The Reality of Legalizing Marijuana in Tennessee After being diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2013, Jeanette Bokland faced an unforeseeable future. She struggled through radiation, chemotherapy, and breast reconstruction. She fought through painful needles filled with medication that left her exhausted and ill. Due to the constant nausea and fatigue, she could no longer be active and enjoy the happiness of life. Many months into her struggle with cancer, she was feeble and ready to relinquish her fight against breast cancer. That is when a friend informed her about marijuana, and though it was illegal, she was desperate for a solution to her suffering. In a last effort for relief, she experimented with marijuana. She described …show more content…
In steady of fighting to stop the inevitable, we should concentrate on regulations for Tennessee drives to keep our community protected. States including Washington, Oregon, and Colorado have already legalized marijuana, and are initiating policies to keep our roads safe from drivers under the influence. Dough Wagner’s report on Professor Mitch Earley’s studies “[concluded] that marijuana use "seems to have fewer negative health effects than legal drugs, like alcohol, caffeine, or tobacco, and kills far fewer people"(2). Marijuana has exhibited significance in the medical field. Along with 1.5 billion economic reasons we should legalize it. Those 1.5 billion dollars could be used for schools, parks, and other things to improve our neighborhoods. Society has a negative view on marijuana users, but the truth is users are generally normal functioning members of society. Miller pointed out several distinguished people including president Obama, former present Bill Clinton and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps have all admitted to, or been caught using marijuana. The benefits of marijuana far outweigh any consequences of legalizing it. It is time for Tennessee to step up to the reality that legalization for medical and recreational use is not the only the compassionate thing to do, but also the best economic decision for our