...Should Marijuana be legalized? Since marijuana's first recorded use dating back five thousand years ago, it has never gained much popularity until the last century with prohibition and antiwar movements. Now, more than ever, propositions to legalize this plant have risen and been subject to controversy and heated debate. Marijuana is the most widely used drug in the United States and considered to be the most harmful by the government with its anti-marijuana stance and laws aimed at limiting its use. Marijuana has the potential to solve many problems if it were to be legalized; The United States national debt could be helped, the search for seemingly “incurable” diseases could end, and the use of tobacco and alcohol could reduce. The main reason marijuana is currently outlawed is the economy’s money. Basic research will show that legalizing marijuana will have benefits on our country whether you smoke it or not. A simple lesson in supply and demand will show that by legalizing this plant it would create a significant drop in price due to the elimination of the risk factors of growing and also selling paraphernalia. Licensing, taxing, and fees that would come from marijuana would help our economy generate up to 7 billion dollars more a year. Not only would that help with some of our economy’s money issues, but the taxes on sales of paraphernalia, recreational establishments, and new industries also would generate more money each year. California and Washington have put out...
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... 24 February 2014 Should Marijuana Be Legalized? I believe marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, generation of revenue for the government, and it would cut down on the distribution of illegal drugs over the borders. First and foremost Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons. It helps people with certain medical conditions. Some of the conditions include Cancer, Glaucoma, and Anxiety Disorders. Marijuana helps Cancer patients eat, improves the eyesight of people with Glaucoma, and helps calms the nerves of people with Anxiety Disorders. Although it contains no healing properties, it does help to improve the quality of life for some who are suffering. Many drugs kill people; nevertheless, marijuana is not one of those drugs. The late Dr. Ted Madurai has proven in his research after dealing with 10,000 patients in the last 15 years. That 200 different medical conditions respond favorable to cannabis. Medical marijuana may be beneficial to the whole world if given a chance. I feel that marijuana has been used to help people before these modern times. Some people agree that marijuana is an herb no a drug. Look at the benefits of marijuana that’ why it has been studied for years. The drug marijuana stands alone with the properties that are needed to help people with certain medical conditions. Medical marijuana has been proven to help sick and disable people. Secondly, marijuana should be legalized because it generates revenue...
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...Should Marijuana Be Legalized? With the recent election season that has just gone by, this question has become more prevalent in society. In 2010 California became the first state to legalize marijuana only for medicinal use. In this election season, both Colorado and Washington state legalized marijuana for recreational use. Marijuana usage has been going on since ancient times and the fight to legalize it has grown steadily throughout United States History. There are two sides to every story – one side supports legalization and one side opposes it. Everyone has the right to their own opinion on this matter so I will let you decide after reading this. Marijuana has been used, according to ancient medical references, since about 2737 BC in China. In 1545 the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. It was introduced to Jamestown around 1611 where it became a major commercial crop along with tobacco. Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942. It was prescribed for conditions ranging from labor pains to rheumatism. In the 1930s A campaign by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics portrayed marijuana as a powerful addicting substance and it would lead users into using harder drugs. In the 1950s it was an accessory of the beat generation; in the 1960s it was used by college students and hippies and it eventually became a symbol of rebellion against authority. When the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 was passed, marijuana was classified...
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...Should Marijuana smoking be legalized? In human history, psychoactive consumption is one of the most ancient practices. Even in our society it is considered an illegal practice, although it is a common habit for some social groups. There have been several attempts to prevent the consumption of drugs. Despite the effort, so far all the policies raised have failed. The war on drugs primarily aimed the controversial drug marijuana, which is still the most used illegal drug throughout. Due to the consumption of this drug, our generation faces the challenge of deciding whether marijuana should remain illegal or must become legal. Usually, people do not know much about marijuana. Everyone thinks it is as harmful as heroin and cocaine. However, marijuana it is fully comparable with legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco, in terms of their impact and damage. I believe that marijuana should be legalized for the reasons I will explain in the following paragraphs. First, marijuana can be used for medical purposes. The use of marijuana for medical purposes is not a recent finding. The use of medical marijuana dates back around 5000 years. There are several writings from Western culture recommending the use of this substance for a variety of health problems and disorders. Today, many doctors agree on the use of marijuana as an alternative medicine because it can reduce the pain of many diseases. Marijuana is useful to relieve pain, nausea, glaucoma, and muscular problems. It is also...
