Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

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The argument of legalizing or prohibiting marijuana has been going on for very long time all over the world. In most countries, possession and use of marijuana is considered illegal. Today, some countries have legalized marijuana while other countries have not. In the United States, some states such as Washington and Colorado have also legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes for adults. There are a number of advocacy groups that stand for its legalization for health related claims and also for a responsible recreational usage. On the other hand, various penalties are imposed for use or possession of marijuana in most countries. The use of marijuana is a very serious question as it always deals with the life of human being and its impact to our society. The risk of addiction, poor health and socio-economic problems associated with the use of marijuana are few of the many reasons why Marijuana should be illegal in United States or any other country in the world. Lots of research has been done to provide substantial scientific evidence as to why Marijuana use is harmful to oneself and to the society.

Marijuana has earned itself a terrible name over the years. This plant has a long history with humans, from early medical uses to spiritual and even recreational use. In recent years, many states have seen the legalization of marijuana for medical uses. Most large scale experiments have been hindered because of the difficulty of getting experiments involving marijuana approved. Despite this roadblock for the research of marijuana, surveys and observations of the medical use of marijuana show that the plant may have legitimate medical uses. The lack of evidence showing that weed is a dangerous drug also pushes for its legalization for recreational use. Based on all of the evidence about marijuana for recreational and medical use, marijuana

The proposition known as Prop 64 is the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative. This proposition was on the ballot November 8th, 2016 and supporters have also referred this initiative as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. In which has been approved. Those who have voted yes supported legalizing marijuana usage for recreational purposes for those who are aged 21 years or older. This measure has created two taxes, one for cultivation and the other on retail prices. The money from the taxes will go to drug research, enforcements, youth programs, health and safety grants addressing marijuana, and preventing damage to the environment resulting from illegal marijuana production. Proposition 64 legalized permitting smoking marijuana in a private home, or at a business that has been licensed for on-site marijuana consumption. Although smoking while driving, in all public places, and anywhere smoking tobacco is, has remained illegal. Along with, possession on school grounds, daycare center, or youth center where children are present. For businesses to sell marijuana for recreational use, they need to have a state license and are not authorized to sell within 600 feet of a school, daycare, or youth center. In order to regulate this, the Bureau of Marijuana Control (BMC) are responsible to regulate and licensing marijuana businesses. ("California Proposition 64, Marijuana Legalization (2016) - Ballotpedia." Ballotpedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.)

Possession and use of marijuana is illegal in over half of the United States, but it is still the third most popular recreational drug in the United States. The debate for this drug to be legal has been going on for many years; some states have legalized the drug for medical use, and some for recreational use as well. Other states seem to disagree; they are not in favor of making the drug legal for medical use or recreational use. It has been proven that marijuana has a positive impact on society. Marijuana should be legalized as it would reduce crime, provide health benefits, and it is a safe drug.

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

The debate over legalization of marijuana for recreational use is an issue that has polarized many Americans. On one hand of the spectrum are the marijuana advocates that campaign for the government to lift the ban on the drug, citing beneficial uses for it for the economy and for medicine. On the other side are people who believe that marijuana legalization would serve as an addictive gateway drug for many people and would pose health hazards for people that uses it recreationally. My stance on this issue is that legalizing marijuana should be viewed as a correct decision and a step forward for America and I will elaborate why later on. By analyzing the economic aspects of marijuana legalization, I will argue my case that decriminalizing marijuana will generate billions in revenues for this country’s economy and on the same token save this country billions of dollars on prohibition enforcement. Therefore, I firmly support recreational marijuana being legalized because it is a drug that has the potential to boost the American economy and at the same time save billions of dollars on arresting and incarcerating people with illegal procession of marijuana.

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

The argument of legalizing medicinal marijuana and marijuana used for recreational purposes has been around for quite some time now. Recreational use is when one smokes cannabis just for fun and with the intention of altering the state of consciousness while medicinal marijuana is used for treating certain maladies and alleviating their symptoms. Though marijuana use is not as harmless as many people seem to believe. Like any other drugs, marijuana can affect the body and mind and may have a majority of side affects. It has an addictive nature and is also known as the gateway drug. It can even affect those around you in more ways than one. For instance if something were to happen to you or if for whatever reason you lash out at them. The

Many believe that Marijuana is addictive, and for that reason, should not be legalized. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Marijuana use can lead to the development of problem use, known as marijuana use disorder, which in severe cases takes the form of addiction.” According to recent data, it is suggested that around 30 percent of marijuana users may suffer from some degree of marijuana use disorder and people who started using marijuana when they were younger than 18 are 4-7 times more likely to develop this disorder (“Addictive”). Similar to addiction, this disorder is associated with dependence to marijuana, which means that the user may feel withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. These symptoms can include irritability, decreased appetite, and sleep difficulties. These generally last about a week or two after giving up the drug (“Addictive”). This happens when the brain’s production of endocannabinoid neurotransmitters slows or stops because it has adapted to large amounts of marijuana (“Addictive”). Marijuana disorder becomes an addiction when the user is unable to stop using even if the effects of marijuana interfere with many aspects of their life (“Addictive”). In 2014, it was estimated that about 4.176 million people in the US, roughly 1% of the total population, abused or were dependent on marijuana, but it is hard to estimate the number of people addicted to marijuana because epidemiological studies of substance abuse use

On the other end of the spectrum, many frequent marijuana users are against legalization for the many constraints it will place on their use. The way the states have been regulating the drug disallows anyone under twenty-one to obtain the drug, even for medical needs, and it hinders their ability to drive while the drug is in their system (Evergreen). The stipulations concerning driving will cause inconveniencies for frequent users due to the variations of time in which the drug stays in a person’s system, often ranging from hours, to days, or even weeks. (Evergreen). Many varying conflicts of interest collide when discussing how to legalize the drug. All sides must be considered. There must be stipulations to appease the government, laws for those who need it medically, those who want to benefit from the drug recreationally must be considered, those who do not want the drug at all, and those who want the drug for its business opportunities must all be recognized. The laws created will not be perfect and they will require all parties to afford a bit of flexibility.

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.

Colorado attracts millions of tourists every year mostly because of ski resorts, touring and outdoor trips. This list has been enlarged by a legalized access to recreational marijuana in January 2014. People from other states can now stop by marijuana dispensary and purchase up to ¼ ounce of retail marijuana at once. According to the Marijuana Policy Group research, out-of-state visitors purchase 44% of metro area retail demand and about 90% of retail demand in mountain counties. This demand from tourists has increased income of Colorado marijuana dispensaries dramatically. However, as there are only 2 states in the US, which legalized marijuana for recreational use, it is hard to judge whether it is good or bad for our society, but its legalization would definitely have a positive impact on the US economy.

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug globally; different types of the drug have been used for many years for their social, aesthetic, and medicinal effects. International laws and treaties have forbidden farming, possession, and selling of marijuana. This makes lawbreakers out of more than the 125 million people marijuana consumers and those who supply them. The trade makes illicit markets totalling to billions of dollars per year, some of the illegal activity results in violence and corruption by public officials. Millions of marijuana users are arrested annually for possession of drugs, and some traffickers also land in prison (Kacey, 2014).

Marijuana has been vilified in America over the past 70+ years. Despite it’s many practical uses, medicinal and industrial, our Federal government insists on maintaining the status quo that the growth, possession and use of marijuana is criminal despite the evidence that the legalization of marijuana would have a positive influence on America.