Argumentative Essay Marijuana

Have you encountered a friend or family member who has benefitted from the use of marijuana? Perhaps it was you yourself who has found the use of the plant to be beneficial in your everyday life. Marijuana has long been popular for both its medicinal and recreational properties and in the last few years has become a widely discussed topic in the public. Many states have adopted the idea of legalization in varying levels and have left the decision up to the voters. Although many individuals in the United States contend the potential negative effects of marijuana use or exposure, marijuana should be recognized as legal by the federal government as the rate of social acceptance has risen dramatically over the last few decades, it has proven

(Mantel). One group in particular that has taken the helm on their opposition campaign is SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) who ?compares marijuana to tobacco, warning that cannabis businesses are trying to profit from selling what the alliance calls an addictive drug that puts lives at risk? (McGinnis) or physicians such as Deepak D?Souza who ?does not believe states should decide what substances constitute a medicine?Imagine if pharmaceutical companies produced drugs based on anecdotal reports. There would be mayhem? (Mantel). Though both instances of opposition do offer a sound opinion on the subject, one common viewpoint is that additional research is vital to ensure the right decision is being made in regard to fully legalize marijuana. Many groups in support of full legalization tout that there are mountains of evidence supporting the positive use of marijuana, but mainly in instances as illustrated by Deepak D?Souza, little research has been approved at a federal level to allow for proper research to be conducted on human beings, rather than animals. Said research may uncover side effects not seen through the low-scale use of the substance, and by having the proper research to support this argument may allow for proper dosing where individuals can find a happy

This leads to an all-too-common scenario where dispensaries are required to hire guards to stand watch, not only for the product for sale, but to protect the large sums of cash that are stored in safes. Another downside to this situation of money handling is the fact that the government does not have an accurate way to track the transactions that are occurring in these types of establishments. For some, this may be a welcomed sign of keeping big brother out of the business, but could also be leading to abuse, or potential black-market activity with such large sums of money trading hands off the books. With states like Colorado earning such huge sums of money in just a few short years, the money should be accounted for properly. Dispensary business owners have also encountered issues during tax season where normal operating expenses cannot be deducted like other businesses due to a ?decade-old law aimed at preventing drug dealers from claiming their smuggling costs and couriers as business expenses on their tax returns? (Healy). For the policies with finances related to the sale of marijuana to improve, strides must be made in the way of ending the prohibition of marijuana. By dissolving the prohibition of marijuana overall, banks would be able to assist the business owners. The businesses could operate