Colorado and Washington have been the first states to legalize sales of recreational marijuana in the United States. Other states such as Alaska, Oregon and residents of Washington, D.C. are trying to take that next step to legalize marijuana. The legalization of marijuana has been a topic of debate for quite some time. Even though there are cons to the legalization of marijuana, marijuana should be legal because it helps with medical reasons, there is less prison overcrowding, and may help the economy. Many states have legalized marijuana, but for medical reasons, known as medical marijuana. This medical marijuana helps patients who have a severe medical illness, and need help lowering their physical pain that is caused by that illness. For
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
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.
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.
Why Medical Cannabis is still federally banned? Well Marijuana has been illegal since the 1950’s, due to the enactment of federal laws like the “Narcotics management Act of 1956” that set necessary sentences that relate to drug-related offenses, as well as marijuana. A Montana grower is now in prison. “Chris Willams a Medical Marijuana grower in Montana now faces the rest of his life in prison because a Medical Marijuana law was canceled.”This law didn't include the medical use of Marijuana. I believe Medical Marijuana ought to be legal below tax and distributed to only patients with treatable diseases.
Marijuana has been made legal for some form of use in 29 of the 50 states in America, with eight states having it legalized for recreational use. Notable states with it legalized for recreational purposes include Washington, Colorado, and California. Marijuana shops create millions in tax revenue and loads of job opportunities for these states. Not only does it generate millions of dollars in revenue for each state, there plenty of health benefits from marijuana. Along with those positives, marijuana is responsible for zero deaths per year, while alcohol is responsible for an estimated 88,000 deaths per year. Marijuana, both recreational and medical, creates jobs and boosts the economy, has a lot of health benefits, is safer than alcohol, and also has its disadvantages. Marijuana should be made legal and available to everyone in every state across America.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions as reversed President Obama’s 2013 policy that protects legalized marijuana programs from intervention from the federal government. What this does is hands the decision back to each state. Each state’s U.S. attorney will now decide whether to enforce the federal marijuana law. Attorney General Sessions stated that “it is the mission of the Department of Justice to enforce the laws of the United States.” According to General Sessions, the previous policy undermines the rule of law. Currently, individuals that are prescribed medical marijuana and the programs that supply it are protected from federal prosecution by the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment. The amendment expires on January 19, 2018. (Schladebeck & Blain 2018).
she is dangerously impaired while driving. Studies show that if there is a measurable amount of THC in the bloodstream, it doubles the risk of a driver getting into an accident when he or she is
There have been four states along with the District of Columbia that have allowed marijuana for recreational usage since 2012. Colorado is the Christopher Columbus of this social experiment and has spurred numerous opinions, both good and bad. Recreational marijuana has had many benefits for Colorado such as economic growth, improved safety through regulations, and overall social unification. Make sure your thesis makes a claim that is arguable.
Controlled Substances Act considered marijuana as a “Schedule One Drug “. This term is given to drugs that have a very high risk potential for abuse with no medical value. However the FDA, which is the Food and Drug Administration is the organization that regulates all parts of drugs such as hallucinogens and opiates. From the FDA’s perspective, drugs are “articles intended for use of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or disease of any kind” (Cohen 3). To a great degree, the policies of drugs in America have become very irrational based on the fear of what could happen consuming the drug inappropriately, rather than the evidence to back it up. In theory, anything that is considered a drug, whether it is a prescription, or alcohol can be abused if taken in high dosages. Medical marijuana is available in several different forms. Marijuana can either be smoked, vaporized or ingested in a pill form. For example, cancer patients that had to undergo chemotherapy and radiation experienced an opening in their appetite because of the THC, which is considered the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. Patients that have been diagnosed with ADHD and ADD, have given great testimonies that it has given patients a sense of contentment. Because of the stigma attached to marijuana usage many sick patients are afraid to consume marijuana to treat their ailments. The opposing side argues why legalization of marijuana is considered a pain killer and not a life saver. Patients have testified against the great benefits they have received from the usage of medical marijuana, so why not allow them to use it? According to the 2016 study, it shows that various medical marijuana patients are open with their families in regards of their usage with marijuana. It was found that 84.1 percent of the respondent either somewhat agreed or strongly agreed that they were open with their family members about their marijuana usage. Considering the efficacy of any kind of medical treatment, it is imperative to listen to the patient first and foremost. A 2013 study in New England Journal of Medicine found that nearly eight out of ten doctors approved the use of medical marijuana. However, a wide- ranging survey in the state of California
Medical practices constantly undergo research and updates. They change as newer and better options become discovered. Medical marijuana continuously undergoes series of debates on its legality and usefulness. However, this topic requires no further debate. The pros of medical marijuana outweigh the cons. Most medical professions do not deny marijuana's potential curative powers. Also, medical marijuana holds roots in medical history. People used medical marijuana in the past due to positive effects it had. Most people do not believe that medical marijuana contains magical properties that will cure every symptom and illness. However, some diseases and symptoms would strongly benefit from medical marijuana. The problem lies with the lack of certainty that accompanies medical marijuana due to the illegality of it. As more and more physicians conduct research, the more knowledgeable people will become. The more educated people become on medical marijuana,
“To use or not to use?”--that is the real question at hand. Medicinal marijuana can be used for healing processes but can also have some side effects. Marijuana recipients can abuse the product and make it, as the article says, a “wider distribution”. (“Pros and Cons: Should Marijuana Be Legalized for Medical Purposes?” 1) Medical Marijuana has many purposes such as physical, psychological, and industrial benefits, but the product does have downfalls as well.
Marijuana is one of the most discussed and controversial topic in the United States today. Many believe that Marijuana has medical benefits and should be legal, while others say it has a high risk of being abused and should remain illegal. The current drug laws are doing more harm than good. Legalizing Marijuana would benefit the country in many ways. Marijuana should be legalized for its medical benefits, additional revenue to our economy, and it is less harmful than legal substances and most medications.
The Compassionate use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act (Act 410 ILCS 130) was signed by the Illinois governor Pat Quinn on August 1, 2013. Scientists discovered that by using Marijuana, patients could get relief from debilitating medical conditions. Marijuana is a scheduled I narcotic. Narcotics are drugs which have psychoactive chemical properties. The main question asked by people is that, can prolonged usage of marijuana lead to addiction? According to the act, this drug is given to the patients who are suffering from Neuropathic Pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Nausea, Epilepsy, Alzheimer, different types of Cancer, and HIV etc. Sadly, these patients are suffering from intolerable pain,
Imagine a drug that could cure diseases but the drug is illegal and people that need the drug are unable to get it without being arrested. What if a child could be seizure free but the drug to cure the seizures was illegal. What about a drug that could increase revenue for the economy and decrease crime. This drug is marijuana and it has been illegal in the United States since 1930. Marijuana should be legalized in all fifty states for recreational and medicinal purposes. Legalizing marijuana will increase revenue, decrease drug related crimes, and assist chronically ill patients.