Argumentative Essay: The Legalization Of Marijuana

Everyday the government is ruining lives, and in some extreme cases killing the citizens they are supposed to protect. All because of a medicine that saves chemotherapy patients, epilepsy patients, and many others suffering from an array of medical issues. This medicine goes by many names; Marijuana, pot, weed, reefer, Mary-Jane, Bud, Dro, and countless others. According to the government this medicine is highly dangerous, and kills. The truth? Our government has killed, and continues to kill more people than Marijuana ever has, or ever will. The reason Marijuana is illegal in the first place is because Hemp (the leaves from the marijuana plant) held a monopoly in the manufacturing industry. In fact, George Washington grew hemp! Once Hemp

A popular prescription drug called Adderall, is prescribed to children and adults everyday to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). There have been over 200 reported deaths due to Adderall. The government sees this as a “safe drug” and continues to allow doctors to prescribe it. Marijuana, on the other hand, has never had a reported death due to overdose. In fact, it is impossible to die because of an overdose on Marijuana. This is because of the active ingredients in marijuana and how your brain reacts to them. The active ingredients in Marijuana are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the ingredient that makes you feel high, whereas CBD is the ingredients that has all the medical properties. Unlike opiates and other drugs, THC and CBD don't attach to your receptors that control your breathing. CBD and THC attach to a completely different part of your brain called the cannabinoid receptors which do not control breathing. Therefore, you cannot overdose no matter how hard you try. It would take someone sitting down and smoking over 200 joints in a row for them to die. However, it is NOT the marijuana killing them, it is the CO2 from the smoke that kills them, which has never happened. Marijuana also has many medical uses, despite what the government thinks. In the state of Arkansas Marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 narcotic. In order for a drug to be

Peter McWilliams was a paraplegic who was diagnosed with AIDS. McWilliams smoked marijuana to keep him from throwing up his medicine. In 1999 McWIlliams was charged with the use and cultivation of Marijuana. During his trial, the judge would not let him plead his defense, and the judge found him guilty of all charges. Due to his circumstances, McWilliams was allowed to serve his sentence at home under house arrest. McWilliams also had to submit to weekly drug tests, keeping him from using the medicine that kept him from throwing up his other antibiotics. In June of 2000 McWilliams was found face down in his bathtub dead from asphyxiation on his own vomit. If Marijuana was legal, situations like this would not happen again. According to “Marijuana in Arkansas: Arrests, Usage, and Related Data” a collection of data written by Jon Gettman, Ph.D. , 50% of all drug related arrests in Arkansas are Marijuana related; Either use, possession, cultivation or intent to sell. Of this 50% , 40% are all non-violent crimes. The punishment for possession of marijuana is as harsh as life in prison. Currently there are about 8,000 Marijuana related arrests a year in the state of Arkansas. 6,000 of these arrests ended up with jail time, costing Arkansas taxpayers roughly $53 million a year. If Arkansas legalized Marijuana, it would save taxpayers about that much