According to Wed MD, one in three people have consumed or smoked cannabis, meaning, legalization could bring a prosperous economic boom to the United States in this time of debt (Marijuana). Even though the ethical concern for legalizing any illegal substance boldly correlates to a variety of complications with accessibility to the youth and general health consequences, I believe the positives of cannabis will outweigh the negatives.
History has shown that word “illegal” does not make things any less accessible to the general public. Where there is a will, there will always be a way. Government regulations and aggressive attempts at banning illegal substances almost seem frustratingly futile. Although televised drug busts headline almost every
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Accessibility rises the less fight there is to slow production down. If the government declares marijuana legal, a dramatic increase in substance participation is inevitable. Even with an age limitation, the youth know ways to cross that barrier similar to alcohol and tobacco. Illegally, “…there are 15.2 million current marijuana users in comparison to 129 million alcohol users and 70.9 million tobacco users” (Marijuana). A major ethical concern with marijuana is its attribute of being a gateway drug, or a habit-forming drug that, while not itself addictive, may lead to the use of other addictive drugs. Across the board, several animal experiments show that “THC’s ability primes the brain for enhanced responses to other drugs” (Is Marijuana). Further statistics are consistent with this theory: “Of adults who used marijuana before age 15, 62% went on to use cocaine…9% went on to use heroin… and 54% made some nonmedical use of mind-altering prescription drugs (Marijuana Statistics). Many claim marijuana is harmless to the general public, yet further medical statistics prove otherwise. “Marijuana is the second most frequently found substance in the bodies of drivers involved in fatal automobile accidents… In 2005, 242,200 emergency room visits in the US involved marijuana…” (Marijuana