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...Should Marijuana be Legalized By: Susan Cooper Starting in the 1600’s the hemp plant was grow as a trade good. It was used for rope and fabric though out the 18th and 19th centuries. In the mid 1800’s they started using part of the plant to make cannabis and use it for medical use. With this new drug on the market the department of agriculture wanted to place regulations on it. After all the testing they did on the drug they considered it to be poison. In the early 1900’s states had to label it as such and show all ingredients in it. A few states started to require prescriptions for the sale of the drug. In 1938 the Federal Pure Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act of 1938 was passed. This law set strict standards for prescription, non-prescription drugs and also food. This made the drug cannabis or marijuana a dangerous and illegal drug. This is still the law we have in affect as of today. Lately a lot of people are up in arms about the law and some believe it should be changed. Some believe that there are more benefits to marijuana if it was legal. The Cons: People believe marijuana should remain and always be illegal. Just like any drug marijuana is addictive according to Dr. Drew Pinsky. He said “It would be malpractice to say that cannabis isn't addictive. Anybody who's experienced it, actually been addicted to it, knows how profound that addiction is. The difficult thing about marijuana addiction is some people, even though they're addicted can do fine with it for many...
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...Should Marijuana Be Legalized The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic for several years in the United States. Those opposed to the legalization say that marijuana is addictive, leads to harder drug use and increases criminal behavior. The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes dates back to as early as 2737 B.C., where Chinese Emperor Shen Neng would prescribe marijuana tea for treatment of a variety of ailments (Stack, Suddath, 2009). Research shows that marijuana should be legalized in the United States because of the amount of money we are spending trying to prevent its use and lost income not collecting taxes, it is beneficial for medicinal purposes, and U.S. citizens want it to be legal. Each year in the United States a large amount of resources is spent policing, prosecuting and jailing people for marijuana offenses. In 2010 New York City spent approximately $75 million for the arrest and prosecution of people for small amounts of marijuana (Levine, Siegal, 2011). That is money that could be spent elsewhere on programs that really needed it. The $75 million dollars could have easily been spent to help with the cities homeless problem, or be spent to strengthen the cities schools. Statistics show that from 2009 to 2010 the rate of murder, rape, assault and robbery went up in New York City (city-data, 2014). The man hours used catching and arresting people for marijuana could have been used to help prevent some of these crimes. Jeffrey Miron a economics...
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...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. People usually smoke marijuana in cigarettes or pipes, but it also can be mixed with food and beverages. Short-term effects of marijuana include both psychological and physical reactions. These reactions usually last for three to five hours after a person has smoked marijuana. The psychological reaction, known as a high consists of changes in the user´s feelings and thoughts. Such changes are caused mainly by THC. The effects of a marijuana high vary from person to person and from one time to another in the same individual. In most cases, the high consists of a...
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...The bottom line is when it comes to the legalization of marijuana It should be legalized for medical purposes and it should be governed by the FDA like other over the counter drugs. Marijuana has a great effect on a lot of medical issues and has a real good potential of curing a lot of illnesses. Like with every drug there are its pros and cons as well as people for it and people against it, but marijuana has a potential to be a great asset to the medical field as well as it could help the country financially with the revenue that the drug has the potential to make. If the drug marijuana was legalized for medical purposes it could cause paranoia, excessive hunger, delayed reaction time, and eye redness. When compared to other drugs that are legal such as oxycodone, vicoden, and Percocet, the drug marijuana is harmless it hasn’t cause any long term issues and it has not caused death in any cases weather it was used medically or for recreation but the other drugs have and do cause long term effects such as kidney damage, liver damage, and migraines, and in some cases when these drugs that are legal are abused they cause death. Basically when it comes down to it when thinking about the legalization of marijuana you should think and ask why marijuana is not legal? There really isn’t any real reason why, other than the fact that it is considered addictive, has a high potential of abuse, it has no formal accepted medical use, and it has historically been linked to narcotics like heroin...
