Should marijuana be legal? This has been a controversial debate for decades. There are both positive and negative aspects to the use of marijuana. A couple dozen states have medical marijuana programs, but recently several states and Washington DC (Robinson) have joined Colorado and Washington State in legalizing marijuana for recreational use, which has brought this subject to the frontline once again. Should marijuana be illegal and only regulated for medical use, or should it be legal to sell with the same treatment of other recreational substances that are legal yet potentially harmful, such as tobacco, e-cigarettes, and alcohol? The fact that it is a natural plant and not a chemical engineered by humans and has positive benefits certainly …show more content…
The first recreational marijuana shop in the country opened in Colorado in 2012. “Since then, a growing body of research has shown that the availability of recreational marijuana — in Colorado and elsewhere — is having little to no effect on teens' propensity to smoke weed. … And it's also backed up by other federal surveys of drug use in the states where marijuana is legal” (Ingraham). This is good news, meaning that the legalization of marijuana does not seem to add to any teen inclination to use marijuana. “… The perceived harmfulness of marijuana has been declining for decades among all age groups. But at the same time, adolescent use of marijuana has been flat or falling. This has led some researchers … to rethink the nature of the link between what teens think about weed and whether they use it” (Ingraham). What this does mean is that if teenagers want to use pot, they will find away to so whether legalized or not. “… People would need to be taught how to use drugs safely, much as we already teach people to drive safely or practice safe sex” (Hart) The best way to address this situation is for the parents to have open communication with their children about this subject matter no matter how hard it may be to
Marijuana is influencing children as young as 10 to smoke, it decreases your brain cells rapidly, and can cause you to face jail time. In the article “Legalize This!” by Douglas N. Husak it states “Our alleged concern for the welfare of children seem to vanish as soon as they actually begin to use illicit drugs. When a child is caught with drugs, sympathies are put aside and mercy is seldom forthcoming” (68). Due to their surroundings, most children become what they see. If they see all the adults smoking marijuana freely around them, of course their going to think it’s okay to smoke marijuana. They believe with marijuana staying illegal, it should be impossible for them to smoke weed. Once the child smokes illegal drugs, they’re no longer seen as being innocent. They’ll be punished severely for their actions. The novel “High Price” by Dr. Carl Hart, discusses Dr. Harts personal story growing up around poverty, drugs, and turning his life around to better himself. The text states “The U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics examined the connections between drugs and crime in prisoners, analyzing data from 1997 to 2004. It found that only a third of state prisoners committed their crimes under the influence of drugs and only around the same proportion were addicted” (110). Drugs have proven time and time again to influence prisoners to do wrong especially when they’ve become
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
There have been 20 million arrests since 1965 for the possession of marijuana, also known as cannabis. The amount of crime and arrests for possessions of the illicit drug has increased due to the prohibition. Cannabis was a major cash crop for the industrial production prior to its illegalization. It has been estimated that the United States spends approximately $7.7 billion each year to prohibit the use of marijuana alone. Currently the number of people incarcerated is six to ten times higher than European countries (NORML). Today the United States wastes billions of dollars to fight against the war on drugs, for the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of people, and etc. It’s also brought a raise of violence and crime relating to the dealing and production of the drug. Marijuana should be legalized because its ban has been futile in preventing illicit production, regulating it would allow new development in medical treatments, and would give a boost to the economy. The illegalization of the drug has a much more negative impact then it does well, in fact it’s pushed drug cartels to produce more of the drug because of the high demand and the millions of dollars they’ll make from profits.
Many could argue that marijuana is destructive physically as well as mentally. “The National Institute on Drug Abuse says marijuana can cause heart irregularities, lung problems, and addiction” (Welch). “One joint can be just as damaging to [the lungs] as smoking at least two and a half cigarettes” (Ruff). According to Dr. Tom Wright, director of a substance abuse treatment center for adolescents in Rockford, “teens may be especially sensitive to marijuana’s effects because their brains are still being formed” (MJ Rebuttal). However, the marijuana legalization proposition would have tight restrictions and regulations by the states that would eliminate some of those issues, such as age. These facts are not consistent; the evidence is not backed from reliable sources. One institute is referred to, but more experts are needed to verify the information.
People should stop arguing about the use of marijuana and how marijuana is bad, because people only like to research the cons instead of including the pros. Despite the fact that people believe everything they hear, they should look up more and try to see how good marijuana can be for them. Marijuana is good for their health, and it has helped to cure people who are very ill. Marijuana is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol, there has been studies proven that people have died over drinking other than by smoking marijuana. Marijuana will be able to have less people prosecuted for the possession of carrying it around, which will help people not get arrested for a small amount of marijuana.
