...possession and use of cannabis that is also commonly known as marijuana is considered illegal. In fact, it can be noted that for many years, cannabis has been considered to an illegal drug in most countries. Nevertheless, today, some countries have legalized cannabis while other countries have not. In particular, small quantities of cannabis have been allowed in regions such as Europe, North America and South America. Moreover, in the United States, some states such as Washington and Colorado have also legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical purposes. On the other hand, various penalties are imposed for use or possession of cannabis in most countries. The penalties generally range from simple to severe punishments. Possession of small quantities of marijuana is not punished the same way as possession of large quantities. In this argumentative essay, I seek to argue the reasons why cannabis should be legalized, and why it should not. Primarily, cannabis should be legalized since it is used for medication, and its legalization means better and higher quality health standards. For example, Sativex is a recent drug that has been discovered to cure Multiple Sclerosis (Kmietowicz 89). The drug has been used in the United Kingdom to treat MS patients, and it has been found to work effectively. Therefore, banning of cannabis would be a disadvantage to people who suffer from diseases that use cannabis as a major component in their medicine. The usage of cannabis for medical...
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...marijuana are considered illegal. Marijuana is also known as cannabis. For many years, cannabis has been termed as an illegal drug. Today some countries in the world have legalized marijuana. To be specific, a small amount of cannabis has been legalized in regions such as Europe, South America and North America. In USA, some states such as Washington and Colorado have also legalized the possession and the usage of marijuana for medical reasons. Most countries in the world have great penalties for the usage and possession of cannabis. It should be observed that these penalties range from very simple to severe punishments. The punishment for the small amount of marijuana is not the same as the punishment for the possession of a large amount (Earleywine, 2005). The paper does explain as to why cannabis should be legalized. Lack of evidence The main reason as to why the legalization of marijuana should be lawful is that there is lack of evidence for its legalization. From a philosophical point of view, people have the right to make choices and decision for themselves. Of course, it is the function of the government to limit those choices and decisions if the action that is taken by a person does not affect with the rights of other persons. Persons who choose and decide to use cannabis do so because of their free will. Marijuana should be legalized because for its medicinal values. In addition, it should also be legalized because it is less harmful than alcohol (Calabria B, et al...
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...Legalization of Cannabis Amanda Philmon Com 156 October 09, 2011 Diana Marquez Legalization of Cannabis The controversial issue of legalizing cannabis is a topic worth discussing. Let’s look at each aspect of health risks and benefits to the legalization of cannabis. Legalizing cannabis could have a positive effect on the crime rate in America as the statistics will show this. The most beneficial part of legalizing cannabis will be the economic gains that will come from legalizing marijuana. While there are some health risks associated to the legalization of cannabis the benefits of a decrease in crime and increases in the economy greatly out weigh the cons to legalizing cannabis. There are many health benefits and risks to the legalizations of cannabis. Cannabis is used to treat patients who have pain associated with certain diseases like human immunodeficiency virus. The pain that these patients endure is called neuropathic pain. In a study done by “Dr. Ellis and colleagues found that 46 percent of patients administered medical marijuana experienced at least a 30 percent reduction in pain” (Uddin, 04/11). Having a pain reduction without having to take a pill is a plus as there are many side effects that go along with some pain pills. Another benefit to the use of cannabis is an increase in appetite. This is very important in patients undergoing cancer treatment. “Medicinal marijuana can signal a food craving within a patient's body, encouraging...
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...Medicine is rising within our world; many cures and treatments for chronic diseases are being discovered and put to test to give out to the ill. Cannabis is one of the numerous restorative plants that has been found to regard conditions, such as glaucoma, cancer therapy symptoms and many more. As wonderful as it sounds, this plant is federally illegal throughout the United States -except for the 28 states who have legalized it under certain conditions. If this plant can contribute to medicine why is it still illegal? Thus, cannabis should be legalized across the nation so to reveal its numerous obscure therapeutic advantages for a healthier society; “The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic...
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...Should Marijuana Be Legalized? One of the major and most talked about concerns in the United States today is whether or not marijuana should be legalized. As news stories continue to take a NO stand, many states are debating and deciding to go ahead and legalize recreational marijuana. I take a stand saying YES, marijuana should be legalized for many non-controversial reasons. Cannabis dates back to 6000 BC when the Chinese used cannabis seeds in their food (2). Since then it has evolved from creating clothes to smoking for medical and recreational purposes. The United States is one of the few countries where cannabis is actually illegal. There is no real answer on why it is illegal and the answer tends to change every time the topic is brought up. Most officials say they are preventing people from harming themselves or others but I feel if that’s their case then alcohol and caffeine shall be banned too. Marijuana is also very expensive to enforce. Milton Friedman and a group of over 500 economists stated that it cost the government just about 7.7 billion dollars a year just to enforce the drug (1). That seems to be way too much spending just to enforce a cheap and wildly grown plant. Enforcement also consists of over 700,000 arrests per year just for possession. Many people are being charged as first time offenders and being taken from their jobs and families just because they decided to get a little high. Since 1996, 19 states have legalized medical Marijuana. Medical...
