Controversial Topics: Legalizing Marijuana

1387 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: essays on medical marijuana benefits

Marijuana, used by almost 100 million Americans, is the third most favored recreational drug in America. Legalizing marijuana has been a controversial topic of discussion in the media, general popular culture, and government. The War on Drugs, more specifically the War on Marijuana, has been an strenuous, ongoing battle for decades. The benefits of legalizing marijuana, such as the economic and business gain, the extension of medical marijuana research, and controversial recreational uses, outweigh the risk of addiction and other negative side effects. The actions taken by the government, both for and against the legalization of marijuana, are an attempt to resolve the controversial usage of this popular drug. People favor the legalization of marijuana for its various benefits such as its medical uses, recreational use, lowering the number of drug dealers and users in jail and on the street, and the more efficient regulation of marijuana legalization would bring. Marijuana has been used as a treatment for many illness and ailments, such as glaucoma, nausea, Tourette’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and even side effects of cancer. Research suggest that its therapeutic use has increased tremendously in just twenty years. In 1992, roughly 93,000 people were treated with marijuana, while by 2010, 353,000 people were treated using medicinal marijuana (“Arguments For And Against The Legalization Of Marijuana” 1). Those who choose to smoke marijuana for recreational pleasure are demonstrating free will. The effects of smoking marijuana include an increased heart rate, an altered state of mind, elevated mood, euphoria, and relaxation. (However, these side effects only last a few hours.) Legalizing marijuana would lead to the... ... middle of paper ... ... Legalizing Marijuana Is a Smart Fiscal Move." Theweek.com. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. legalizing-marijuana-is-a-smart-fiscal-move>. Hawkins, John. "5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal." Townhall.com. N.p., 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. should-remain-illegal-n1782086/page/full>. Swift, Art. "For First Time, Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana." Gallup.com. N.p., 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. time-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana.aspx>. Szalavitz, Maia. "Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: The Myth That Will Not Die." Healthland.time.com. Time, 29 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. that-will-not-die/>.

Show More
Related

  • Sociological Imagination On Marijuana

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history people have used marijuana for its dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds to relieve pain, stress, and other medical issues from one’s life. Within the recent years it has become one of the most debated issues in the United States. In the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) claimed that marijuana was a “gateway” drug and was a powerful, addicting substance. During the sixties marijuana became a symbol for rebellion against authority so it became very popular by college students and “hippies”. So in 1982, Drug Enforcement Administration increased pressure on drug farms and houses which decreased the use of marijuana. In the past twenty years marijuana has become a

    Read More

  • The Federal Government Must Decriminalize Marijuana

    2430 Words  | 5 Pages

    Lately it seems that drug policy and the war on drugs has been in the headlines quite a lot. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the policies that the United States government takes against illegal drugs are coming into question. The mainstream media is catching on to the message of organizations and individuals who have long been considered liberal "Counter Culture" supporters. The marijuana question seems to be the most prevalent and pressed of the drugs and issues that are currently being addressed. The messages of these organizations and individuals include everything from legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, to full-unrestricted legalization of the drug. Of course, the status quo of vote seeking politicians and conservative policy makers has put up a strong resistance to this "new" reform lobby. The reasons for the resistance to the changes in drug policies are multiple and complex. The issues of marijuana’s possible negative effects, its use as a medical remedy, the criminality of distribution and usage, and the disparity in the enforcement of current drug laws have all been brought to a head and must be addressed in the near future. It is apparent that it would be irresponsible and wrong for the government to not evaluate it’s current general drug policies and perhaps most important, their marijuana policy. With the facts of racial disparity in punishment, detrimental effects, fiscal strain and most importantly, the history of the drug, the government most certainly must come to the conclusion that they must, at the very least, decriminalize marijuana use and quite probably fully legalize it.