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
When many people think of using marijuana, the image of Woodstock, “Cheech and Chong” or Willy Nelson immediately pops into their heads, but marijuana isn’t just used to have a good time. Marijuana has generally been used recreationally. In recent years, however, research has found new ways to implement its effects. Marijuana has the ability to help bring comfort to patiens who have nausea and appetite loss, chronic pain, and mental disorders. I believe that marijuana should be legalized, not for recreation, but for the betterment of the lives of people suffering from illnesses throughout the United States.
Marijuana is a drug formed by drying out the shredded flowers, stems, and leaves of the Indian hemp plant. It is also the most common illegal drug used in the United States, and the second most- used drug in the world, behind alcohol. According to one national survey, approximately 6,000 Americans try marijuana for the first time every day. Marijuana has been proven to positively affect some illnesses, and the Medical Legalization Movement has made great progress in the US (randomhistory.com ©2007-2014). However, should the drug be approved for recreational purposes? Several significant reasons lead me to believe it should be.
My best friend used to smoke marijuana on a regular basis. Over time, he developed many obvious bad habits and changed his life style tremendously. He started getting lazy with schoolwork, and did not show much interest in anything at all. His parents noticed all these side effects that had been occurring but were unaware that their son smoked marijuana. After the grades fell so much, they decided to take him to get checked out because they were afraid he had developed some sort of ADD. They come to find out that because of him smoking so much marijuana it had led to brain problems, memory problems and affected his thinking skills. He was unable to stay concentrated on something and constantly was out of breath when any physical activity took place. My friend finally quit smoking marijuana because he saw what it was doing to his life. Many teens try marijuana not knowing all the side effects that come with this drug. This drug has many misconceptions from when it is really legal to what marijuana will actually do to your body. People think that marijuana is the most harmless drug because one never hears of people dying from it or getting deathly ill. This is false because marijuana does things to the body that can not be seen from the outside. The majority of the damage is in the brain and lungs which can get extremely dangerous. All the bad side effects from this drug will really harm people’s bodies and ruin their futures and lives.
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
Should Marijuana be Legalized for Medical Purposes? Marijuana has been used extensively as a medical remedy for more than five thousand years of experience. In the early 1900s, medical usage of marijuana began to decline with the advent of alternative drugs. Injectable opiates and synthetic Drugs such as aspirin and barbiturates began to replace marijuana as the physician's drug of choice in the twentieth-century, as their results proved to.
Should Marijuana Be Legalized? In society today, many people look for a feeling of freedom. Many people go on vacation and spend money. The most common escape for people is drugs. Our American society is facing a tremendous drug problem. In order to eradicate the drug problem, a public debate is going on to find some solutions to this drug dilemma. It has become a highly controversial issue whether drugs such as marijuana should be legalized or not. Some people advocate this issue and believe that legalization is the only solution left for the nation while others oppose because it will increase the number of drug users and drug related crimes. Marijuana is a drug that is illegal in the United States. This drug as you know is bad and causes severe side effects to your brain and body. Scientist have found that smoking marijuana can cause you to loose your memory. Marijuana has many psychological and physical effects.
Before deciding whether marijuana should be legal or illegal, one needs to know some basic facts. Lester Grinspoon, M.D. and James B. Bakalar note "most botanists agree that there are three species of marijuana; Cannabis sativa, the most widespread of the three, is tall, gangly, and loosely branched, growing as high as twenty feet; Cannabis indica is shorter, about three or four feet in height, pyramidal in shape and densely bran...
Marijuana continues to be one of the most used illegal drugs in the United States. Marijuana has been used for many years and at one time was legal to consume. Throughout the years, marijuana has been used for treatment of different medical conditions and has been used recreationally by people of all ages. While the use of medicinal marijuana has proven to be effective in treating medically ill patients, society continues to question its recreational use and the long term effects it will have on its users. Some feel that legalizing marijuana will only open up avenues for the use of more potent drugs, causing an increase in criminal activity. However, a number of people question why it is considered illegal being it is a naturally growing
The legalization of marijuana is a controversial topic, but marijuana should be legalized because it has many positive effects and there is a lot of evidence to support why marijuana should be legalized in all states. Marijuana is a preparation of the cannabis plant and it can be used as a drug or as medicine. The primary component of cannabis is THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol). This drug has mind-altering and physiological side effects when consumed. Marijuana can be used for spiritual reasons or recreationally. It is the third most popular recreational drug used in America, referring to “About Marijuana.” According to government surveys, more than 14 million Americans, out of 25 million Americans who have smoked marijuana within the past year, use marijuana habitually. Although marijuana is illegal in most