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...Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a form of the cannabis plant. In 1923, marijuana was added to the Confidential Restricted List as a prohibited drug in Canada. However, many Canadians believe that marijuana should be legalized because it can play a significant role in the medical industry. However, others hold the opposite attitude toward Marijuana legalization. This serious controversy has lasted for many decades. Canada’s neighbor, the U.S. government, has forbidden this drug since the early 1900s. However, this implementation didn’t produce a satisfactory result. (National Prevention Strategy, 2011) Marijuana should be legalized in Canada because its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. These advantages are likely to promote the Canadian economy, eliminate social issues and benefit the health of its residents. In terms of the economy, legalizing marijuana could conduct not only negative effects, but also positive effects. In the past decade, underground trade of marijuana has caused harm to Canada’s income. Werner Antweiler, the UBC professor, believes that the marijuana market is sizable. (2013) In B.C., the estimates show that Canadians consume at least 3 billion dollars in marijuana products annually. (Barmak, 2013) Other data from The International Journal of Drug Policy indicate that the retail value of marijuana consumption in B.C is between $443 million and $564 million. In addition, further estimates point out that marijuana legalization is likely to help the...
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...2014 Should Medical Marijuana Be Legalized? A major debate currently being discussed within the Senate and House of Representatives is a topic that has caused a great amount of controversy throughout the United States. This topic only really has two sides to it. One side is completely against it and the other is completely for it, there is no middle ground. The topic that has caused such a great amount of controversy is the discussion as to whether or not medical marijuana should be legalized within the U.S. Those who support the legalization of marijuana usually have three supporting arguments: Medical marijuana has various medical benefits, it is less expensive in comparison to other drugs, and other drugs are addictive whereas medical cannabis is not. But others who are against the legalization of marijuana have their own arguments. These people who are against legalizing medical cannabis typically have three main reasons as to why they disagree with legalizing it. These three main reasons are that marijuana is has no true medical benefits, that medical marijuana is already being abused by cardholders, and that marijuana is a gateway drug. Both sides have various supporting arguments, but with the evidence I have gathered, I believe that the legalization of medical marijuana is beneficial to those in need of it’s benefits. Ever since Congress placed medical marijuana in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, 20 out of the 50 U.S. states have legalized the use...
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...never had any deliberation of committing anything resembling a “sex slaying”. Possibly a slaying of a 1-pound bag of Doritos and a 12 pack of grape soda, hardly something I would categorize as “sadistic”. Nonetheless our government still refuses to acknowledge the undeniable benefits of marijuana. James Masin, the head of the United States Public Health Service, said that we should not give AIDS patients marijuana to help with their debilitating symptoms because, crazed by the high, they would be much more likely to engage in unsafe sex (Manderson 2). This quote is not only frivolous; it also holds no medical evidence to support such an outlandish claim. There has been no reputable scientific study that suggests marijuana causes it’s users to become sex-crazed maniacs that will do anything to pleasure their id personality. I was under the assumption that our government was in a position of power to create laws and regulations for the benefit of the country based on non-biased facts. I was obviously mistaken. Marijuana can be used in many functional and valuable ways. Thirteen states have legalized the use of medicinal marijuana. A vast majority of the scientific community has come to the consensus that marijuana does in fact hold medicinal benefits for certain ailments. Also, marijuana is not a lethal drug and is safer than alcohol. It is an established scientific fact that marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not...
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...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...
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...Marijuana, Legal in America? Marijuana has been in America for quite some time now, and approximately one hundred million of people in the U.S. have tried this drug at least once. Marijuana is also the most common drug used in the U.S. today that is illegal. So imagine if marijuana was legalized and how much money could be made and profited from its legalization. Dangers with other drugs such as alcohol and smoking tobacco outweigh the dangers involved with marijuana by a landslide. So the simple fact of the matter that is brought to our attention as Americans, is that marijuana is bad for us and worse than all of the other legal drugs and that we have no benefit from using it, when in actuality it can benefit us in many ways especially medically, it is really not bad for us all in all and should be a legalized substance. Marijuana has always been and always will be used one way or the other in America. The question is should it be legalized, and why should it be. Well this question and argument has been going around for some time now, and is getting to the point where a serious decision needs to be made on the legalization of marijuana. All of the lies about how marijuana is bad for you and that it is not good for your health is all we seem to hear about marijuana, when in fact marijuana has more health benefits than any other legal drug that is out there. In fact there has never been a death from marijuana usage ever recorded, while every year there are four hundred...
