Marijuana legalization is a controversial subject with many different problems and solutions. Marijuana has benefits and disadvantages to using it (and many viewpoints on said pros and cons) so one person cannot be the only authority on the subject. Marijuana could possibly be used as a medicine, and although legalizing marijuana could have some benefits, the action could have serious repercussions. The legalization of medical marijuana could have positive benefits to the United States government. Opioids have been proven to only work less than half of the time when it comes to alleviating pain, and four times out of five they have horrible side effects. Marijuana has been proven to alleviate pain better than opioids, and its side effects …show more content…
Those taxes were just for one state, if the entire nation allowed recreational marijuana, the government could have more money to pay off the national debt. Nevertheless, that does not mean that legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes would not have some dire consequences. Legalization of recreational marijuana could lead to a growth in people ingesting too much marijuana to avoid serious medical complications. Marijuana will become cheaper if it is legalized. If marijuana is cheaper, than more people will be able to get afford it, and more abundantly: “It is estimated that for each 10 [percent] drop in price, there will be an approximately 3 [percent] increase in the total number of users and a 3–5 [percent} increase in youth initiation,” (Issues in Society: Is Marijuana Harmful?, Introduction: The World’s Illicit Drug of Choice). Studies have shown that you can ingest too much marijuana to be healthy. Furthermore, in 2013, 38 percent of Americans claimed to smoke marijuana, but after it was legalized in Colorado, it increased to 44 percent of Americans. Imagine the massive increase that would occur if the entire country decided to allow recreational marijuana. Marijuana’s side effects can be horrible, as expanded upon in the next point. Marijuana could possibly have terrible side effects. Firstly, people at Duke University conducted a study to see if marijuana could affect the IQ of people who used it. They compared the IQ’s of
The question of whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational and medicinal use has been a three decade long conversation. There are many pros and cons to legalizing marijuana. There are many different ideas about the effects of marijuana, but as with any drug answers are going to vary depending on the person you survey. Age, health, and mental stability are all factors to consider how a drug can positively or negatively affect you, and marijuana is no different. To be legal or not to be legal is the million dollar question up for debate.
The uses of marijuana amongst teenagers has increased over the years making it the most accessible drug in America as well as one the most beneficial due to its medical uses. According to the article of Marijuana Use Among Youths Is a Serious Problem, written by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) (2004), stated that the uses of marijuana has impacted the youth in many ways due to the unknown factors of marijuana such as admittance to treatment facilities, and being admitted into emergency rooms. The CASA took the con side of the argument dealing with the issues of marijuana use with teenagers. The second article Marijuana Should Be
Also, marijuana can be seen as being addictive in nature. “Approximately 9% of individuals that use marijuana become addicted” (Marijuana Statistics). Marijuana contains many chemicals, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which can cause many positive and negative effects to the human body and brain. A major attribute for medical marijuana is the economic advantages that are produced from the distribution of the drug. Also, the legalization of medical marijuana can portray positive and negative outcomes for law enforcement. Therefore, medical marijuana has many positive effects, such as treatment for diseases, and negative effects, such as immune system suppression. Throughout this research paper, medical marijuana will be thoroughly explained to exemplify the advantages and disadvantages of legalizing the
Medical marijuana has been one of the most controversial topics in politics for years regardings its legalization and any possible benefits. Marijuana is commonly referred to as the “gateway drug” and has been thought to be what causes the downfall of our youth in today’s society. This has caused Marijuana to earn a bad reputation due to the immense surrounding propaganda and bias opinions. Cannabis is the scientific name of the plant which is absolutely natural and free of chemicals, but the psychoactive components in the plant has been proven to be of medical use. If medical marijuana is prescribed correctly it has the potential to help thousands of patients due to the variety of benefits it can medically provide. Medical Marijuana should
Recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska have, technically, broken federal law. As long as the federal government does not do anything about the state’s blatant disregard for higher law they can do what they want. I think that because state and federal law contradict at the moment there should be clarification. States should only be able to pass a law such as this if it is also legal on a federal level, but if there are no repercussions for violating federal law where does it end? Recreational marijuana is a state issue, in my opinion. If it is to be legalized in America at a federal level then each state should be allowed to choose their side. At this point, federal government is showing its cracks. 4 of our states are currently not obeying the Constitution; federal law trumps state law. Our government needs to pull itself together and start paying attention to what the states are doing.
