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Argumentative Essay: The Legalization Of Marijuana

1344 Words6 Pages

Marijuana isn’t any worse than alcohol or tobacco, yet both are legal? Americans should have the right to choose to smoke marijuana as long as they aren’t harming others. I believe marijuana is the least harmful drug out there and it actually had very many medicinal purposes. Not only do I believe marijuana should be medically legal, but recreationally too. Marijuana for years has been viewed as this terrible drug, that if used will make you do stupid things. Well, people are starting to realize the non-harmful effects and beneficial uses of marijuana. People often refer to it as a gateway drug, but couldn’t we argue that a lot of things are gateways? Alcohol could be a gateway to other drugs by making stupid decisions. Using a drug is someone’s choice, and I believe Americans should have the freedom of choice to smoke marijuana, just like they have the freedom to …show more content…

by a Chinese Emperor named Shen Nung. All the way back in 1213 B.C, Egyptians even used marijuana to treat illnesses such as inflammation, nausea, and even anesthetics. How can we say marijuana wasn’t intended for use when even in the Bible, Jesus, the anointed one, has references in Exodus 30:23 relating to marijuana oil use for healing. In 1839, an Irish doctor first writes of marijuana’s effectiveness in treating rabies, cholera, and tetanus. Cannabis wasn’t considered illegal until 1915 through 1927, when ten states passed marijuana prohibition laws (Webley). The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 led to the decline in marijuana prescriptions and Samuel R. Caldwell became the first marijuana seller to be arrested (Webley). None this makes any sense as to why marijuana became prohibited. Thousands of years ago, the ancients were using it for all kinds of medical usage. Even farmers in Colonial Jamestown were urged to grow hemp, the fiber of the cannabis plant, and medical doctors praised its effectiveness in the early 19th

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