...Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal I believe that marijuana should continue to remain illegal. I believe there are more benefits if marijuana is kept illegal than if it were to be legalized. I believe marijuana should remain illegal because it impacts health negatively, it can be addictive and it would negatively impact society. Although the article from John Cloud (2002) stated that Marijuana might actually be good for you, the fact is that the research isn’t available. I believe that marijuana should not be legalized until they can prove marijuana to be beneficial to society. We should not allow a substance to be freely used in society if we do not fully know the long term effects or implications the drug will have on users. If the government did legalize marijuana it would promote to the country that the government approves of using marijuana which would cause more people to use it. Too many people already abuse marijuana as it is and if it were legal there would be many more cases of marijuana abuse. Marijuana has a vast amount of negative effects on the user’s health which is why it should continue to be illegal. Marijuana affects the body both mentally and physically. There have been a number of studies that show association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression and schizophrenia (NIDA, 2010). The strongest evidence they have found against marijuana and its mental effects is that it can cause the onset or relapse of schizophrenia...
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...Marijuana Should Be Illegal Herlina Pryor BCOM/275 March 23, 2014 Instructor: Jamey Pippert Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal Published: February 26, 1994 To the Editor: I read with concern "Legalizing Marijuana Would Allow Regulation of Its Potency" (letter, Feb. 13). According to the writer, marijuana with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC (the chemical that causes the psychoactive effects on the abuser), is not a new phenomenon, and this high potency should not be used as a reason to keep marijuana illegal. Marijuana is not the same drug it was 20 years ago. Special fertilizers, plant hormones and steroids, carbon dioxide and advanced indoor horticulture techniques are used by the informed grower to "push" the plant to produce the highest grade, most potent variety of marijuana, sinsemilla. Because of its potency, domestic marijuana is the most highly prized cannabis product in the world. In 1970, the average THC content of a marijuana plant was 1.5 percent. The THC content of today's sinsemilla variety ranges from 8 percent to 20 percent. Today's marijuana is a drug that is significantly more potent than it was during the Woodstock era. The writer then states that "if the Government really believes that stronger varieties of marijuana are less desirable, then it has one more reason to support legalization. If cultivation of marijuana were legal, growers would not be pressed to produce the strongest possible product, and health authorities would...
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...Brandon Tennison Composition II Suzanne Lindholm PROS AND CONS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION Legalization of marijuana is one of the biggest topics today. Is the legalization of marijuana a good thing both morally and financially? Are we even moving in the right direction by moving down the road to legalization? There are many good and bad reasons on both sides why marijuana should and should not be made legal. There are also the moral obligations to be considered in smoking marijuana. Let’s not forget about the possible economic effects the legalization of marijuana could have. In the end it will be up to every one of us to decide if legalization is worth the effort in changing the status quo. There are always reasons why people don’t want the status quo to change. The D.E.A. and other government agencies are no different in their desire to keep Hemp and marijuana illegal. Hemp, a plant with a number of possible uses, could replace most oil products at a much cheaper price. It can be used in making rubber, a durable rubber, like what is used to make car and truck tires out of. Hemp can also be used to make fabrics, like those that are used in clothing. Keeping Hemp and marijuana illegal is more profitable to various local, federal government agencies, and private industries. There are five main groups that are in opposition to legalization. There are five main groups that are in opposition to legalization. There are five main groups that are in opposition to legalization...
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...The Legalization of Marijuana Do you ever think that maybe our government isn’t as foolproof as we would like to think? Maybe our government isn’t always looking out for people’s health as much as how much money it can make? The fact is, tobacco and alcohol are the two of the leading causes of death in America and are legal. While marijuana has virtually zero deaths yet remains illegal because the government can’t profit from making it legal. Hash, tree, reefer, cannabis, gong, chronic, pot, herb and weed are a few of the common slang terms for the widely known controlled subsistence marijuana. “The term ‘marijuana’ refers to the leaves and flowering tops of the cannabis plant. Marijuana is a tobacco like substance produced by drying the leaves and flowering tops of the cannabis plant. Marijuana contains a natural chemical called THC (delta-9-tetrahydocannabinol) which gives users of the drug a ‘high’ when smoked” (What is Marijuana). Marijuana has several different effects, all of which are not severe or extremely harmful. “Some of the effects of marijuana use include increased heart rate, dryness of the mouth, reddening of the eyes, impaired motor skills and concentration, and frequent hunger” (What is Marijuana). According to Pete Guither, marijuana has been recorded to have been used as far back as 7,000 B.C.E. Its common use at the time was to weave fabrics and make rope, shortly after it was used as a recreational drug. Even though it is illegal now, in 1609 Virginia passed...
