What exactly comes to mind when you think of drugs? Certain people might think of the nightly news talking about killings on the streets or maybe some think of those unforgettable meth ads on television and billboards. But surprisingly, what seems to be very popular topic when the word “drug” comes up is the ongoing debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Many advocates believe prohibiting marijuana reduces crime, trafficking, and increases health. However, marijuana is one of the most misunderstood drugs on the market, keeping it illegal causes more problems. Fully legalizing marijuana, while making sure it is controlled with limitations much like alcohol and tobacco, would boost our economy, bring in more jobs, and medically …show more content…
Marijuana is a psychoactive drug extracted from a dried herbal female flower and other parts of the plant Cannabis Sativa. It is also referred by several other names in broader sense which include hashish, cannabis, ganja among many others. For centuries marijuana has been used as a recreational drug in various parts of the world. This flower or plant is mostly made up of a chemical compound known as tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC. Human’s consumption of the product pre-dates any historic records. The THC is often known as crystals, because THC appears on the plant in tiny crystal form. The THC is what causes a person to experience psychoactive and physiological effects. Users tend to experience a mild-huluciginic or high. The most common short-term effects include increased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and impairment of psychomotor coordination, concentration and short-term memory. as stated by Zimmer and Morgan in Marijuana …show more content…
“The long effect can cause serious damage that is fixable. The use of marijuana can also have physical effects on the body. The short term effect of marijuana are hallucinations, paranoia, impaired coordination, mood swings etc. the long term effects are loss of brain cells, lung cancer, slow confused thinking etc. In order to pass a bill to legalize marijuana, there is a very long drawn out process. The bill or proposal for the law can originate in either the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States Congress. Both sides must pass the law in its exact form, and the president has to sign it. If a group wants marijuana to be legalized on the federal level it has to go through a specific committee within the House or Senate. The bill later has to go through many revisions and hearings before it is approved.
By keeping marijuana illegal, it is costing taxpayers $7.5 billion dollars a year. Among other things, this money is being wasted on capturing and often times imprisoning an unnecessary class of criminals. My resolution would be to spend this money on pursuing and prosecuting violent criminals and keeping them from being repeat