What Are The Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana

452 Words2 Pages

Legalizing the use of recreational marijuana has several pros and cons. While it can benefit the government, it can also destroy people’s health and lifestyles. Though it can be used for some people’s health benefits, it can also become an addictive substance people grow to abuse. Overall, legalizing recreational marijuana has many pros and cons that can benefit or hurt society. One pro of legalizing recreational marijuana includes a local and state government revenue boost. By taxing this drug, it could raise anywhere from $5 to $22 million per year. Another pro would be the creation of a more effective law enforcement system. By decriminalizing this substance, police officers’ time and money could be used to pursue other more violent crimes, and would enable prosecutors to focus on more violent …show more content…

Research suggests that as many as 10% of users will develop a dependence on the drug over time. Also, studies show that stopping the use of marijuana will lead to several withdrawal symptoms including irritability and anxiety. Another study also shows that marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug found in fatally injured drivers. Most importantly, marijuana use affects the body’s health. In the brain, marijuana use evidently restricts blood flow in the vessels of the brain, creating a faulty memory system in one’s brain. Marijuana is also estimated to have levels of carcinogens that are 50-70% higher than tobacco smoke, which increases the amount of time the lungs are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. After smoking marijuana, the heart rate increases anywhere fro 20-100% for up to three hours after its been smoked. This increases risks of heart palpitations, arrhythmias, and heart attacks. Similarly, studies show there is a possible link between marijuana use and mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression. Clearly, marijuana use causes many health issues and