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...Marijuana should be legalized Scott Walker GEN-195 April 23, 2014 Kathy Abramowitz Marijuana should be legalized In today’s world of modern medicine, finding a natural treatment for numerous medical conditions is an exciting prospect. Marijuana should be legalized as it provides many homeopathic benefits to a variety of people suffering from a wide range of conditions including chronic pain management, relief for autoimmune diseases and for treating mental health problems. Pain is the number one condition treated with cannabis in states where it is legal to use cannabis under state law if it is approved or recommended by a physician. In 1999, GW Pharmaceuticals, a British phytochemical company, developed several types of tinctures of cannabis to address the needs of multiple sclerosis patients for relief from muscle spasms and pain (Bearman, D. 2011). In 2000, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) was established at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. Studies from CMCR have shown that low-grade cannabis was capable of reducing daily pain by 34%. The findings were comparable to oral synthetic drugs used for chronic neuropathic pain. In the mid-1980’s, during the “AIDS Crisis”, the United States government encouraged the development and approval of a cannabis based synthetic drug called delta-9-THC, which is marketed under the trade name Marinol. Marinol has been effective in treating nausea in cancer patients and as an appetite...
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...Tutor Course: Date: Why Marijuana should be legalized Introduction Various governments have made numerous drugs illegal while others remain legal. Such drugs include cocaine, heroin, methane, marijuana, alcohol, bath salts or synthetic cathinone, hallucinogens, methamphetamine and many others. However, some are legal to use; the use of others are limited while others are illegal. For instance, alcohol is legal in most countries while its use is limited in others in terms of time one can use them and in terms of amounts that one can consume. Nonetheless, most of these drugs are illegal including cocaine, heroin, marijuana and many others. However, even though some drugs are termed as harmful, they should receive some considerations to legalize them due to numerous reasons. Particularly, marijuana should be legalized. Marijuana refers to the dried flowers, leaves, seeds and stems from the hemp plant. Scientifically referred to as Cannabis sativa, that contains the mind-altering (psychoactive) chemical, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), alongside other associated compounds. Commonly, it is utilized for its physiological and psychoactive effects that can elevate euphoria or mood, appetite, and relaxation. Discussion Over the past few decades, they have been serious discussion on whether to legalize marijuana or not. Many know the reasons as to why marijuana should not be legalized. Some of the reasons put forward for not legalizing marijuana are that it harmful to one's...
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...Should Marijuana be Legalized? Christina Coltharp ENG/102 March 3, 2013 Robyn Glasscock Wilkey (2012) a reporter for the Huffington Post in San Francisco writes: “A pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever” (para 1). Legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use will allow for many great things to come to this country. A hundred million Americans have smoked marijuana at least once in their life to include the president, his two right hand men, the mayor of New York and numerous of other Americans of that 100 million at least 25 million of them are regular users of the drug (CNBC, 2010). Marijuana has become a part of the American life (CNBC, 2010). Marijuana comes from a dried plant that is created to induce euphoria. However, it is no more addictive than tobacco or alcohol and even can bring good to the body and mind. Marijuana legalization will help those with medical issues, lower crime rates, and help decrease debts in the United States. Legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use will help people with medical issues such as cancer and glaucoma. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse: The Science of Drug Abuse & Addiction, marijuana is classified as a drug that is not an acceptable form of medicine for those with medical concerns, to include...