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...Beyond Legalizing Marijuana for Medical Purpose Angel Padro Devry University Professor Natalie Reid English 112 February 23, 2011 In this time of day we still have people that are against legalizing marijuana, but now it brings up discussion about marijuana if United States should legalized marijuana for medical purpose. Now you have to ask yourself something, why is marijuana illegal in the first place? If the government wants to legalize it for medical purposes, why not completely legalize it. So the question is if prohibition is here to protect us, does the prohibition really work? Where in today’s studies there no proof that marijuana is harmful to the American people, so let take a closer look on why marijuana should be legalized in Untied States. Couple years now the discussion of legalizing marijuana is coming up a lot more nowadays. It’s showing that marijuana is actually more useful than people think. So the government is thinking about legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. That raises some red flags, because everybody thinks it so harmful, but that’s not the case. “Actually it’s a proven fact that marijuana does not kill brain cells, it actually stimulates the brain cells and helps them grow.” (The Union-Adam Scorgie 2011) “Also from today polls there are no record death from Marijuana.” (CNBC-2011) Let’s take a look at a poll taking by “The United States government National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bureau of Mortality Statistics: TOBACCO……….400...
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...apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will, and the government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs that are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco. There for the most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some often ask “why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should ask "Why should marijuana be illegal?" From an abstract point of view, we as individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. There is no logic why someone would be pushed to take legal drugs that are proven to sometimes be potentially worse for one’s body and mind. “Marijuana is far less subject to abuse than most drugs used to treat the same conditions. It is also less addicting. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, says that “Marijuana is safer than most drugs used to treat the same problems.” Since there is no known case of lethal marijuana overdose, that would mean marijuana is safer than aspirin. According to John Marx, one thousand people a year die of aspirin overdose. The side effects of aspirin can also harm young children. The estimated ratio of lethal to effective dose is 40,000 to 1. The second major reason that marijuana should be legal...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana has been debated for decades all over the world, and it still unsure what is the best option for the people, either make it legal or keep it illegal like in almost all the countries. But here I am going to explain and show you some facts of each side of the coin. For the pro side there are many aspects that show how legalizing the marijuana can bring more benefits than keep it illegal; for example, there is evidence that show how marijuana helps some illness which means is good for medical use, there is also a fact that combating the Marijuana the governments spend tons of money, and also comparing the effects and causes of marijuana to the effects and causes of alcohol and tobacco makes thoughts easier to see legalization of marijuana makes the things better; On the other hand, looking to the other side of the coin, we got this drug which causes bad things in our bodies, it has immediate bad effects right after using it, it has also long-term effects, it seems also as a gateway drug in our society. The positive side of legalize the Marijuana. It has proved that Marijuana can be used as a treatment for many illness and bad symptoms of illness; for example, for those people who has Cancer Chemotherapy treatment and causes extreme nauseas and vomiting to them, Marijuana reduces those extreme symptoms, and it also alleviates pretreatment anxiety. For those people which because of their sickness had low appetite, and loss of muscle mass, Marijuana improves...
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...and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana Genaro Esparza SOC 120 Jenna Soard May 1, 2011 The Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana In 2010 an estimated 443,000 people died prematurely from smoking tobacco or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Despite these risks, approximately 46.6 million U.S. adults smoke cigarettes. Alcohol use last year led to 14,406 alcoholic liver disease deaths and 23,199 other alcohol related deaths excluding accidents and homicides. (Alcohol Use, 2009) Despite these alarming statistics, these substances remain legal and socially acceptable while marijuana, which has never killed anyone anywhere, is illegal, remains classified as a stage one controlled substance, which likens it to killer drugs such as LSD, and heroin, both so lethal you could die with a single use. Why is it socially acceptable to use substances, which kill thousands a year while a plant that is practically a miracle drug remains portrayed as one of the most dangerous substances, known to man? In this paper, we will look at the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana the financial impact as well as the effects it would have on industry. We will also look at social impact caused by legalizing marijuana can it be socially acceptable. Alcohol and tobacco continually kill people by the thousands and yet remain legal, why then is marijuana, a drug that has never killed a single person still illegal. The declaration...
