...Supporting the Legalization of Marijuana For the past years whether marijuana should be legal or not has been a popular debate topic in the media. This is not only discussed between government officials, but also the general public. It is often a heavily debated topic with two strong opposing opinions. Each side often has a great argument or point of view when it comes to marijuana legalization. There is a lot of concern behind making marijuana legal everywhere which is understandable. What people can sometimes forget is the benefits brought upon by marijuana. Marijuana being more beneficial or more hurtful has been the main issues discussed when it comes to legalizing marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized in every state because it...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...Alexa Berkman Professor Hughes SYG 2010 01Z 2 November 2015 Marijuana Abuse and the Legalization of Marijuana The debate of whether or not to legalize marijuana has been a dispute for years. Marijuana is the most abused drug in the United States especially among teens and young adults. Since 1970’s Control Substances Act, marijuana has been considered a Schedule 1 drug (Odabasi, 45). It still is a Schedule 1 drug, but now these laws are starting to be reevaluated. In recent years many states have begun to pass laws to allow marijuana use in their boarders. However, the state laws conflict with the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling against using medical marijuana in the United States (Odabasi, 51). Cannabis, weed, pot, and Mary Jane are just a few...
Words: 941 - Pages: 4
...Marijuana is a plant that has been smoked for thousands of years. In 1920 between 1930 recreational marijuana was legal and became associated with jazz music, but in 1937 recreational marijuana became illegal. More than 61% of Americans support legalizing marijuana. Legalizing recreational marijuana will reduce the crime rate, ensure product safety, and create much needed jobs. The crime rate would go lower in states with legal recreational marijuana because marijuana is less harmful then alcohol. The crime rate would go down because it would be less DUI and more would be driving while high and most people are more focused when they are high. Traffic deaths dropped 11% on average in states that legalized medical marijuana. Legalizing marijuana end the costly of enforcement on marijuana because no one would try to steal the marijuana from the store because they would be a steady price and wouldn’t jack the prices up. There would be less drug deal and street gangs happening outside and the jail rate for illegal marijuana would go down. It would be less bad drug deals where people get shot that would happen because if someone wants marijuana then they would go to store. Studies show that medical marijuana dispensaries decreased crime in their neighborhoods because of an increased security presence and...
Words: 589 - Pages: 3
...Health Marijuana Legalization 11-2-15 People say that marijuana is a helpful medical drug, similar in significance to chemotherapy. It helps people calm down and sleep better, in some cases. It has been helpful in suppressing nausea in chemo patients, and even helps with seizures. There may be a place for marijuana use in medicine, although that use is different than recreational marijuana use. Some say that recreational use it isn’t as harmful or bad for you as alcohol and other hard drugs. Maybe legalizing it will even help the economy. Those are some reasons why many might want to legalize recreational marijuana use. I disagree, recreational marijuana should stay illegal in the United States because if it is legalized it will cause negative effects on physical and mental health. Marijuana is a gateway drug....
Words: 701 - Pages: 3
...this letter to express my disapproval to the Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol Act. Marijuana is such a controversial topic of debate in America because some are for it, others are against it. According to the DEA Marijuana is both a harmful and addictive drug. Neither my town nor community who is full of people will benefit or be influenced by this act. Studies have shown since Marijuana has become legalized in Colorado that crime rates have decreased marginally because individuals no longer use it illegally. Yet since Marijuana is now legal, the study has failed to mention both short and long term effects from the continual or increased intake. Regulating Marijuana like Alcohol will not grow the economy exponentially, but it would drift the economy off the...
Words: 529 - Pages: 3
...Legalizing Marijuana Thomas Hendricks SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Instructor: Wendell Johnson 11/18/13 Introduction The legalization of Marijuana has long been a debate and will no doubt continue. While it has its supporters it also has opposition against legalizing it. This paper will look at the argument for legalization and the argument against legalizing it. It will also look at Marijuana use for medical purposes and how that too affects the arguments on both sides. There has been a long debate to legalize marijuana for many years. It now appears that many Americans are favoring legalizing Marijuana and this may have gotten a boost from accepted medical use in some states. Many states allow the use of medical marijuana for cancer patients, multiple sclerosis patients and as Dr. Sanjay Gupta who worked on a documentary called “Weed” for CNN stated the case for medical use of marijuana when he answered a viewer question on his change in opinion of medical use marijuana “Take neuropathy, a severe nerve pain that's often treated with narcotic pain relievers. Yet marijuana has proven to be effective, with few side effects. Every 19 minutes, someone in the United States dies from a prescription drug overdose, usually narcotics. I couldn't find one documented fatality from a marijuana overdose. Marijuana can also ease nausea from chemotherapy treatments, tremors, and epilepsy. Still, I'm very concerned about young people using pot recreationally;...
