Are We Morally Obligated To Obey Unjust Laws

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Are we morally obligated to obey unjust laws? When defining what an unjust law is, it means that regardless of how unfair or immoral the law may be, it must be followed with no other reason than that it is the law. We as humans are obligated to follow these without any exceptions. According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself.” I personally define an unjust law as a law that could potentially go against the Constitution or has more cons as a law than pros. In our world, there are many different controversial issues surrounding our lives, especially concerning the United States’ laws. One that seems to be a bigger issue …show more content…

These laws are generally applied only against persons who possess, cultivate, or distribute large quantities of cannabis. This is an unjust law because there are several things that are allowed by the government that can cause more physical and emotional harm than marijuana. A few examples of these are the use of alcohol and the use of some prescription drugs. The consumption of alcohol in the United States is very common to many. Alcohol is the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to the NIAA, but marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. Even though there are high restrictions on alcohol such as age limits, it is still legal to drink it even when it is more dangerous than marijuana. Another reason for the use of marijuana being illegal is the use of some prescription drugs. Prescription pain killers have a number of side effects which can cause long term health problems. These pain killers can consist of several different ingredients, whereas marijuana is organic. By comparing marijuana to alcohol and prescription drugs, we see that marijuana is less harmful to our society rather than alcohol or prescription …show more content…

One positive outcome of marijuana is the successful usage in the medical field. There is an overwhelming amount of scientific research that supports this evidence. According to Carmen Yarrusso, “Marijuana can safely relieve pain, nausea and vomiting caused by various illnesses.” Our society is always looking for ways to improve the medical field. A way to improve would be to switch over to a more organic and efficient substance. Another positive outcome would be that murder rates that are drug related will go down within the cartels. When receiving these drugs from Mexico or other foreign countries, it causes the murder rate associated with marijuana to increase. By legalizing it in the United States, the murder rate will decline from each country. While the murder rate is declining, the employment rate in the United States will increase. Once marijuana is a legal substance, the industry will begin to develop quickly and generate jobs. The United States would see a boost in the economy due to the rise of new jobs and sales. For this to become a reality, people must take a stand and be

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