There is a salient and continuous negative stigma concerning the legalization of marijuana for

Marijuana is a misunderstood drug. Many assume that the usage of marijuana, or cannabis, is dangerous, but it can be the exact opposite. So why is the legalization of marijuana in the United States such a problem for many people today? Considered to be a gateway drug and the reason for the downfall of our youth nowadays, marijuana has developed a negative reputation. Lester Grinspoon, a professor at Harvard University, states, “Few drugs in the United States have produced as much affective heat as marijuana, particularly during the last decade. The controversy essentially revolves around the question of how dangerous or safe the drug is." However, many people are persistent users and believe that this drug is no more harmful than

Marijuana is a very controversial and obtrusive issue in our society today. Although many have made malicious remarks about it in the past, and even still in the present, the truth and beneficial facts of marijuana are finally resurfacing. Unfortunately, our society has become a very critical crowd towards the legalization of marijuana due to the stereotypical view of the kind of people who are considered

The use of medical marijuana (slang: Acapulco gold, ace, bhang, cannabis, hash, dope, ganja, grass, weed, hashish oil, hemp, home-grown, honey oil, indica, Jamaican roach, sativa, sinse, sinsemilla, tea, weed oil) has a been a major topic of debate for countless years. People all around the United States have seen propaganda of some sort regarding the legalization of marijuana. For example, with the ongoing discussion of legalization throughout the states, it’s abruptly mentioned in the news, everyday conversations, school topics for debate, and within stories of social media. In the article, “Is marijuana prohibition coming to an end”, Michelle Johnson a North Carolina journalist, states “Legalizing marijuana for a medical or recreational

For the last century there has been an abundance of false information being spread about the drug marijuana. Even in commercials on television, misleading facts about the drug have been presented to the audience. Some misconceptions about the drug include its potential to cause addiction, the damaging of brain cells, genetic damage, violent behavior, and damage to the immune system. These misconceptions, which have plagued a large percentage of the population into thinking that marijuana is a bad drug, have caused many set backs in the process of gradual legalization. (http://legalizationofmarijuana.com/ )

Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General, once spoke about the legalization of marijuana for medical use in a press conference. "It's criminal to keep this medicine from patients," she said (Silverman, 1995, pg. 2). She received criticism not only from many citizens of the United States, but also strong criticism from the President who appointed her. The legalization of marijuana for medical use has always been a sharply debated subject, and many of the debaters are uneducated about the effects of using this illegal drug for therapeutic use. Many studies have been done and the results are clear. As a medical drug, marijuana should be available to patients who do not adequately respond to currently available

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

While an undereducated, youth fostered movement towards the legalization of marijuana is rapidly spreading across America, Father Gerald Coleman, in Is America Going to Pot, steps back from the frenzy to examine the gross amount of physical evidence that opposes the rash movement. Approaching legalization of marijuana from numerous avenues, Coleman systematically degrades many of the popular pro-marijuana arguments circulating today. In addition his article is able to simultaneously provide a number of well-founded arguments ranging from the various health troubles, the gateway drug potential, and the resounding positive effects on the black market drug trade that legalization of marijuana would and is currently promoting, to support his anti-legalization

The stigma of marijuana started in the 1930s when it was first prohibited nationwide, but since then, the stigma has changed quite drastically to the point where the sigma could be completely eradicated in the near future. The stigma that was created from the prohibition of marijuana is something that still affects every American today. In a brief history of the stigma, it can be traced back to the 1930s where its prohibition would begin, by the 1960s, no one would do it in their right mind because it was closely related to the anti-war protest/hippie movement, and finally by the mid-1990s, it would become legal in a few states for medical purposes. Since the 1990s, the stigma has really changed to the point where Americans are on the verge to the end of the 80+ year prohibition of the substance. (Hari, Johann) The stigma can really be defined by almost anything from marijuana’s relationship to a certain group, to the propaganda that defined it in the 1950s. Even though these are important factors contributing to the stigma, the most influential factors is its legality and of course, what marijuana means to people during the time period they are living. Marijuana’s stigma was obviously different in the 1960s than it is today for Americas and this trend of constantly changing definitions of the stigma will probably continue even after its legalization. The stigma of marijuana today is based on its legality and the growth of marijuana as a whole in the last decade.

Gray’s article “Legalize Use of Marijuana for Medical Purposes, MDs and Patients Plead” sufficiently appeals to the reader’s pathos. However, she fails to support her claim that marijuana needs to become legal and doctors should have a supply available for their patients due to the lack of detail, statistics, and unreliable

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

Since the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado, I have been patiently waiting for my chance to vote on this issue in Texas. It seems that we have been left in the dust as 25 other states and Washington D. C. now allow medical marijuana, with four of the states allowing recreational marijuana. One of the naysayers that does not want medical or recreational marijuana are the Parents Opposed to Pot, who claim that marijuana is causing schizophrenia and psychosis. The second naysayer that I will be addressing is Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana, or CALM. CALM claims concerns about the economic effects that marijuana will have. I am responding to both of these organization’s arguments with researched facts about marijuana.

According to USA Today, on average, there is about 700,000 people arrested annually on marijuana-related charges (Smith). Because of this, the topic of marijuana, specifically legalizing marijuana, has been on the minds of many Americans. Some of the American population does not see marijuana as an issue because they think it is not as harmful as some other drugs. On the other hand, scientists, doctors, and the rest of Americans view marijuana as a dangerous drug that should stay illegal because of the harmful effects that it can have on a person. Negative views of marijuana present themselves in New York Times articles through the idea that it can have harmful effects on the body. These negative views about marijuana have stayed the same because of the constant concern over physical and mental repercussions for those who use it.

Legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial topics in American society today. Surveys done by the US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive showed that 95 million Americans have used marijuana. There are two opposing sides that have strong stances on whether it should become legal or should remain illegal. We have one side that is anti-marijuana and the other is pro-marijuana. Each side provides valid and strong arguments supporting their views. The purpose of this paper is to carefully examine each opposing side and try to find some way to come to a compromise.

Marijuana can be viewed in opposing ways, healthy or harmful, that lead into differing answers for it to be legalized or not. Brad Miner, author of “How sweet is Mary Jane? - argument against legalizing marijuana”, wrote that he was skeptical about people

One major way the legalization and regulation of marijuana can benefit society is for medical use or prescription by a doctor. Critics of this may be quick to assert this is an excuse to entertain personal interest and satisfaction one would achieve from the drug. However, there are