Words: 2932 - Pages: 12
...Should medical marijuana be legalized nationwide? Team A BCOM/275 October 9, 2011 UoP Instructor Should medical marijuana be legalized nationwide? The use of marijuana for the treatment of patients with serious health conditions is currently one of the top contentious debate topics in the United States. Until its prohibition in 1937, marijuana was one the top three most prescribed medicines in the United States. To date, 13 states have statutory laws legalizing medical marijuana; however, it is not legal at the federal level. Several pros and cons exist to support whether medical marijuana should be or not be legalized nationwide. The primary arguments in debating the pros and cons of legalizing medical marijuana nationwide focus primarily on medical benefits, disease prevention, medical risk, substance abuse, and legal issues. Many scientific professionals and patients claim medical marijuana provides some sort of medical benefits. Although it has been a contentious battle between the states and federal governments to legalize or not medical marijuana nationwide, there are three important points to take under consideration; first, marijuana is a potent analgesic in patients with chronic pain. Second, it is a strong anti-emetic for patients receiving cancer chemotherapy treatment. Third and most important, medical marijuana should be legal, so patients do not have to break the law to receive treatment. Across the nation state organizations...
Words: 2050 - Pages: 9
...Should the U.S. legalize marijuana? • The U.S. legalization of marijuana has been a controversial subject for many years. Proponents of legalization cite many benefits including, what they claim to be substantial increases in tax revenue, reduction in crime, and widespread medical benefits. Opponents argue that marijuana is a harmful drug that increases crime, causes more problems with health than it benefits, and would cost taxpayers more than the revenue it would bring in. II First Source Klein, J., April 2, 2009. Why legalizing marijuana makes sense. Time magizine Retrieved from: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889021,00.html • This author expresses the many benefits of legalization, while expressing just a few valid, weak arguments for those against legalization. • This article easily answers the question for the proponents of legalization but doesn’t offer enough information to argue against it. • Evidence is sufficient for legalization • Examples cited are revelant and conclusions do add up for legalization III Second Source DuPont, R., April 20, 2010. Why we should not legalize marijuana, A CNBC special report. Retrieved from http://www.Why_We_Should_Not_Legalize_Marijuana.cnbc.com/id/36267223/ • This article supports the opponents of legalization and offers nothing for the opposing view. • Evidence is sufficient and well written for the points expressed for not legalizing marijuana. • Evidence is insufficient...
Words: 490 - Pages: 2
...Your Name Professor’s Name Course 22 September 2013 Medical Marijuana – What’s the Problem? While the debate rages across the country about legalizing medical marijuana, or Cannabis (Cannabis comes from the plant Cannabis sativa, and is commonly referred to by the Mexican name “marijuana”), apparently the majority of U.S. residents have already made up their mind about it. According to a 2004 AARP poll, over 72 percent agreed with the statement, “Adults should be allowed to use medical marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it.” Perhaps even more astounding are the results of a 2013 Gallup poll which showed that fifty eight percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, after both Washington State and Colorado legalized it in November of 2012. Those in favor of the drug claim that it is both an effective and safe treatment for many medical conditions, including; epilepsy, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, and more. They point to the long history of the use of marijuana medicinal purposes and back up their claims with studies, reports, and medical data. So, what’s the problem? Why hasn’t medical marijuana been legalized in every state in the Union? Created in 1970, the Controlled Substances Act, an amendment to the Public Health Service Act, was enacted, making the “prevention of, drug abuse and drug dependence; to provide for treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers and drug dependent persons; and to strengthen existing law...
Words: 1261 - Pages: 6
...Without a doubt, public campaign in the fight against legalizing marijuana is very essential as it creates and sends a clear message to the under aged that use of drugs is unacceptable. When people are secretly or publicly using marijuana, the children will automatically notice whatever that is going on regardless of whether the drug user had earlier purposed to create awareness to the children or not. Actually, if by any chance the kids do not see the adults taking marijuana, they will surely notice these adults’ change in behavior and then tend to relate the conduct with drug use. According to researchers, most children learn by seeing what their elders do and, in future, tend to copy from them, which become their habit if no positive intervention is done. In order to keep the innocent children off some vices like use of marijuana and other drugs, the government and the members of the public need to create awareness of the dangers of copying and adopting irresponsible behaviors from their elders which include drug use. Clearly, when the members of public or even activists conduct the public campaign against legalizing the use of marijuana, the children get a chance to learn the dangers of the drug usage in addition to realizing that, at that specific period, the use of marijuana is illegal and has serious unpleasant consequences. With the understanding, the children will be able to make informed or correct decisions in life and, therefore, keep off the drugs as the perfect...
