Why Marijuana Should be Legalized

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Debate on why Marijuana should be legalized Marijuana is a public name for an illegal substance (drug) produced from the Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) plant. It is also called weed, ganja, grass, kaya and pot. The drug has many chemical compounds and in particular, it has THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) which is responsible for changing mind functions leading to alternations of cognition, mood, behavior, perception and consciousness. “It is the most widely used illicit substance in the world” (World, 2010, p. 198). Its usage includes religious, medicinal, recreational and spiritual purposes. In the beginning of the 20th century, in most countries marijuana was illegalized. 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). “Prohibition does not work. Education and treatment are better ways to address the drug problem” (Marijuana, 1999). Prohibition has failed to ... ... middle of paper ... ... criminal gangs like the Al-Qaeda and the Mexican drug war lords. This is because smuggling and foreign cultivation would not be extremely profitable. Keeping the drug illegal is not advantageous to us because the government spends a lot of money taking care of prisoners who do not rehabilitate. Development of hemp as an agricultural and industrial crop would be a natural resource for the economy (Marijuana, 1999). This is hemp has various uses in agriculture, industries and other environmental friendly sectors. People have a right to choose what they want as long as it does not affect others. Why is alcohol and tobacco legal and Marijuana not legal and yet the later has mild effects compared to the former. If the drug is used for religious purposes, illegalizing it makes people from these religious beliefs hate the government system and be resistant to laws.

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