Arguments Against Legalizing Marijuana

The legalization of marijuana in the United States has been a controversial topic with both sides arguing its positive and negative effects. Those who are “for” legalizing marijuana argue that the use for medical purposes can help with illness related side-effects. Those “against” the legalization of marijuana argue that even though it may help with the side effects of illnesses, it can affect the cardiovascular system negatively. This is why the “con” group does not accept marijuana as a source of medical treatment; they believe the long-term effects of marijuana use can affect patients negatively by worsening their medical condition. The “pro” group argues that legalizing marijuana would help decrease the criminalization of recreational marijuana

However, the supporting position, argues that marijuana helps with the increase of a person’s appetite, relieving nausea, allowing to regain weight with the treatment of cancer (Medical Marijuana). Cancer therapy causes the patient to have nausea and lose appetite. In addition, “marijuana also helps with glaucoma patients by reducing intraocular pressure that can cause damage to the eye (Medical Marijuana). The legalization of marijuana could help those that use it for medical purposes to have an easier access to it. It would allow them to use the drug without being it seem as an illegal act. That would help decrease the justice crisis that has been happening because marijuana consumers can get thrown in jail for having it in their position if they do not have it prescribed. This has caused consumers that use it for medical purposes to get in trouble for having even a small amount of it in their

According to professor Glantz, legalizing it would allow the number of arrests to decrease but in exchange it would cause a health crisis (Fuller). Having marijuana legalized would make the number of arrests to decrease because its consumers will not be held in jail for having a small amount in position. In the states that it has not been legalized yet this is bug problem because the consumers that are caught without a permission to have it or plant it can get into serious legal problems. This is why the supporting side focuses on the long term outcome of this in the justice system and the amount of arrests that will decrease. Although, the opposed side to this argument expresses that even though the justice crisis will decrease a health crisis will increase. In their defense they believe that the public health impact is not being thought of. A study in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that marijuana was more addictive than alcohol but less so than tobacco” (Fuller). This means that marijuana can become an addiction based on the use the consumers give it. But the supporting side states that there is data from Colorado, the first state in the United States to legalize marijuana, that there was “a 46 percent drop in the number of marijuana arrests in 2014, which was the year it was legalized” (Fuller). However, with marijuana being legalized, the number of young