Valid Argument? You Must Be High
It seems as though everyone has their own opinion when it comes to the legalization of marijuana. The question spans all age groups, races, and religions. You will hear different answers from individuals under each group. Some view the use of the substance as a sin and believe that the use should be a crime and others view it as a freedom that each citizen should be granted. Marty Nemko, a Ph.D. holding, education evaluation specialist, says otherwise. In his article published by TIME magazine, Nemko goes into details as to why he believes legalizing marijuana will have far more consequences than it does reward. His points seem as though they would be valid, however his argument is stretched and very weak. Nemko uses irrational logic, slanted, biased data, and opinion based assumptions to attempt to persuade readers to join his cause. At first glance, Nemko’s article seems as though it is full of logical reasons as to why marijuana should stay illegalized in the United States. The problem lies in his arguments. One of Nemko’s main points of emphasis is what the drug would do to children. If his argument was against the legalization of marijuana for all ages, this would have sound reasoning. However, Nemko is not arguing this proposal. The argument in discussion is to legalize marijuana for adults, and Nemko argues for a large portion of his paper about a group of people who will not be affected by the law. Nemko makes the assumption that
Marijuana does have some negative effects, but compared to other drugs marijuana is harmless. Other drugs are highly addictive were marijuana is not. Alcohol is one of the most leading causes of car crashes. Marijuana is nowhere near being a leading cause of death. Other drugs can lead to cancer where marijuana is used to cure it, and other drugs can lead to deaths. Other drugs impair you vision, but marijuana does not. All the other drugs except alcohol are gateway drugs, and the only way to purchase them is by smuggling them across the border. Many advocates say “we should begin to reflect that reality in our state and federal legislation, and stop acting as if otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are part of the crime problem. They are not, and it is absurd to continue using law enforcement resources arresting them.” (Gary) Many advocates also say, “Far more harm is caused by marijuana prohibition than by marijuana itself.”(Gary)
There currently exists a great debate concerning Legalization of marijuana. Many people are against the idea, but there are a number of people who fight for the idea to legalize Marijuana. The people that try to Legalize Marijuana use two major arguments in their effort to have marijuana legalized. First, which is by far the biggest argument is that marijuana has a significant medical use. The second is that marijuana does not cause harm to those that smoke it. Both of these arguments can be easily discounted by the numerous studies that have been done on the effects of marijuana both medicinal and recreational. Many well-intentioned leaders and members of the public have been misled by the well financed and organized pro-drug
Observing the states in which the drug has already become legal provides one with numerous examples of the negative side effects associated with legalization, just a few of which Coleman points out. One of the most disturbing of these negative side effects I believe, is the obvious explosion of black market drug trade. While legalization laws in Colorado and Washington have only been in full implementation for two short years, it has become widely known that the black market trade of marijuana has begun to flourish in these states. Little effort is needed to link the source of this growth to the recently implemented marijuana laws. Taxes and regulations that accompany the now legal purchase of marijuana have served to propel prices for legal marijuana to a point where users now much prefer the riskier option of illicit black market obtainment, catapulting illegal drug sales to heights previously unseen. Simple assessment of these facts, I believe, should be enough to align anyone against legalization. The negative implications that are associated with black market drug trade are well documented and widely known, and its growth not only supports the determent of individuals, but also society as a whole. However, many people simply overlook these
The legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue in North America today. Despite the outstanding benefits of legalizing this drug, we haven't gotten any closer to ending the war on drugs. There are major social, law enforcement and fiscal benefits with very minor drawbacks. Many European countries have proven than legalizing drugs can reap many benefits and we should follow these liberal ideas so we can also enjoy the benefits.
I am linking you to the post where Mr. Vaughn's article is posted, all of the material there is his own work.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13115/why_marijuana_should_not_be_legalized.html?cat=17I do realize that it is a relatively old article, but I believe that he illustrates points that are shared by many citizens, and thus I respond to those concerns and points. (Albeit in a slightly sarcastic way at times, by which I mean no offense to Mr. Vaughn) Mr. Vaughn, I am very saddened by your lack of information on Cannabis and its legalization. I'm not telling you that you are wrong, as everyone is entitled to their opinion. I simply believe that your opinion is malformed from misleading, and incorrect information that was published
They're are many people in the states that are for and against the prohibition of marijuana. The people who are for the prohibition of marijuana, they beileve that the drug causes loss of brain cells and will have the negative impact of your health. The other side of the argument is that it's not harmful as other illegal drugs and can be useful in curing or stopping fatal disease from killing you. Where I fall in this spectrum is against the prohibition of marijuana. One of the main reason I'm against the prohibition is because of the medical uses. Examples of marijuana for medical uses are to treat and prevent glaucoma, can prevent epileptic seizures, and prevent cancer from spreading to name a few. In the article "Why I changed my mind on
In the span of 2013-14 the reports of drugs in Australia increased. There were record high reporting’s of many types of illicit drugs at the border patrol. Furthermore, many other illicit drugs had their second highest reporting in history. Cannabis is the most common drug in Australia. The number of detections of cannabis in 2013-2014 decreased, but the total weight of detected cannabis at the border control increased dramatically and was the biggest cannabis find in the last decade (Australian Drug Commission 2014). In the draft for the National Drug Strategy 2016-2025 cannabis is mentioned as a priority drug as it is the most common used illegal drug (Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs 2015). As the recent news that the Australian government is planning to legalise growing of medical cannabis there a gap in the policy of how to regulate medical cannabis and cannabis used as an illicit drug (Yaxley 2015).