Words: 1509 - Pages: 7
...Thesis: Legalizing marijuana simply digs a deeper hole in the fight against harmful intoxicants. Summary: The legalization of marijuana would have no benefits. To the contrary, doing so would simply add to the list of readily accessible and potentially addictive substances that can lead to irresponsible behavior and poor health. Given the widespread problems associated with addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco, why should laws be altered to add another substance to this list? The fact that so many people break laws prohibiting marijuana use does not mean that these laws should be repealed. Introduction One function of government is to protect citizens from harm, whether it is from foreign enemies or from internal causes such as poisonous food or contaminated water. Similarly, the ban on marijuana protects citizens from the dangers of drug consumption, as well as potentially destructive behaviors associated with marijuana use. With the possible exception of limited benefits in treating some diseases under a physician's direction, there are no advantages to the use of intoxicants such as marijuana or more potent drugs, including cocaine and heroin. This is not to say that individuals do not experience some momentary pleasure in consuming drugs-often at tremendous social costs. However, drug use can also wreak havoc on an individual's ability to experience all of the facets of life-from facing and overcoming challenges to enjoying times of great joy to relishing...
Words: 1239 - Pages: 5
...Running head: LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 1 Legalization of Marijuana Communications and Thought 1 February 23, 2015 LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 2 Abstract The debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana has been raging decades. The debate is centered on the issues of health, addiction and economics. Arguments and claims supporting the legislation are countered by contrary arguments and claims. Scientific claims from one side are disputed by scientific claims from the other. The tug-of-war is beginning to show signs of a clear winner. Time has brought about changes in the thinking and behavior of a large segment of our population. Marijuana usage is now considered acceptable behavior by a clear majority of Americans. Social mores have changed and the use of marijuana is commonplace. We have reached the point in the debate where the trend is leaning toward legislation. LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 3 Legalization of Marijuana Introduction There is an ongoing national debate about the legalization of marijuana. According to a 2013 Gallup poll, a clear majority of Americans (58%) favor legalization. The age group most likely to support legalization is young adults from the age of 18 to 29 years. Surprisingly, the majority of the 30 to 64 years age group also favors legalization. The opposition to legalizing marijuana comes mostly from Americans 65 and older. Changing social...
Words: 1491 - Pages: 6
...Legalization of Marijuana In today’s society what is accepted in different American cultures as far as drugs are on a thin line of what people accept. The Gore Vidal was published on September twenty-six nineteen seventy, so the discussion on marijuana has been talked about over forty-four years now. It is about time that the American society accepts legalization of marijuana. Many Americans do not see anything wrong with a doctor prescribing them “legal drugs.” People think of marijuana in a negative ways because they are against the law. Many people don’t realize that there are many things that are legal that are a lot worse than marijuana things like prescription drugs, alcohol, and even in some instances cough medicine, but none of these are illegal why is that? When in all reality can we really put a difference on which is okay in today’s society. In the article that Gore Vidal wrote, he believes that our society should legalize marijuana. In comparison to Gore Vidal an article on the website called the Huffington post they also think that there are good reasons to legalizing marijuana and also some negative stand points. America has been fighting to legalize marijuana for nearly forty-four years now. Recreational marijuana is for sale in Colorado, one of the few states that have actually gone through with legalizing it in the United States. There is a Huffington Post article about the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and the effects of it. Amendment 64 is the...
Words: 1497 - Pages: 6
...Legalizing marijuana has been one of the most debated topics for a long time now. Across with any other topic, there are pros and cons to the situation. The Presidential election wasn't the only vote in 2016; several states also voted on the fate of marijuana laws. Walking in Colorado and Washington shoes, California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine have decided to make marijuana consumption legal for recreational purposes. On the other hand, Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota voted to allow medical marijuana, and Arizona defeated that move. When talking about the legalizing marijuana, more people are talking about it for recreational purposes. Legalizing Marijuana “More than half of US adults, over 128 million people, have tried marijuana,...
Words: 965 - Pages: 4
...Should Marijuana be Legalized? BCOM/275 November 26, 2012 Should marijuana be legalized? Throughout the years, the topic should marijuana be legalized is often heavily debated. For many years the use of marijuana was forbidden and outlawed in the United States, but in more recent years marijuana seems to be becoming accepted. Scientist has found many useful applications for marijuana. Recently, here in the United States, many states have approved legislation for marijuana for medical purposes. Most recently, two states Colorado and Washington have passed referendums that will allow people over the age of 21 recreational use of marijuana without the penalty of a criminal offense. These two states will oversee the use of marijuana for its constituents similar to how alcohol is controlled. Whereas, the government at the state level in Colorado and Washington is in favor for the legalization and passed legislation for the legalization of marijuana, the federal government has not. This causes legal, moral, and ethical issues and begs that questions; should marijuana be legalized? Pros of Legalization One benefit of the legalization of marijuana would be the ability for state and local governments to tax the legal production and sale of it. Currently, because marijuana is illegal the sale of it is not taxed so the local, state, and federal governments do not reap any of the benefits of this “$10.5 billion dollar industry” (Miron, 2005, p.4). In a report written by Jeffrey A....
Words: 2543 - Pages: 11
