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The Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana

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Marijuana is a natural drug with cancer-symptom relieving properties. People are passionately pushing for the legalization of this drug, but others highly disagree with it. There are many misconceptions about marijuana, which has been illegal for almost a century—but why is it illegal? What makes it okay for medicinal use, but puts tens of thousands of people in jail just for possession? This entirely natural drug has many good and bad qualities, and certainly many different opinions on whether or not it should be legalized for all purposes. In the month of July, 83,982 people were imprisoned for drug offenses alone—nonviolent crimes (Offenses 2016). Plus, in 2011, 49.5% out of 1.5 million drug arrests were solely for marijuana (Weston, 2013). The following gives a little background on the drug itself, reasons to the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana, and the different opinions that come up when discussed. …show more content…

Hemp, which is the basis for marijuana, is a strong plant that has many uses, such as clothing and rope. Marijuana is the mixture of shredded flowers and leaves that come from hemp—nothing more than just one plant (PBS 2014). Marijuana is now classified as a Schedule I drug; a Schedule I drug has no medical use, and has a high potential for addiction (DEA 2016). However, marijuana addiction has only occurred in severe cases (NIH 2016). Marijuana is also considered a “gateway drug”. A gateway drug is a drug that leads people to do “harder” drugs. Research shows that a majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, “harder” drugs, despite some research that says otherwise (NIH

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Everyday patients are visiting their doctors in a desperate search for help with their problems, some physical and some psychological. Far too often in today’s troubled society a doctor is quick to hand their patient a prescription for a powerful and potentially harmful substance. The prescriptions could include drugs such as benzodiazepines for psychological problems and epilepsy, or opioids for pain. Both of those substances can have substantially dangerous and adverse effects and could lead to addiction and even death. Marijuana is a much safer and more naturally occurring substance that can be used for all of the previously listed purposes.

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Marijuana is the most abused illegal drug in the United States. Marijuana is described as the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main, active ingredient in marijuana. Marijuana was first grown as a hallucinogen more than 2,000 years ago.

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Therefore, it would be virtually impossible to overdose on cannabis; this instantly makes marijuana safer than most prescription drugs. Violent crime and property crimes have both decreased in Colorado since the state legalized recreational cannabis. There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012 , and the majority of these arrests were for nonviolent, low-level offenders. All of this time, cost, and effort takes our law enforcement away from enforcing more urgent issues. According to the ACLU, in 2010, the U.S. spent more than $3.6 billion on enforcing cannabis prohibition.

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DARE states that “Marijuana defies easy classification as a drug. It is described as a psychogenic (a cannabinoid), a narcotic (although it does not contain opium), and a hallucinogen (the government's designation)... Opinion is further divided on whether the drug is a stimulant or a depressant.” A psychogenic is when the drug helps with mental or emotional stress (medical/recreational). A narcotic is when the drug affects your behavior or mood and is used for nonmedical purposes

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Marijuana is a street drug that is marketable, has medical properties, and has many adversative effects, not just some random drug you can smoke. Keep reading to find out more about cannabis. Marijuana has an extensive history interconnected with its many distinctive therapeutic possessions. Cannabis was first used in 2700 B.C. when a Chinese emperor

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Cannabis Prohibition: The Beginning of the End It is understandable that most Americans question the benefits and drawbacks associated with the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Federally, marijuana has been considered a Schedule I substance since 1970; it is classified amongst the most dangerous of drugs and is said to induce psychological and physical dependence or addiction. Regardless of its DEA classification, twenty-three states have legalized the medical use of marijuana to date.

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The Dichotomy of Marijuana Terrance Lafromboise University of Montana Marijuana has issues with perception. While many view it as a gateway drug to harder substances, others keep an open mind to its health benefits. When consuming marijuana you can develop problematic use known as marijuana use disorder (MUD); however, it doesn't take a form of an addiction until severe use. This includes individuals that are unable to abstain from the drug regardless of the personal issues it imposes (NIDA, 2017-2). Compared to other ethnicities, research has shown that Native Americans use illegal substances like marijuana at more significant rates (Mitchell, 2003).

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The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) lists marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug right along with heroine, cocaine, meth, LSD and a host of other opiates, hallucinogens and stimulants. The government stands by its position that weed, because of its psychoactive compound, is a serious hazard to your personal health. In order to better understand how dangerous marijuana is The Huffington Post launched an effort to actually

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Marijuana is cannabis, which is a preparation of the cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or medicine. The main ingredient in cannabis is delta-9 tetra hydro-cannabinol, also known as THC. That is part of the plant that gives the feeling of being “high”. Cannabis is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes, also known as “joints” or in waterpipes, also known as “bongs”. According to a 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “7.3% of Americans aged 12 or older had used marijuana within the previous 30 days.

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Pros and Cons of Marijuana Legalization Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States. More than half of American adults have tried using marijuana at least once in their life. You may have read or heard stories on how marijuana use was mostly linked to people who were very vocal with their opinions. Seeing their favorite performers during a live concert may have been the start of the spreading of this illegal drug which has caused so many lives. When experts found out about the ill effects of marijuana, people who were found to be using them were put behind bars.

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He believes that weed is an “addictive gateway drug.” While marijuana can be addictive, any drug can be considered a gateway drug, Xanax, alcohol, crack, and cocaine can all be considered gateway drugs also. I believe that people are more likely to be violent or commit a crime while being drunk than high. Charles Stimson also believes that it impairs short term memory and slows your reaction time. “One study found that more than 30 percent of adults who used marijuana in the course of a year became dependent on it, exhibiting compulsive behavior and signs of withdrawal (Stimson).”

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Many people know that marijuana is a known gateway drug that can lead people to harder drugs if they induce marijuana on a regular basis or even on every occasion. Marijuana should be illegal for recreational usage but legal for people who need it for medical reasons. Marijuana can be smoked as a cigarette (or a joint), but not limited to being smoked through with a dry pipe or a water pipe known as a “bong.” Marijuana can also be mixed with foods and mixtures and eaten or brewed as tea, these types are known as “edibles.” Some marijuana users will purchase a cigar and remove the tobacco and replace it with marijuana, this would be considered a “blunt.”

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Many American people use the drug whether it is legal or not. Anymore, most job sources cannot find enough young people to work because they fail drug tests for THC. In the states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use, less and less jails are being overpopulated in certain towns. Although tickets for possession charges can be a good profit to a specific state, the total profit of providing marijuana to the public would be much greater, and a much better outcome as

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This subject has been debated numerous times over the past few years. People’s points of view and researches about the topic have varied greatly. Some people believe that marijuana should be legalized, while the rest feel should stay prohibited. Proponents of marijuana argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is not more harmful than tobacco or alcohol. On the other hand, opponents argue that marijuana is too dangerous; its legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of teens and that marijuana use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine.

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Fifty-two percent of all jail arrests in 2010 were linked to marijuana possession (ACLU). All states combined spent approximately 3.6 billion dollars enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010, according to a new study by the American Civil Liberties Union, entitled “The War On Marijuana In Black and White.” (Huffington Post). Statistics show that over twenty billion dollars will be spent on marijuana law enforcement in the next few years. Additionally, states in America pay at the minimum seven hundred fifty dollars for each arrest involving marijuana.

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