    Read More

  • Financial Benefits of legalizing marijuana

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Just as alcohol prohibition during the 20’s and 30’s was not successful, marijuana prohibition has not been successful either, as evidenced by its current and increasing popularity in the United States. According the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Mr. Paul Armentano, marijuana was made illegal in the United States with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 (2014). Later, Congress classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 (Armentano, 2014). Since then, hundreds of thousands of Americans have been arrested for the possession, distribution and use of marijuana. According to Professor Katherine Beckett, “there were 829,625 marijuana arrests” (Beckett, et.al., N.D.) in 2006 and that number is increasing. The debate on whether or not to legalize marijuana for recreational use has raged for decades but is beginning to see the light of day with the recent state-level victories. With Washington and Colorado guiding the way, the country as a whole is considering the issue of whether or not marijuana should be legalized. If legalized, tax revenues could potentially generate millions, if not billions, of dollars annually for state and federal coffers. Marijuana should be legalized. Legalization will not increase usage nor will the current prohibition decrease usage; however tax revenue from the distribution and sale of marijuana could benefit many state programs and even possibly eliminate governmental deficits in the future.

    Read More

  • Marijuana Legalization Why is it the Best Choice for America?

    1372 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marijuana, the most abused drug in America, has had a lot of publicity recently. Marijuana has caused multiple economic problems within the U.S. A controversial question has arisen from the increased popularity and troubles of this drug. The question is whether or not the U.S. government should legalize marijuana possession and sale in the country. Many Americans believe that the drug should be legalized for various reasons; others, however, are against the legalization of the dangerous drug. While legalization has both pros and cons, the positives of legalizing marijuana for those people over the age of twenty-one far outweigh the negative aspects of legalization.

    Read More

  • Why Marijuana Should be Legalized

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    In our society today, a big debate has emerged. People are squabbling, arguing, deliberating and discussing on whether Marijuana should be legalized. In the United States, this debate is amplified because people think that illegalizing the substance does not fight its illicit use but only makes it more available and easily accessible. It also makes it “as a cool recreation drug” (Pi, 2007) for the young people. “It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain Marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids” (Marijuana, 1999). Debate about legalization of the drug is a significant issue that is socially important to our community and it should be analytically discussed in length. I personally believe that legalizing the drug across the United States of America would help fight its usage and save us a lot of cash (Marijuana, 1999).

    Read More

  • Legalization of Marijuana

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.

    Read More

  • Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Legalizing Marijuana has been a common subject for debate in the United States. As the debate continues on in the political system, marijuana has become the most popular illegal drug in the United States. There are many arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana ranging from the effects on the mind and body to the economic possibilities after legalization. Both sides embrace strong facts and stronger support, but much of these facts consist of similar research with contradicting results. The side that tends to have the most and the strongest support in the most prominent arguments, economics, health, and criminal association, is the group for legalizing marijuana.

    Read More

  • final paper

    1647 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marijuana—a prominently used, yet widely opposed substance. Marijuana usage has been and is an immensely debated subject within the states. Many liberal states favor the drug due to its economic and medicinal values. However, many conservative states abhor the narcotic due to its psychoactive effects on the brain and its minimal medicinal value. These anti-marijuana fans emphasize the drug’s relation to the usage of more potent substances such as cocaine. Overall, there is high tension between those who advocate the drug versus those who protest against it. Economically, taxation on marijuana provides a supplemental income to the state that results in a higher budget for the states’ respective governments; medicinally, the narcotic eases pain for terminally ill patients and alleviates the sense of disorientation. Furthermore, the drug has less harmful effects to the body in comparison to tobacco and alcohol; therefore, the legalization of the previous two should justify the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana’s pros exceed its cons and thus, the substance’s legalization is justifiable.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of Marijuana

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    The legalization of marijuana has been a highly debated topic for many of years. Since the first president to the most recent, our nation’s leaders have consumed the plant known as weed. With such influential figures openly using this drug why is it so frowned upon? Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, a menace to society, and mentally harmful to its consumers. For some people weed brings a sense of anxiety, dizziness, or unsettling feeling. Like alcohol, tobacco or any other drug, those chemicals may not respond well with their body. For other people marijuana brings joy, a sense of relief, and takes the edge off of every day stress. For those who are associated with cannabis, purposes usually range from a relaxant, or cash crop, to more permissible uses such as medicine, and ingredient to make so many other materials. We now need to look at what would change if marijuana were legal. Benefits to the economy and agriculture, health issues, and crime rates are three areas worth looking at. Deliberating on the pros and cons of this plant we can get a better understanding for marijuana. From there it will be easier to make a clear consensus on what is best for the nation.