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...Legalization of Cannabis and Marijuana By: Angelita Balderas English 101 Mr. Chris Dietz 8 MAY 2016 There are many people who might disagree with legalization of marijuana, however as far as facts show, states that have legalized marijuana have significantly improved in multiple ways. There is an overflowing list of health issues that can be treated by consuming marijuana. The availability and distribution of hemp, and let’s not forget about the insane overflow of cash in tax revenue. This is not your average ‘dirty money’, this is supporting, providing, and bettering the lively hood for its resident’s type of money. It is time to throw away that stereotypical pot head image, and start understanding actuality. Let’s face it, when most people think about legalizing marijuana they probably are not thinking about how it can better their state. The profit that can be made is a major part of legalization that should not be ignored. Only 4 of states have legalized recreational marijuana and have taken advantage of all of the benefits, and then there are 24 states that are starting to get on board by having legalized marijuana medically. Take Colorado for example, one of the 4 states that has fully legalized recreational marijuana. When the state asked its people what they should do with all of the additional taxes gained from the sales of marijuana, they chose the less selfish road. The options they were given was to either return the $66 million of tax revenue back to...
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...Hunter Scott JD Simpson ENG 1201-928 04 May 2018 Should Marijuana Be Legalized in All States for All Uses? When people hear the words “weed” or “marijuana,” they often think and say that it is bad or no good because of the events that occur when people use it. They also are aware that the drug is illegal across most of the United States of America. What most people do not understand is the positives that making marijuana legal across the nation entails. An abundance of controversial topics exist throughout today’s society, and the debate of whether or not marijuana should be legalized for all uses in all states is just one of many of them. Today, nine states and Washington D.C. have the drug legalized for all uses. However, other states only...
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...issue. I believe people who oppose having marijuana legalized haven’t viewed the debate and are judging invalid accusations. Marijuana can have an impact on America for many positive reasons. The reasons why I believe weed can benefit the public are for medication, crime, and economy matters. Throughout the years, marijuana has become less prohibited and has gotten more respect to the society. I personally believe America can adjust to the legalization of marijuana with appropriate handling. First of all, marijuana is a natural plant that can be useful in many medical ways. Not many people realize it can be used as medicine. They often think of it as a way of feeling high. Some people think cannabis causes lung problems, metal disorders, and destroys overall health. But in fact, medical marijuana is used for cancer patients to help them with dealing with symptoms. Truly speaking, it doesn’t cause any harm. For example, cannabis along with cigarettes, is used as a way to meditate and relief stress. However, cigarettes can lead to lung cancer, maybe a missing finger, or even worse death. As opposed to marijuana, consistently smoking this herb doesn’t lead to death. There isn’t any recorded death on overdosing marijuana. Marijuana is not a lethal drug. However, all things you choose to do are your responsibility such as alcohol and drugs. Therefore, some states in the United States have legalized marijuana for medical uses. Why shouldn’t it be legal in all states? It can help those...
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...difference in beliefs when it comes to this topic, should it be legalized or not. If it’s legalized, what would change and what would the restrictions be? Would the country save more money? When you look at the positive sides of marijuana, there is more benefits than people realize. Nobody has ever overdosed from smoking weed, and in order to do so you would have to smoke 1,500 pounds in 15 minutes. (greenrushdaily, pg 1) There are more reasons marijuana should be legalized than people think. Such as impact on tax revenue. Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fee on medical and recreational marijuana, sales in the state totaled over $996 million in 2015.(Investopedia, pg 1) Income and jobs is another great example. Jobs such as working at dispensaries or nurseries would create a lot more occupations in the states. A RCG economics and marijuana policy groups says that legalizing recreational marijuana would generate over $1.7 billion in labor income. (Investopedia, pg 1)...
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...(Norml). The herb is called marijuana also known as pot, cannabis, weed, and God’s medicine in today’s society (Norml). Marijuana is a cannabinoid which is a chemical compound that naturally affects the immune and nervous system of humans and animals. It has been used for centuries as a natural therapeutic substance. This mysterious plant combats nausea, cancer, leukemia, and many other variants that still cannot be cured with prescription drugs. No one knows where this plant comes from, but findings of this plant’s DNA reach up to Northern China, thousands of years ago. For many decades this plant has been looked down upon. Media analysts and government officials in the United States give it a negative approach which allows the public to think negatively about it. Many people assume that weed is deadly because of what authority wants the public to believe, but what many do not know is the positive scientific evidence and facts that proves how effective it really is. The social policies regarding marijuana have changed throughout the years in the U.S. Although, several states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, the issue still stands because federal officials have not yet legalized weed in all fifty states. The outcome of legalizing marijuana will be positive, but it’s up to the citizens to take action against the social policy and get it legalized by acting together. I believe the legalization of cannabis will decrease deaths related to...
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