literature review- should marijuana be legalised?

In America there are a lot of problems, ranging from violence to obesity. A growing concern of many Americans is the drug “epidemic” with the growth of the war on drugs. Marijuana, throughout history, has been demonized and illegalized, however now a newfound acceptance of the drug is growing rapidly with some states fully legalizing the drug recreationally, and others medically.

For many years, the prohibition of marijuana has led people to believe that marijuana was extremely dangerous, therefore, it could never be legal; but, most dangers spoken about marijuana are myths as it is found less harmful than alcohol, and even tobacco. In 2007, research done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare came to the conclusion that alcohol was a large contributor to death and the cause of more than 3% of the overall disease and injury in Australia, while marijuana was accountable for no deaths and only 0.2% of disease and injury. Despite what many are told to believe, this research poses that marijuana holds way fewer risks than alcohol does, and alcohol is legal. Around 88,000 deaths occur each year due to alcohol consumption, and half of those are due to binge drinking. With this in

Another advantage of legalising marijuana may be the medical benefits of cannabis which can be used to create a safe therapeutic effect, when used medicinally in its purest form. Studies also show the marijuana when used under a supervised routine of medical care can be used to reduce stress, as well as relieving and reducing nausea from cancer patients who participate in chemotherapy. Other medical source’s state Marijuana, once again when used under supervision for medical reasons can be effective in treating glaucoma, through relieving pressure on one’s eye socket, as well providing relief to those suffering from AID’s and Multiple sclerosis. Whilst to put in perspective the damaging effects of marijuana in

Marijuana, the most abused drug in America, has had a lot of publicity recently. Marijuana has caused multiple economic problems within the U.S. A controversial question has arisen from the increased popularity and troubles of this drug. The question is whether or not the U.S. government should legalize marijuana possession and sale in the country. Many Americans believe that the drug should be legalized for various reasons; others, however, are against the legalization of the dangerous drug. While legalization has both pros and cons, the positives of legalizing marijuana for those people over the age of twenty-one far outweigh the negative aspects of legalization.

Marijuana is a highly misunderstood drug. Many assume that marijuana is a dangerous substance in which it could be the complete opposite. Researchers have found that marijuana was the cure for most illnesses and diseases. This drug is being criticized by people who doesn’t know the medical benefits about substance.

Marijuana, also known as ganja, mary jane, pot, and dope is widely used by teens and adults. Today, society has come a long way officially 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. Although many people believe that marijuana is a gateway drug, and has been discouraged by society, it has been proven that “less than 8% of Americans smoke marijuana versus 52% who drink and 27% of people that smoke tobacco cigarettes” (Moore). This concludes the idea that alcohol is the real gateway drug, and marijuana holds less side effects. Recreational marijuana use would not pose a massive threat to the health of humans the way that alcohol destroys internal organs. Legalizing marijuana would allow more research about the

The issue of Legalizing marijuana is a very controversial topic of modern times. The use of marijuana is all over the media with celebrities doing it and young people in on the craze. Marijuana is the world’s oldest illegal drug, not only that, it is also the drug that is most widely used among society today (Aanstoos, 2015). Different types of people use this drug for a variety of reasons, such as, as a way to disconnect from todays hectic world, something they are peer pressured into, or even medical reasons. My argument is against the concern of legalizing marijuana in general including medical marijuana. Before completely going all in against this drug, note that there is some relevant research, which shows Marijuana has some benefits to it. This paper will explore both points in against and in favor of legalizing marijuana to be revealed, aiming for an understanding of the issue and present a public health policy to improve and educate the public of this hot health topic.

The use of cannabis, otherwise known as marijuana is a cultural practice that is both common and criminalised. This great contradiction fuels the growing drug policy reform movement, challenging preconceived ideas that drug users are criminals and are fated for jail. Through the understanding of the medicalization of cannabis as a means of alternative correction, the implications towards shifting a frame around drugs from criminal law to public health and the adaptation of public opinion

Drugabuse.com proves this, in their article “Legalizing Marijuana Decreases Fatal Opiate Overdoses,” with data from 2010, by explaining that “states with legalized medical marijuana saw approximately 1,700 fewer opiate-related overdose deaths”. Marijuana is an extremely hard substance to overdose on. In fact, the Marijuana Policy Project states, “marijuana is one of – if not the – least toxic drugs, requiring thousands of times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death”. There has never been a report of a marijuana overdose (Marijuana Policy Project). Thus, it would seem that it would most likely benefit the well being of the country if the government ended the marijuana prohibition. Every year 30,000 Americans die from opioid related deaths (Centers for Disease Control). Reducing the risk of opioid dependency will save many

Legalizing Medical Marijuana can help patients with relief from nausea and appetite loss, reduction of muscle spasms and relieve from chronic pain. Helpful for treatment for the AIDS-- reduces the nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite, Glaucoma -- reduces pressure relieving the pain and sometimes stopping damage to the eyes, Cancer -- excite appetite and relieving nausea and vomiting, and Epilepsy -- stops seizures. There are a huge volume of reports and studies which state that marijuana is highly effective in treating a number of illnesses, and it can make a highly achieved replacement for several types of medication, many of which having countless horrible side effects. “Many California doctors recommend the drug because they’ve seen salutary results with marijuana with marijuana not found with its legal pill form equivalent, Marinol.”( Minamide, Elaine. pg14)

After 30 years of marijuana use being subject to such harsh penalties and unreasonable consequences, the world has not yet to agree on the truth about marijuana. I feel that it is a very controversial issue in this day and age with very strong and supportive arguments on both sides of this issue. The issue has caused a lot of political feuds, and it also has increased conflicts between many state governments and the federal governments. I feel marijuana is here to stay, and it is about time the government learns that also. It is one of America’s largest imports, it is extremely valuable (for example, an ounce of marijuana is worth more than an ounce of gold), but of course, it is highly illegal. In this paper, I will try to teach you why

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.

In less than forty years the most important man in the Western world has gone from declaring marijuana the most dangerous drug to openly discussing its possible rescheduling. The argument can be made that Reagan was far more conservative than Obama, however it is more likely that this change is due to the shift in public perception on the substance. There are currently 23 states with laws allowing for medical use of cannabis, and four states who allow for recreational use. A 1969 Gallup poll found 4% of respondents reportedly tried marijuana in their life. In 2013 that number rose to 38%. Youth rates have varied some recent years however the average 30 day use rate is around 12%. There are a variety of factors that have been discussed as possible reasons for this increase in marijuana use. This paper explores potential causes for the increase in marijuana use and change in public perception about the drug in the past fifty years.

There are “news headlines of pedestrians, motorists and bikers and bicyclists crashed into by drivers under the influence of this brain changing drug. Both Colorado and Washington Colorado have seen that the number of traffic fatalities have increased as a result of legalization” (Parents Opposed to Pot).

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because