. Many people see marijuana as a gateway drug, leading to other more hardcore drugs. Which is why it has been made illegal by the United States Federal Government in all 50 states. But some states have decided the federal government does not know what the people of their state do or do not need, so they have legalized marijuana for either just medical or recreational as well. This action by some states has lead to people wondering; does allowing a state to take action that opposes or violates federal law undermine the government’s authority? In order to reach an answer for this question we will need to look at both sides of the subject, the federal government and the states’.

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.

Marijuana in the United States is considered to be a schedule 1 drug which in most cases classifies it as one of the most dangerous distributable drugs in the country. Due to recent scientific explorations and case studies medical marijuana has shown that it has increasing positive effects on the medical side of the spectrum. While most people can argue whether or not marijuana should be legal or not in the recreation standpoint, there is very little argument against marijuana in medicinal terms. Due to pages and pages of federal and state laws, today distributing medical marijuana is a crime that in some states is legal, but on the federal side can be punished by death. In the end marijuana is a sticky business, and loosening the burdening laws against medical marijuana could save lives and make people with chronic illness feel a heck of a lot better.