Today, marijuana is the most commonly bought and distributed illegal drug, used mainly among young adults as well as adolescents. There has been a wide debate on whether the government should make marijuana legal or keep it illegal. Even though marijuana is illegal it is accessible for anyone, including young adults. Similar to other drugs, marijuana can affect people in different ways if not used correctly. As much as I support legalizing the drug, it can still be harmful if it is excessively used. As many people oppose legalizing marijuana, there are various reasons for legalizing marijuana in the United States.
There is overwhelming evidence that marijuana helps with physical and mental illnesses. Brittany Sanger wrote an article called,
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Tom Head published an article named, “Reasons why Marijuana is Illegal.” Head acknowledges, “Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug on the basis that has ‘a high potential for abuse.’ This classification comes from the perception is that when people use marijuana, they get hooked and become ‘potheads,’ and it begins to dominate their lives. This unquestionably happens in some cases.” Cannabis is often perceived as an addictive drug but any drug can be addictive if it is used too often. Many state that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug,’ and although those who use marijuana may go on to other substances, it only happens to regular users and it has not been definitively proven. Head then proceeds to also reference that as much as people say it is addictive the same goes for alcohol and it is legal. People who want to legalize cannabis say it is helpful for medical use, but this statement is not accepted on the national level and so people continue to advocate that making it legal will allow more tests to be done on how the drug can be useful for medical use. It is also often associated as a drug for hippies, as it is associated with lowering a persons