The Legalization of Marijuana

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This debate has been very prevalent in society and in politics. Experts, politicians, and people alike have been debating among themselves whether or not marijuana should be legalized in America. Marijuana is a drug that can be smoked or eaten. It is grown from the ground and gives the user a sense of a hallucinogenic high. It goes by many names such as Mary Jane, kush, grass, weed, pot, green, cannabis, hemp, or chronic. Some say that marijuana is not as bad as alcohol. Some say that marijuana is safe. Some hippies say that marijuana is natural and should be spread throughout the world. It is debated on constantly through the media, politics, and everyday conversions. What should someone believe? Marijuana should only be legalized for medical use and not recreational use because it can help certain types of diseases and abnormalities, but it is considered a gateway drug so it should not be legalized because the public would abuse it and begin to abuse other drugs.

The first topic that should be discussed is that it is a natural herb that is grown from the ground. Why can it not be used to heal and treat diseases such as Glaucoma, OCD, and seizures? If people have diseases, illnesses, and other life-threatening abnormalities than who are we to keep them from a happier, better life? If cannabis has the power to make someone’s life better than why can not he or she be allowed to have it? In an article there was a seven-year-old boy who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Impulse Control Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. The boy constantly had terrible and violent thoughts to kill his mother. The boy always said that he constantly heard voices in his head saying that they wanted the boy to kill his mother. His mother...

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...California, United States). 5th ed. Vol. 8. N.p.:
Massett, Lawrence. Marijuana and Behavior; The Unfilled Gaps 97.6 (1970): n. pag. Print.
Newbern, Alistair E. "Good Cop, Bad Cop: Federal Prosecution of State-Legalized Medical Marijuana Use after United States v. Lopez." Jstor.com. California Law Review, n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.
Pickerill, J. M., and P. Chen. "Medical Marijuana Policy and the Virtues of Federalism." Publius: The Journal of Federalism 38.1 (2007): 22-55. Web.
Clark, Peter. "The Ethics of Medical Marijuana: Government Restrictions vs. Medical Necessity." Journal of Public Health Policy 21.1 (2008): 22-55. Print.
Goode, Erich. Multiple Drug Use Among Marijuana Smokers (1969): Introduction. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Green, Brian, and Christian Ritter. "Marijuana Use and Depression." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 41.1 (2000): 40-49. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

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