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

Jerome P. Kassirer, editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine stated in an editorial "Thousands of patients with cancer, AIDS, and other diseases report they have obtained striking relief from these devastating symptoms by smoking marijuana. The alleviation of distress can be so striking that some patients and their families have been willing to risk a jail term to obtain or grown marijuana" (Fackelmann, 1997). Marijuana continues to prove its medicinal properties, especially in pain management. But patients have to break the law in order to obtain relief. That's not right.

Moreover, using marijuana for medicinal purpose is not a recent discovery. In fact, written references to use medical marijuana date back nearly 5,000 years. Western medicine embraced

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’.

This research paper will study the correlation of past exposure to marijuana and the belief of its addictiveness is a direct association with an individual’s opinion on if marijuana should be decriminalized in the state of Oklahoma. Decriminalization is legislation ceasing to treat it as illegal. Criminal penalties will be reduced in certain acts of marijuana use. Examples of this are an individual can be fined but not imprisoned for possession but distributing and selling marijuana would still be considered a criminal act. From a sociological standpoint, this research would be beneficial in decriminalization policies for marijuana toward lowering the social constructs of the criminal act of possession and use. However it will regulate the cultivation and retailing of marijuana. Marijuana decriminalization is prevalent to sociological studies because of statistically as of 2014, the center of disease control (CDC) state that 40% of people have used marijuana in the past and 23.4% currently partake. If we were to decriminalize the act of marijuana use and possession social cost would decline by about 3 billion dollars (CDC) a year because we would no longer have to house inmates with marijuana charges. The money saved could be used for treatment in substance abuse, prevention programs, medical research toward marijuana and other sociological problematic areas that Oklahoma faces. The purpose of this study is to obtain and examine the attitudes of college students at the

The use of marijuana for medical purposes and personal use can be recorded as far as 12,000 years ago. Marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug. Schedule 1 drugs are drugs are drugs that have the potential for abuse (Drug Scheduling,2016). The government contains the high-level drugs, this is the reason we have pharmacies. Pharmacies are regulated so that people can not get medicine that can be easily abused. Pharmacies require a medical prescription from a certified doctor for any drug that could be used improperly. Marijuana should be in the same category as prescription drugs because, like any medicine/drug it can be easily abused. Decriminalizing marijuana is not helping millions of people that could benefit from its medical benefits from legalizing it. Even though legalized marijuana may result in an increase in black-market drug trade, marijuana should be legalized because its sale could benefit the economy and can also be used for medical purposes.

Weed, bud, ganja, chronic, dro, herbs, grass, trees, pot, reefer; these are all names of the one drug that causes so much dispute, marijuana. Loved by so many, and hated by the law. It’s a two sided argument which everyone has their own opinion on. Is there any specific reason why weed should be illegal, or is the government just making money from catching people with it? Is there any real medical purpose for marijuana, or is it just a gateway drug for kids? These are the questions everyone should know the answers to. Whose side are you on?

Today, thousands of patients are able to use marijuana as an effective method of treatment for their ailments. This

Cannabis is known to be the second most widely used drug in the United States. Yet, the government pays millions fighting to keep it out of the United States. All the while it can be argued cannabis treatment is some of the most natural and effective therapy for multiple aliments and illnesses. The government is fighting to keep a substance illegal that could possibly bring in revenue as well as fight many common diseases. Marijuana is so versatile that if it is legalized for medical use it would produce revenue boosts while being a diverse resource and treating a multitude of illnesses, all while giving patients natural and effective cannabis treatments.

300 seizures a week. For over five years a little girl named Charlotte underwent constant seizures. They began when she was about 3 months old and averaged about 300 a week for five years. Charlotte had seizures so frequently it slowed her mental development and put her in a catatonic state. Nothing could help her. But after five years her parents finally tried marijuana. Now Charlotte has less than one seizure a week and has become a normal child. What if her parents were too afraid to try it? Marijuana can help people and our country in many ways. So, Recreational marijuana should be legalized because it poses numerous benefits which outweigh the minor downsides.

Every 54 seconds, someone in the country is arrested for smoking marijuana. While some see this as a sign of the epidemic proportions of marijuana use in this country and as support for a continued crackdown; others argue that pot arrests are a waste of time and money, and a sign that it’s -- forgive the pun -- high time to legalize marijuana.

Marijuana has always been a big deal in society, ever since it has become known as a street drug. In the current year of 2016, not only citizens abuse marijuana, Celebrities, professional athletes, and college students all abuse the substance for its benefits. We are becoming more aware how recently this year that marijuana has been legalized in ten countries and twenty five states in the United States of America. That is one half of our country that is able to use this substance. By legalizing marijuana we as in the country can reduce harm, save families, save money, and most importantly save lives.

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because

Marijuana is a cannabaceae plant, which has always been associated with negative connotations until recently, when it has been discovered that this plant may be used to cure diseases and improve a country economy. Thus, the American opinion is split on the question of “Marijuana Legalization”. In fact, a survey undertaken by CNN/ORC International Poll states that 55 % of Americans believe that the use of marijuana should be legal, while only 44 % think it should be illegal (CNN). I also share the American majority opinion since there is some evidence that marijuana yields positive results.