Marijuana A common stereotype of those who use marijuana are often classified as bums, unintelligent, and drug addicts. This claim is absurd as according to the National Orginaztion for the Refom of Marijuana Laws, marijuana is the third most popular drug in America as it frequently used recreationally (NORML). While those who oppose the legalization of marijuana there are those who actually need it, and support that it should be legal. By taking action, marijuana can be decriminalized and proven to be more helpful than harmful. The idea that people should stay away from cannabis is a common argument, but cannabis actually has medical purposes that can delay the effects of cancer, used for glaucoma, and also pain relief. While those who argue that marijuana should be legal and that it can help the economy and public health, there are those who oppose it and feel that it should remain illegal so that the upcoming generation should abstain from the use of marijuana and drug abuse. People argue that the use of marijuana is dangerous and harmful to the body, while actually it might be more helpful than one may presume. The top two most popular drugs in America are Tobacco and Alcohol, combined both of those drugs tally up to nearly half a million deaths per year throughout America. Marijuana on the other hand has never caused death by smoking too much weed because it is actually a toxic free drug and is mostly natural. By legalizing pot, it can lead to improve public health, lower crime rates, and help the economy. First, Marijuana was first historically used thousands of years ago by an Emperor known as Shen Nung. He invented this new form of medicine of medicinal herb that treated pain relief, malaria, and rheumatism which was composed of cannabis (Stack). Within the 1700’s, the American medical journals promoted the use of marijuana to treat inflamed skin, venereal disease, and incontinence. Marijuana has been prevalent since early history and is still used to the present day. Moreover, it was only when government decided to interfere with the prohibition of drugs during the 1900’s that spread the misconceptions of marijuana to the public. Since marijuana has actually helped more people than harming individuals it has been proved to be useful for medical purposes as it can cure or delay the effects of diseases and cancers. Although, the F.D.A argues that “no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). It is clear to say that weed has some positive side effects on people who use it for medical purposes, but it is a lie to state that there is no possibility that it benefits a patient more than it does harm to the individual. In opposing this argument, the FDA obliviously overlooks the pros of marijuana and its uses throughout approximately four millenniums. As a matter of fact, evidences has proven that marijuana’s positive health benefits grants relief from pain and cures the lives of ill people, which provides the argument for the legalization of marijuana for the rights and wellbeing of patients. If the government permits the use of drugs such as Valium, Amphetamine, and Oxycodone to be used as acceptable for medical purposes, it would be ironic to prohibit the decriminalization of marijuana. For example, an estimated 20% of patients who suffer from cancer die from a significant loss of fat and muscle tissue commonly known as wasting, a process that can be cured by using marijuana. Karen O’ Keefe, a Legislative Analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project states, “With roughly 20% of all cancer deaths caused by wasting, it is cruel and senseless to criminalize the doctor-advised use of a safe, effective, and widely available treatment” (O’Keefe). Compared to the drugs previously stated such as Amphetamine, Oxycodone, and Valium it would be absurd to prohibit marijuana as it has never caused a single death by overdose since its known existence which was 4,000 years ago. By federally approving marijuana, there are millions of lives to save and no lives to be lost from the use of it which is a risk the government should be more than willing to take. In addition, the regulations against the recreational use of marijuana have been futile as there are millions of Americans who still use marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized as humans are autonomous and are responsible enough to know when something is harming them or not, it is up to the individual whether they will continue or quit. Citizens have been declared a right to property, in terms of buying, selling, and using whatever they want. Marijuana can be considered property, no different from a pet or jewelry. Therefore, laws that prohibit drugs are illogical. The use of drugs are medically oriented, even though some individuals may want to use marijuana for recreational use the bigger concern is to allow drugs such as marijuana to help save lives or used for treatment for diseased patients. Drug abuse is not a concern here as adults are mature enough to realize when a drug is overtaking their bodies, and those who allow drugs to do so certainly haven’t learned self-control. Automobiles are more dangerous than marijuana, yet it is allowed. Statistics have shown that in the year of 2012, automobile crashes killed over 33,780 people, still the government allows them. For instance, Thomas Szasz, a psychiatrist who argues for the rights of recreational use of drugs states, “In America the dealer doesn’t ask you why you want another car, or if you really need a bigger one. Why do you need a 6-cylinder engine? Why isn’t 4 enough? Are you planning to speed? Are you planning to abuse all that horse power?” (Szasz). Going back to the use of marijuana, a survey was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which shows that more than 76 million Americans have admitted to the use of marijuana. The problem with government restricting the recreational use of drugs is that ever since they were discovered people have used drugs to make themselves feel better. Now we have adapted to a mindset that drugs are only used to cure those who are affected by a sickness and to make them healthier. The federal government should incorporate the laws of the harm principle where if drug use causes clear, imminent, and present dangers to others it should be prohibited. . The reason why drugs should be legal is due to the fact that smoking weed does not cause danger to the public. Another restriction should be the age limit, as drugs should be treated as property such as wine and beer instead of a candy such as M&M’s and such forth; where an individual can purchase them at a certain age because young children don’t have the mental capacity nor the responsibility to have a right to property, especially drugs. The government is actually depriving citizens from our freedoms such as a right to property which deceive the general public into believing that the enforced drug laws are to protect us from our own safety when in reality it can save many lives of those who are affected by cancer, AIDS, and HIV. The government is infantilizing its citizens and restricting them from their freedoms such as recreational use of drugs whether it is a matter of recreational use or used for medical treatment. Drugs are a matter of self-control, if an individual decides to use marijuana for recreational use or for medical treatment why exactly does the government have to intervene with this action? The purpose of the government is to protect citizens from external and internal dangers such as enemies from other countries, or criminals who commit harmful crimes. Marijuana hasn’t caused a single death since its existence, so the government has no actual right to prohibit the use of marijuana from the public. If Marijuana is illegal then every other drug should get equal treatment and also be deemed illegal. The drug laws against marijuana are based off of false premises and for the wrong reasons as it has more benefit as it doesn’t cause any harm at all. There are two different strains of marijuana, Sativa and Indica. The differences from these different types of cannabis are that they provide different kind of highs and also have different appearances. Indica provides a physical high that relieves body pain and puts your body at ease; it is commonly used for individuals who are affected with insomnia. Sativa on the other hand acts as a stimulant and causes a mind high which increases focus and helps fight against depression. There can also be hybrid strains that are composed of Sativa and Indica which fuse the effects together allowing the user to receive all the effects of each strain of cannabis. This is a basic explanation of the composition and types of cannabis that is available. The current framework of marijuana prohibitions is unreasonable as humans are autonomous and know when to stop. Although drugs are illegal, people still manage to possess them in some way. By doing so, drugs can assist those individuals who need the rug or even for those who may want the drug for recreational use. It makes no sense to prohibit a drug that has never caused a death by overdose yet we allow other dangerous properties such as alcohol, tobacco, valium, automobiles, and guns. There is no reason to restrict a drug from the public if it can help those who are in need of it more then it can harm the public. It is time to take action and decriminalize marijuana and get rid of the fallacy that marijuana is a drug that should be restricted from the public because it is often misconceived as a gateway drug and that it only has negative effects on its users. The government has no right to intervene with the drug abuse of marijuana as it can only aid not harm. This will enable American’s to realize that drugs are not bad for individuals, it is a matter of self-control and abstinence.
Works Cited
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"Working to Reform Marijuana Laws." About Marijuana. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <http://norml.org/aboutmarijuana>