In the United States, twenty-one states have no laws on legal marijuana use, even for medicinal marijuana. Another twenty-one have legalized marijuana for medical use only. As for the other eight, those states have legalized the use marijuana for medicinal and recreational. The states that have fully legalized marijuana have seen a boost in the economy due to taxes from marijuana sales. Along with helping the economy, marijuana is proven to provide medical aid for illnesses, such as cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. The legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational use will be a benefit to society.
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.
Before 1937, marijuana was freely bought, sold, grown, and smoked in the United States. Since that time, all of these activities have been illegal, but many groups and individuals have fought to decriminalize marijuana. The congressional decision to classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug in 1970 has made the legalization campaign more difficult, since it officially established marijuana as a dangerous, addictive drug with no medicinal benefits.
There will always be pros and cons in every situation, but marijuana actually has many pros. Marijuana may affect the development of the brain and behaviors if used at a young age, but it also helps with many disorders. “The panel said cannabinoids stimulate the appetite, combat nausea, and might also control pain. The drug also acts as a sedative and reduces anxiety, which may itself have a therapeutic effect, they added” (Ault, 1). Marijuana could be very helpful for those who are ill. It is a step at discovering new ways to cure diseases and help with the symptoms of different disorders. If we already know that marijuana could help with pain, sickness, and mental health, then why not legalize it? Many physicians have prescribed medical marijuana to those who are undergoing pain due to cancer. Most of the feedback the physicians get are
This tax revenue could fund the environment. Also, opening of new schools and supporting current ones. Furthermore, it could enhance the building of new roads. It could also help create hospitals and clinics. Moreover, the tax revenue could help build new police stations, and firefighting stations. It could even help the homeless. Marijuana could also bring jobs to America. In fact, it could bring thousands of new job opportunities which will reduce our unemployment rate.
Legalizing marijuana has always been an interesting topic for many people to dispute about. Some people say it is good, while others say it is bad. No matter what topic you speak about, it has its pros and cons. For example, marijuana can be used in great ways if legalized. Through money given from dispensaries to the crime rate lowered because of the ability to acquire marijuana in legal ways. Some bad examples are that it can be a gateway drug and can cause one to want a “better high” to people thinking it affects people's lives. Legalizing marijuana (medical and recreational) will help the United States with money, crime, and other numerous ways.
If we use the current model of Colorado for the nation, recreational and medicinal will be taxed at different rates. Medical marijuana will be taxed at 2.9 percent, while recreational will be taxed at 15 percent. This led to 16 million from medicinal use and 53 million from recreational use in tax revenue for the state of Colorado in 2014. These numbers are lower than the expected revenue; this is due to the fact that because of taxes it is still cheaper to buy black market marijuana. As production of legal marijuana continues to grow, the prices will drop. There will be more growers trying to sell their wares to dispensaries. This will lead to a higher quality of marijuana which the street dealers will have trouble keeping up with. With the legalization of marijuana a new industry has opened, the pot tourist. Colorado is now home to many recreational pot tours. This not only increases the tax revenue for the state, but also benefits other tourism related businesses. This is all dependent on a well regulated system.
The legalization of medical marijuana is a big debate. Many proponents of the legal medical use of marijuana are pushing for decriminalization in order to better the lives of people suffering from chronic and terminal diseases. Some States have legalized it but there are a good amount of states that haven’t. Legalizing medical marijuana could have monetary benefits as well as health benefits. Even though skeptics believe legalizing medical marijuana will lead to more crime, medical marijuana should be legalized because it has many health benefits for people.
Cannabis is becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly common in modern-day society for both recreational use and for medication. The article by Craig Reinarman, ‘Criminalisation, legalisation and the mixed blessing of medicalisation in the USA’ generates many controversial issues of cannabis.
Many policies have come to the governments attention within the past decade concerning drug use and prison reform. One policy that correlates to crime and drug use that has brought attention across the nation is the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana has been consumed in the United States for numerous years and has grown in popularity culminating in multiple states legalizing the drug. There is large debate concerning whether nationwide legalization is worth the cost. Of course, with any controversial decision, there are always going to be pros and cons. Those who oppose legalization make claims that marijuana is a gateway drug, impairs judgment, and is addictive. Although those points are true to an extent there are also many benefits. Of the many benefits, the most noteworthy ones are that marijuana can bring a lot of money to the government and economy, it helps treat sickness and diseases, and it can be a safer alternative than opioid-based medications. The legalization of marijuana would also highly impact the criminal justice system by making law enforcement more accessible to other areas where they are needed which can save the government a lot of money. In this instance, legalizing marijuana would bring many benefits to society such as stimulating the economy, treating sicknesses, providing government relief, and lowering opioid use.