The Blunt Truth: Marijuana Should not Be Illegal

1011 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Alcohol and marijuana compare and contrast

How many more times are you going to be lied to by the government? The government has made it seem like the marijuana plant is a drug that has no good use and is bad for the people. But that’s not true. They keep it illegal for reasons to benefit them. Marijuana has so many reasons why it should be legal. It should be legalized for 3 main reasons:It is safer than other substances that our legal, it could help with a wide range of different medical conditions,and it could be very beneficial and help the economy and industry.
Marijuana Vs. Cigarettes and Alcohol
Marijuana is by far safer than both cigarettes and alcohol, two substances that are legal in the U.S and all over the world. Many people will argue that marijuana is more harmful than the two, but thats not the case. Cigarettes and alcohol are much more dangerous and addictive than marijuana.
Cigarettes contain nicotine which hardens your arteries and is responsible for heart disease. Cigarettes is also the number one cause for lung cancer, while compounds found in cannabis has shown to kill different types of cancer. Tobacco causes about 443,000 deaths annually, while marijuana has still not caused a single one. (American Cancer)
Alcohol, unlike marijuana, contributes to aggressive behavior. “Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, found that 36 percent of hospitalized assaults and 21 percent of all injuries are attributable to alcohol use by the injured person.” (safer choice) There are 5,000,000 violent crimes a year due to alcohol. According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) , alcohol is the “most commonly used chemical in crimes of sexual assault.” Marijuana has not been linked to any kind of violence. Alcohol causes apx. 37,000 deaths annua...

... middle of paper ...

...hemselves and their country.

.Works Cited
American Cancer Society. "Cigarette Smoking." American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, 17 Jan. 2013. Web.
Cox, Ted. "14 Kinds of Jobs Sustained by Marijuana." AlterNet. Alternet, 21 Sept. 2011. Web.
"The Economics of Marijuana Legalization." DEBT.org. DEPT.org, n.d. Web.
Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp. "Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp." Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp. Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp, n.d. Web.
Green, Johnny. "Smoking vs. Vaporizing Marijuana." The Weed Blog. The Weed Blog, 17 Aug. 2012. Web.
Safer Choice. "Marijuana vs. Alcohol." SAFER Choice. SAFER Choice, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
Smith, Dave. "'Medical' Marijuana:10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization." International Business Times. International Business Times, 08 Aug. 2012. Web

Show More
Related

  • Medical Marijuana Annotated Bibliography

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    Smith, Dave. “Medical’ Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization.” www.ibtimes.com. IBT Media Inc., 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2016

    Read More

  • The Controversy of Legalizing Marijuana

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    Works Cited "The California Marijuana Vote." New Yorker 23 Dec 1996: 62+. Brookhiser, Richard. "Pot Luck." National Review 11 Nov 1996: 27+ Simmons, Michael. "Give Pot a Chance." Rolling Stone 26 Dec 1996: 111+. Rist, Curtis and Harrison, Laird. "Weed the People." People 21 Oct. 1996: 75+. Funk and Wagnall's Volume 23 "Marijuana" 1996 Baum, Dan. "California's Separate Peace." Rolling Stone 30 Oct. 1997: 43+ Brookhiser, Richard. "Lost in the Weed." U.S. News & World Report 3 Jan. 1997: 9 Buckley, William "Legalization of Marijuana Long Overdue" The Albuquerque Journal. Online. 8 June 1993.

    Read More

  • Medical Marijuana Should Be Legal

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fackelmann, Kathleen. “Marijuana: Useful medicine or      dangerous drug?” Consumers’ Research Magazine May 1997:      Vol.80 Issue 5 page 15.      http://ehostvgw8.epnet.com/delivery.asp?…&startHitNum=     10&rlStartHit=10&delType=FT.

    Read More

  • Marijuana Should Be Legal

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marijuana is a relatively harmless drug that governments around the world have made illegal. If legalized, marijuana can be beneficial to society in a number of ways: whether it be for medical, economic, or public safety reasons. Marijuana has been proven to treat several life debilitating, and even life threatening diseases. Although it is not a cure, marijuana can ease the pain and suffering of a dying person. Another benefit of legalization is the financial gains that governments will accomplish through the taxation of marijuana. This is a realistic claim if marijuana sales are compared to that of cigarettes; governments make billions each year from cigarette taxes (Caputo and Ostrom 484). Every year law enforcement spends countless man-hours trying to apprehend marijuana dealers and growers. This time would be better utilized in dealing with more serious crimes. This essay will display some main reasons why marijuana is a substance with beneficial uses and applications. First, marijuana can be used as a treatment for the effects of diseases such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and other terminal diseases. A study carried out in California clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for cancer: “Over 74 percent of the cancer patients treated in the program have reported that marijuana is more effective in relieving their nausea and vomiting than any other drug they have tried.”(Zeese 1990). Chemotherapy for cancer patients often produces nausea and vomiting. Marijuana has been proven to relieve these symptoms and there have been no known side effects recorded (Ad Hoc Group of Experts part 4).