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...smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly fifteen hundred pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response... in strict medical terms, marijuana is far safer than many of the foods we commonly consume. For example, eating ten raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death.” - DEA Administrative Law, Judge Francis L. Young. The National Center for Health statistics reported that drugs caused 37, 485 deaths in 2009; followed closely by alcohol related deaths totaling 23, 199. When research was done to identify the drugs and alcohol used in these fatal events, Cannabis (Marijuana) caused zero deaths. So why is a drug that is grown so naturally and causes zero deaths at the center of so much controversy? Marijuana has been used for medical purposes and is a popular subject in the economic and political debate arenas. “Cannabis sativa is an annual plant that grows wild in warm and tropical climates throughout the world and is cultivated commercially. The leaves and buds of the plant have been used in herbal remedies for centuries. Scientists have identified 66 biologically active components, called cannabinoids, in marijuana. The most potent of these is thought to be the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, although other active substances are being studied. The medical use of marijuana is limited because different strains of the plant contain different amounts...
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...INTRO: Why is it that when you hear someone say “Marijuana should be legalized” you conjure of the image of a long-haired, red-eyed, burnt out hippy who loves nothing more than giggling at nothing. Yet, when you hear someone saying the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18, you couldn't agree more, even tough it wasn't the high kids you were stumbling around fighting that caused Riverboat to be a disaster. You think this because from the moment you understood English, the idea that drugs (mainly Marijuana) are the cause of all the problems of society. • QUOTE - Fact is, according to P.J. O'Rouke, that “no drug, not even alcohol causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of out troubles, we should test for stupidity, ignorance and greed, not drugs.” With the war on drugs, MJ has been propagandized to be the most evil thing in society. Thesis: However, MJ should be legal because it is a personal freedom I, as an American should be able to choose, it is an economical and medicinal benefit to society as a whole, and the cause of problems related to MJ are because it is illegal. I. The question should not be “why should MJ be legal?”, but “why shouldn't MJ be legal?” A. After all, it grows naturally on this planet. i. For you evolutionists, that means that MJ is older than mankind is. And for you Creationists, that means that God himself created MJ. ii. Doesn't the idea of making nature illegal seem a but...unnatural to you? Who is...
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...the debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized has escalated into a leading discussion in America. Recent research confirms the fact that more than half of Americans believe the drug should be legal. Not only do fifty-three percent of Americans believe it should be legalized, but sixty-nine percent presume alcohol is more detrimental to a person’s health than marijuana(Motel). While majority of Americans are on board with the legalization of marijuana, the war on drugs is still a dominant and current problem in the United States today. The opposition is under the impression that the cons of legalizing marijuana outweigh the pros. People still believe that it should not be legalized because it is a threat to Americans and their health. When in reality, marijuana should be legalized nationally because it has a low abuse rate, it...
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...Why Marijuana should be legalized I believe marijuana as a drug is wrong but at the same time I can’t overlook its helpful benefits to those in pain from an illness. Marijuana can be used to help one calm down or relieve stress that has built up throughout the day. Smoking tobacco also helps with stress and has a higher risk of causing mouth cancer, throat cancer, or lung cancer then smoking weed. Legalizing Marijuana means we can treat the problem of drug abuse as a medical problem not a criminal one. It is estimated that the United States government spends $10 billion dollars a year in its attempts to keep Marijuana off the street, while the State of California has revenue of 14 billion annually for the production of its legalized medicinal Marijuana.5If Marijuana is legalized The U.S. can tax the revenues and will have additional fund that can be used for awareness of the drugs affects and treatment. During the prohibition of alcohol during the 1920's the Mafia could produce alcohol and had a considerable control over others who wanted it. The role that the Mafia played in the 1920's has transformed into the corner drug dealers and drug cartel of the 1990's. Legalization will result in a decrease in deaths and violence due to the unregulated black-market trade or Marijuana. 1 out of 6 people in jail are in for non-violent drug offenses6. Prisons are overcrowded and it is very costly to keep people in prison. Legalizing Marijuana would make room for more violent offenders...
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