    Read More

  • Legalization of Marijuana

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marijuana is a shredded mix of dry flowers, stems and the seeds of a plant called cannabis and people usually smoke it in the form of cigarettes for relaxation. Ever since marijuana hit mainstream America over 30 years ago, government prohibition of it has been the subject of an ongoing debate. Should marijuana be legalized? Proponents of marijuana argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is not more harmful than tobacco or alcohol. Therefore, prohibiting it intrudes on personal freedom. 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 kids and that marijuana use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine. In the past decade, a number of movements to legalize the use of marijuana has been gaining momentum. According to the 2011 Gallup survey, a record high 50% of Americans say that marijuana should be legalized and this figure marks a 4% increase compared to the previous year. Support for legalizing marijuana was 30% in 2000, 40% in 2009 before reaching 50% last year. This shows that despite government efforts to eliminate its use, marijuana is becoming more popular. More and more people realize that legalizing marijuana brings a host of benefits. It not only offers medical benefits to the terminally ill but it could also be a source of tax revenues and could save the tax payers billions of dollars that is spent on enforcement costs.

    Read More

  • Effect of Marijuana on American Society

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    The effect of Marijuana on American Society has been a highly popularized point of concern and discussion for many years. This topic has become more frequent in the past months as two states voters have allowed its widespread recreational and medicinal use. This research paper will focus on some of the history of marijuana, details of this drug, and conclude with my findings of why this drug has become increasingly popular which may surprise the reader.

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Legalizing Marijuana

    424 Words  | 1 Pages

    The legalization of marijuana is a very prominent and controversial topic in today’s society. Many people will argue against the legalization because of the lies and stereotypes that have been posed against the typical “pot smoker.” The skewed perception of lazy and unmotivated Americans spread over the last century have distorted the truth about cannabis. There are many different reasons for legalizing marijuana including an easy tax to profit from, medical reasons, and also many drugs and substances that are already legal are much more dangerous.

    Read More

  • The Legalization of Marijuana

    1935 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much debate has been brought to Capitol Hill concerning the legalization of the Marijuana. Analyzing the history, data, and health effects of marijuana it becomes clear that the debate for the legalization of marijuana should be seriously considered and should be brought to congress as an issue that can stimulate the economy and bring together a divided nation. This issue along with many others will not be a reality until congress takes action and addresses the issue directly. Conflicting views arise when so much time effort and money have been spent to eliminate drugs. America’s “War on Drugs” has been an intense operation to eliminate narcotics on the streets and often catch the criminal distribution before it even reaches the public. Citizens of the United States have petitioned for the legalization of marijuana since its origin, yet minimal progress has been made and the illegal existence of the plant remains. Congress has faced the vote to legalize marijuana countless times while the majority of politicians favor the ban on the substance, however there are certain individuals of political office that have and continue to vote for its legalization. America’s emphasis and concern for the use, distribution, and growth of marijuana is outstanding with arrests reaching nearly 5.9 million since the year 1990. A large amount of time, money, and man-power has been applied to the operation of controlling the substance of marijuana in society and many people argue against this. As long as marijuana is not legalized, the debate and fight for its legalization will undoubtedly continue from the millions of people who use the herbal matter in this country alone.

    Read More

  • Legalization Of Marijuana Argumentative Essay

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    Today more and more people are deciding to side with the legalization of the substance, for America. For those who never give the legalization of marijuana a time of day or those who are hesitant on giving it a chance, are now starting to believe that the legalization of the substance would ultimately be helpful for the United States. As always, with every subject that rises up in the United States, there are people that are for the subject and also others that are against the subject. The legalization of Marijuana throughout the entire U.S. is one of the largest controversial arguments between both people and federal officers. As wrote in LegalizationOfMarijuana, “Prohibition must be weighed against the loss of personal freedom. Countries

    Read More

  • Some Disadvantages of Marijuana

    1807 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marijuana has been a problem since the early 1900s and continues to create problems. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics created a law which prohibited marijuana use in 1937 (Reinarman 128). Twenty years later, THC was discovered to be the main psychoactive component in marijuana causing its negative side effects (Reinarman 129). Almost seventy-five years later, the United States is still battling the problem with illegal marijuana use. Although scientists discovered the negative effects fifty years ago, the information has gone practically unnoticed and the amount of users continues to increase. Approximately half of the United States population has used marijuana at one point (Reinarman 129). Instead of outlawing marijuan...

    Read More

More about Controversial Topics: Legalizing Marijuana

Open Document