    Read More

  • Alcohol vs. Marijuana

    694 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alcohol and marijuana are two drugs commonly used and abused in the United States. Alcohol is the number one abused drug, while marijuana is number one among illegal drugs. While alcohol remains legal, and marijuana illegal, this does not necessarily mean that alcohol is better for you. There have been many arguments where people suggest that marijuana should be legal because alcohol is more deadly. On the other hand, there are alcoholics who would tell a pothead that smoking weed is bad for you. Both substances are very bad for your health and should not be heavily used by anyone.

    Read More

  • Why Marijuana Should be Legalized

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    National Institute on Drug Abuse. "The Nagative consequences of Marijuana Use." Marijuana (Contemporary Issues Companion). Tardiff, Joseph, ed. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2008. 34-44. Print

    Read More

  • Could the Legalization of Marijuana Save Our Economy?

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    Smith, Dave. "‘Medical’ Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization." . N.p., 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Legalizing Marijuana Is our Solution

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    Richard Sepulveda (2006). “Marijuana: The Simple, Logical Benefits of Legalization.” August 16, 2006. Retrieved from Lancet 2009; 374: 1383-91.

    Read More

  • Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized

    2079 Words  | 5 Pages

    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. Marijuana has many side effects that harm the body.

    Read More

  • Marijuana Should Be Illegal

    606 Words  | 2 Pages

    Legalization of Marijuana has quickly become a controversial issue in America. In the United States, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is spreading to the state level. For example, in November 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons. As a result of Proposition 215 in California, patients now smoke marijuana provided their physician recommends its usage. A prescription is not required, and marijuana continues to be illegal to prescribe. The Clinton administration responded that it “would not recognize these decisions, and would prosecute physicians who recommend or provide marijuana to their patients.” Although California and Arizona are the only two states to have already passed laws regulating marijuana usage, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have laws and resolutions regarding marijuana usage. These laws and resolutions range from establishing therapeutic research programs, to allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana, to asking the federal government to lift the ban. Despite the states’ desires to have marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes, the US National Institutes of Health examined all existing clinical evidence about smoked marijuana and concluded that, “There is no scientifically sound evidence that smoked marijuana is medically superior to currently available therapies.”

    Read More

  • The Debate Over the Legalization of Marijuana

    1494 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marshall, Patrick. "Marijuana Laws." CQ Researcher. CQ Press, 11 Feb. 2005. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

    Read More

  • The Economic Impact of Legalizing Marijuana

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pierce, A. (2014, March 17). Medical marijuana Archives - The Stoner's Journal. The Stoners Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from http://www.stonersjournal.com/tag/medical-marijuana/

    Read More

  • Recreational Marijuana Should NOT Be Legal

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    Recreational marijuana should not be legalized because of the many negative health effects it has on a person. Marijuana has a big effect on the lungs and when marijuana is smoked it can cause harm to the lungs. The smoke from marijuana has cancer causing substances in it. “Smoking marijuana can cause large air sacs, called bullae, to form. Bullae normally form in young marijuana smokers (less than 45 years old.)” (Drake and Slatore). Marijuana smoke has the same harmful chemicals that tobacco products contain, and marijuana smokers develop lung damage because of this. The fact that marijuana smokers hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers and there is no filters in bongs, bowls, blunts, or joints, there is no safe way to smoke marijuana. Blunts are the wrapping of a cigar filled with marijuana, a...

    Read More

  • Marijuana Vs Alcohol

    423 Words  | 1 Pages

    Marijuana and alcohol are both abused substances in the U.S., but one is far more dangerous. For years the study of marijuana and alcohol have been being compared by their different health effects on the human body. These two substances both have effects on the brain, cardiovascular system, and the mood of a user. Marijuana is a less harmful substance than alcohol due to the annual deaths of each substance and their health effects on the human body.

    Read More

  • Legalization Of Marijuana Essay

    1855 Words  | 4 Pages

    People have been fighting for the legalization of marijuana for a long time. Many people use this drug and find absolutely nothing wrong with it. Others find it disgusting and are opposed to the legalization of it. The earliest use of marijuana was documented in 7000 B.C. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and many others used it for medical purposes. Marijuana was first used in the United States during the 1800’s and was banned in 1937 without any reason given by the government except that “it was for our own good” (Block, “Why Marijuana Became Illegal”). Marijuana should be legal everywhere in the world because, although it is highly addictive, marijuana is not as harmful as tobacco and alcohol, having a regulated market for it would reduce the sale and use of it amongst people under the age of eighteen, and the government can save and make money off of it.

    Read More

More about The Blunt Truth: Marijuana Should not Be Illegal

Open Document