The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana

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.

Although it is a highly common defense that marijuana is not addictive, it in fact is. Many regular smokers find themselves ridden with very similar withdrawal symptoms of a tobacco addict (Marijuana Addiction Symptoms and Effects). Around 9% of people who use find themselves dependent on marijuana (Is Marijuana Addictive?). That may not seem like much, but that is almost 1 in every 10 people hooked on a drug that is supposedly “non-addictive.” Legalizing a drug that causes disorientation, paranoia, depression, anxiety, dizziness, and a slowed reaction time is not safe, not to mention the fact that it is a gateway drug, often leading users to use even more damaging and dangerous drugs (Is Marijuana Addictive?). With the legalization of a drug like marijuana comes increased use and abuse of the drug. Marijuana is unsafe medically for the individual using and for the people around them when the user is under the influence, it will cost the government money and time and it will cost employers tons. Legalizing marijuana would be a huge mistake by our country.

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans

The legalization of marijuana has been an argument for over 70 years. Even though voters helped to legalize the drug in Colorado and Washington, it’s still legal for the rest of the United States. There are many pros and cons for marijuana

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.

Marijuana in the United States has been a big issue for decades dating back to when it was first made illegal in 1937. Using scare tactics, propaganda, and false facts, the government decided to classify the plant as a schedule one drug along with substances such as ecstasy, LSD, and heroin. Marijuana has since become a more common and socially acceptable (Not by the government) drug in recent years. This past year Colorado, Washington, and Oregon had decided to vote on the issue of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Focusing on Colorado, Amendment 64 passed on November 6th, 2012 which would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of the plant.

Whenever marijuana initiatives are put to the people, they usually pass with overwhelming public support. It is clear that the general public does not see adult marijuana use as a social problem, any more so than alcohol consumption. And the Colorado law only allows persons 21 and over to consume or possess limited amounts of marijuana. The law

There has been major news forming around the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Medical marijuana has been effective in Colorado since 2000. Now marijuana is legal for recreational use for people 21 and up. Many rules and regulations follow the legalization of marijuana. Many people of Colorado fear this legalization, where others are totally for it and think it will help boost Colorado’s economy. I have found many

The legalization of marijuana has been a debate in the public eye within the United States for quite some time now; however, as time progresses many states continue to pass legislation. As of, March 2017, 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana use in some fashion and 24 remaining states with pending legislation. Although states are in debate for legalization it remains that federal law still prohibits any form of usage, selling, or buying. Federal law supersedes state law on this issue as it is written, “Legalizing Marijuana: Why Citizens Should Just Say No” from the Legal Memorandum Published by the Heritage Foundation,

Ever since Colorado passed the nation’s first state law to tax and regulate the sale and personal use of marijuana for recreational purposes, the Centennial state became an ongoing social experiment. January 1, 2015, marked the one year anniversary since marijuana became available for purchase for adults 21 and older in Colorado. For over two years, the state has also allowed adults to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana. The effects of legalization from a drug liberalization standpoint are mixed. In terms of safety, consumers enjoy a product that is more safe and dependable than ever.

Marijuana is internationally the most commonly used illegal substance. Marijuana is psychoactive drug that affects different parts of the body. It has been classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Surveys say that approximately 34.9 percent of high school Seniors in the United States use marijuana and close to 6 percent of seniors report using the drug on an everyday bases. As stated by the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19.8 million adults in America had used marijuana the month before being surveyed.

In the United States of America there are a lot of controversial issues that have been debated upon for a long time. The issue that should be discussed and given more incite in order to help the U.S. grow into success again is the legalization of marijuana in the country. The debate of legalizing marijuana in the country has gone on for a long time and still has not yet come to a conclusion. The issue has brought some states to take matters into their own hands and have actually legalized marijuana in their states such as California, Colorado etc... According to Governing.com the U.S. in total has 30 states that have legalized the use of marijuana. In these states 29 legalized medical marijuana and 8 have added legal recreational marijuana

I am glad that the textbook dedicated a decent portion of this chapter to cannabis. In our country today, this is a very hot topic that results in quite a few heated debates. Marijuana is obviously very widely used, and it is easily accessible. One of the biggest debates on marijuana use is that of the health dangers and the addictive qualities of it. The textbook talks about cannabis use disorder. The number of people in today’s society that have this disorder is significantly higher than that of the early 1970s. One of the main reasons for this is that the THC is much more potent because it is grown in hotter and drier climates today.

Science has shown that Cannabis can help cancer patients manage diet, nausea, vomiting, and other negative chemotherapy side effects (Hsu, 2016). Recently however, scientists are finding that cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can inhibit the growth of new tumor cells (Guzmán, 2006). THC along with other synthetic cannabinoids work to reduce tumor size by binding to cannabinoid receptors on the surface of the tumor cells, altering cell signaling pathways and disrupting the growth of new cells (Guzmán, 2006). Even with evidence in support of cannabis, THC and it’s level of use is still widely debated. Many individuals support the use of medical marijuana while many others disagree with its legalization. Because of this, states all

Should Marijuana be Legalized? Over half of Americans answer ‘’Yes.’’ Marijuana is greatly frowned upon, not just in America, but all across the globe. But these laws against Marijuana are up for debate in several countries. Especially in the United States. There are sixteen states in this country that allow medical usage of Marijuana.