Should Marijuana be legalized?

To go back into a little bit of marijuana 's history, it wasn 't until the 1920 's that marijuana smoking became a noticeable occurrence. Many marijuana establishments started to emerge in major cities and were not a concern to authorities at that time, marijuana was not illegal and there seemed to be no societal threat as there was no disturbance to the community from people using marijuana. However, by the end of the 1920 's and early 1930 's the perception of marijuana usage changed. "Even though millions of people had never heard of the plant,

The legalization of marijuana is a very debatable subject, some people think it is bad and should be illegal, and some people think it is good in some ways if used properly. It should be legal because it has few negative effects, it serves other purposes than getting people stoned, and it is better than other drugs.

Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have been asked this question or have heard some type of news about the issue. Marijuana is commonly known as cannabis which refers to the dried up hemp plant cannabis sativa, even though marijuana is a plant and has no chemical additives it has been a tropic of controversy for many years but nowadays it is in the spotlight more than ever. For centuries, marijuana has been used by people throughout the world for religious, recreational and medical use. A few countries like the Netherlands and Uruguay have already legalized marijuana for recreational use and many other countries are taking a step towards doing so. Is it finally time for the United States to take a closer look into possibly legalizing marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized for medical and recreational purposes because it would aid in the War on drugs, it would become an important source of revenue for the government and reduce overpopulation of American jails.

Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (“Marijuana” 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel “high” or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (“Marijuana” 1). Like most drugs, marijuana has a very long history. People have been using the plant around the world for thousands of years. The oldest record of the marijuana plant dates back to 2727 B. C. in China where the plant was used as a medical herb for treating conditions like rheumatism, gout, malaria and even absent-mindedness (“Cannabis, Coca, & Poopy: Nature’s Addictive Plants” 1). Slowly, the plant started spreading around the world. By 1545, cannabis was starting to appear throughout the western worlds. Being introduced to South America by the Spanish to be used as fiber. The crop also had many other common uses around the world. In North America, cannabis was often used to make paper, ropes, clothing and other materials (“The Origins of Cannabis” 1).

Cannabis; also known in popular slang terms as Marijuana, pot, ganja, grass, weed, dope, and Mary-Jane, are all words associated or referred to as the infamous herb. Marijuana, which refers to the green dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, contain a non-narcotic chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol, (THC). THC is the chemical that is responsible for giving users physiological effects, and used for medical patients that are suffering from illnesses such as pain, nausea, PTSD, lack of appetite, arthritis, AIDS/HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizures, Crohn’s disease, depression, and more. The potential life changing benefits marijuana have are undeniable, and Marijuana should be legalized so ruined lives and

In the recent years, there has been a push, nationwide, to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. In most states, medical marijuana is legal and in some states, so is recreational. But the legalization of recreational marijuana may have detrimental effects. In the recent election, Arizona had a ballot measure (prop 205) which called for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Prop 205 lost and recreational marijuana is not currently legal. However, it is likely that the advocates for this campaign will work to get their issue on the next ballot. If Recreational Marijuana is legalized in Arizona the number of deaths per year will rise because it is likely there will be an increase in the use of other addictive substances, there will be an increase in traffic violations and accidents, and the number of people effected by lung cancer and other medical issues will increase.

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.

Almost everyone in their lifetime has been involved with a person that was addicted to drugs. Most people, when dealing with a family member or a friend addicted to drugs, want to help the drug addict in any way possible. However, many people’s attitudes change when the drug addict is not directly related to them. According to Department of Justice statistics, forty-eight percent of all prisoners in federal prison were incarcerated for drug-related crimes in 2011(Carson). Therefore, rather than being helped, drug users are being incarcerated. If our goal, as a country, is to reduce the rate of drug use and help drug addicts receive treatment, then why are we merely incarcerating those who use drugs? Although many people are against decriminalization of drugs because they are afraid of how it will affect them, few people think of how decriminalization will affect drug addicts and our country as a whole. Drugs should be decriminalized because it would benefit the economy, drug addiction treatment, drug addicts, and increase personal freedom for all United States citizens.

Have you ever had a dilemma and there was a solution to it but it was out of reach? Many people in United States suffer from sicknesses that can be help treated with marijuana. The “drug” marijuana has many benefits from minor day-to-day to life-changing benefits. Cancer, strokes, arthritis, stress, anxiety, and depression are just some instances. Marijuana has been a stigma of bias beliefs for many years. People fear that marijuana can have a negative impact on their health. Such as, breathe in smoke, brain damage, gateway to other drugs but marijuana is a safe substance that should be legalized in the United State.

Getting the audience’s attention- “Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn’t the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit…. unnatural?” This is a quote from Bill Hicks.

Marijuana is the most popular street drug in America, if not in the entire world. It is a Schedule 1 drug which puts it in the same category as Heroin, LSD, MDMA, Ecstacy, etc., which are the most dangerous drugs in the world that can seriously harm someone. But Marijuana is now legalized in Twenty-Six states, plus the District of Columbia, for medicinal and/or recreational use. Even though cannabis is an illegal drug, hundreds of millions of people are still finding ways to get a hold of Marijuana and the other illegal drugs. There is only so much the law enforcement can do if the people do not wish to listen. It is beginning to impact the lives of americans in a positive way, where they can help themselves why being sick and it allows

Cannabis has many slang terms such as weed, pot, dope, Mary Jane, reefer, however it is most commonly referred to as marijuana. Marijuana and its many forms can be taken in multiple fashions. The most common of them is smoking them as a joint or a blunt, but it can also be vaporized, eaten, applied as a cream, and even consumed as a tea. With elections coming up, marijuana use has recently been making headlines for its popularity in propositions and proposed bills, which would legalize recreational use of marijuana in many states if passed. These bills however, do not take into consideration the many negative effects of marijuana use on the body, the wide availability to underage children, and potential harm to others. All of these

Growing up, everyone has been taught that "Drugs are bad." As kids, we nodded and promised not to be influenced by drugs; however, many people in society today are drug users or addicts.

All over the nation we are seeing economic growth due to the legalization of marijuana. In 2014 expected tax revenue from the marijuana industry is an expected $67 million just in Colorado alone. Now in Washington their government is allocating a 25% excise tax on marijuana. While in Colorado they assigned a proposition to enable a 15% excise tax, and a 10% sales tax on recreational marijuana. Marijuana is stimulating businesses all over, whether it be real estate, construction, or candy! Business owners are using the legalization of marijuana to their advantage. With the legalization of marijuana businesses like Whole Foods and The Body shop, that import an estimated 25,000 hemp product, can buy their hemp products from national

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.