I think marijuana used medically and recreationally should be legal in all 50 states. One reason nobody have ever died from marijuana but people die everyday from things that are legalized . The second reason marijuana should be legal is it helps people with mental diseases and people with physical diseases. The last reason is more than half of the us think that marijuana should be legal in all 50 states. This is why marijuana used medically and recreationally should be legal In all 50 states.
legal it would benefit both those who use and those who don’t use because of tax revenue.
A college student walking down the street on a pitch black night, has a brief encounter with a cop while smoking a joint for his post-traumatic stress disorder, and unfortunately gets arrested, even though marijuana seems to be his only temporary cure. I believe marijuana has many medical benefits, and certain people need it to live a normal, productive life. Opponents of legalizing it have argued that doing so would do more harm than good, however they turn a blind eye to scientific studies proving otherwise. I believe soldiers returning home from war, and cancer patients alike deserve not to be treated as criminals for possessing or consuming cannabis. The United States Government has a duty to allow any and every individual the right to purchase cannabis because there is no reason to arrest otherwise law abiding citizens. I strongly believe these tactics are used solely as a revenue generator for local municipalities. In this argumentative essay I hope to explain why cannabis can and should be legalized.
When hearing the word marijuana, we instantly think a “dangerous drug,” because that is what we are taught growing up. That there are different types of drugs that are dangerous for us and will only harm our health and our future. Growing up with this information as children, we do not really have other reasoning so we just take in the information and accept it. This information which was given to us at a young age is only questioned after we start to age. If research is actually done in order to gain a better understanding on the topic it will allow to draw own conclusions. For a very long time the legalization of marijuana has been a very controversial subject. It may be as a result of keeping this information given to us as a young child and never questioning it, or perhaps just the lack of knowledge on the subject. Marijuana is a drug because that is what it has been categorized as but it has been used in medicine for thousands of years. The positive impact that it will have on the country, the regulations able to be imposed on it and the many health benefits of marijuana should be a reason as to why it should be legalized.
Prohibitionist disagree. They don’t believe that marijuana has any known medical properties. Some prohibitionists’ arguments come from Save Our Society from Drugs (S.O.S), an organization that prohibits the legalization cannabis and other drugs and urges the dangers of the consumptions of drugs. S.O.S asserts that the use of medical marijuana is a scam used by groups with special interest to exploit people who are vulnerable and hopeless from their illnesses. According to them long-term, regular use of marijuana—ranging to adolescents to teenage years—may impair brain development
In 2000, George Bierson’s “Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug”, was published by the Massachusetts News. Bierson concludes that marijuana is harmful in many ways, including brain damage, damage to the reproductive system, and weakening of the immune system. He also attempts to convince the reader that marijuana is a “gateway drug” that leads users to venture into much harder drugs. I believe that research to support anything can be found if one is looking hard enough, but that the fallacy of Bierson’s conclusions is due to his research seeking facts to support an already-assumed conclusion. Based on my research and my own personal experience, I have found that several of his points, when looked at logically, do not reach his
Do you know what marijuana is? “Marijuana is a drug that is always being talked about all over the media. There is constant debate on whether it should be legalized or not. Also, debate on if it were to be legalized, how would they make it work. All these questions are things the government takes into account every day. There is a big divide between people’s beliefs on this matter. Some people think it should be, others think it shouldn’t, and some think it should be with some modifications on the usage. When you look at the benefits, there is no question that marijuana should be legal throughout the entire country. There are way more positive things that could come out of it being legal. The first reason weed should be legalized is because how many other drugs are legal. Weed is one of a few not too harmful drugs that are illegal.”
Marijuana should not be legalized because it will increase health issues, its use will rise rather than decline, and taxation will result in economic failure. In recent years, however, society has become very moderate, and this is why society’s views can be swayed by the benefits of legalization. Nowadays, legalizing marijuana is not that big of a deal as it was in the 60’s and 70’s when hippies and peace organizations were advocating for marijuana use. However, if marijuana is legalized it has been said that it might be the gateway drug to legalizing all illegal drugs.