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...about what would happen if we lived in a society where everything were legal? Would it be possible to have organization and live in a utopia-like society or would everything be mass chaos? What if only the non-harmful illegal subjects were made legal? If something is truly non-harmful then why is it illegal? These are all very good questions. One substance in particular that is illegal but has not been proven to be harmful is marijuana. In 1970, marijuana was officially illegalized when the Substance Abuse Act was passed. It wasn’t until 1996 that California was first state to take action and to legalize marijuana for medical use (“Medical Marijuana States”). In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Since then, Oregon, Alaska, and the District of Columbia have joined the group with numerous other states on the verge of recreational legalization. Currently, 23 states have marijuana legal in either recreational use, medical use, or both (“State Marijuana Laws Map”). So where should we stand on this marijuana dilemma? Are there benefits to legalization? Is the drug actually harmful or does it have medical benefits? Marijuana is a non-harmful substance, with numerous benefits available and should be legalized on a national level. Whether or not marijuana has any true medicinal value has been debated vigorously for decades now. In recent years the FDA has approved some medicinal use of marijuana in patients. However, the...
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...Legalization of Marijuana The plant cannabis sativa, better known as marijuana or hemp, has been used by many in different ways. It has been grown to provide food for villages and towns, and used for cloths, sails on early ships and most commonly rope. Many famous writings were written on hemp paper such as The Bible and a draft of the U.S. Constitution (Cronin, 1993). For many years people have smoked marijuana for recreational purposes. Although it was illegal to possess, smokers may still have partaken in the ritual of getting high, stoned, bombed, blitzed are only some of the terms that are used. Many will claim that marijuana is not a bad drug and many will say it is. In this argument we will identify that if it is true to fact or is it just a ploy by the government to keep it illegal. The use for medical purposes has also come to scrutiny as well. The majority of Americans choose the same issues as the most threatening to the nation. Invariably among these one will see “drugs” as a major concern of most Americans. There is speculation that this is due to a perceived association between drugs and crime (Inciardi, 1999). A good deal of the argument over government policy towards drugs centers on the least unhealthy and most socially accepted of the illegal drugs, marijuana. Marijuana, scientifically known as Tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC), belongs to its own group among other legal and illegal drugs. It is neither a narcotic, such as heroin, nor a stimulant, such...
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...I located an article from CNBC that I believe to be a controversial subject. The article is called Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana. In this article the author states that a useful analogy can be made to gambling. The author states that legalizing gambling has not reduced illegal gambling in the United States but instead it has increased it. I think I would have to disagree with this statement because people have the free will to make their own decisions. We as human beings know what is right and wrong and we are capable of weighing options and understanding consequences. But not everyone in this world makes good decisions where there are laws there are laws being broken. The choice of people to gamble illegally is their choice it is not a result of gambling being made legal, even if gambling were illegal people would do it just like marijuana is illegal and people are still doing it. The author in this article also talks about how reducing marijuana use is important to improving our nation’s health, education, and productivity. The author is more worried about legalization of marijuana for medical or general use would increase use in general. My argument to this is marijuana has been known to medically work for people when other manmade medicines do not. This drug has been known to help children who have epilepsy stop having seizures, and to help cancer patients who are in pain and who cannot eat feel better and eat meals. After watching some of the shows and specials I...
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...Marijuana has been used all over the world, by people from many different backgrounds and cultures and is dated back as far as 2737 B.C. It wasn't until 1937 that marijuana became illegal in the United States. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. According to a nationwide Rasmussen poll, as of 2012 fifty-six percent of Americans think marijuana should be legalized and regulated like alcohol and tobacco. Today there are seventeen states that have legalized the use of medicinal marijuana, and two states that have legalized it for recreational use as well. However, in a world where millions of people have died from alcohol and tobacco use, do we really need another legal drug? Many would argue no, but when scientific studies have shown that marijuana is actually less harmful to a person than alcohol or tobacco, it makes no sense to keep it illegal. Marijuana prohibition is simply doing more harm than good to society. In the 1920s, alcohol prohibition led to the widespread proliferation of violent criminal organizations that corrupted politicians and law enforcement officials to illegally peddle booze to otherwise law-abiding citizens. Similarly, by keeping marijuana illegal for the last seventy-five years, we have created a black market that helps fuel some of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the world. Legalizing marijuana could take the marijuana business out of the hands of drug cartels, by regulating and taxing marijuana in...
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...Should Marijuana be Legalized ? With recent changes in state laws regarding marijuana for medical use and even recreational use in some states like Colorado the debate on whether or not to decriminalize it’s use all together has never been stronger. To really address this issue we need to take a look at a few different aspects. To start the history of how marijuana became illegal in the first place. How legalizing marijuana would impact the Criminal Justice System and Economy of the US, and the social impacts of incarcerating individuals of seemingly minor drug charges. In short I hope to make a compelling argument for the decriminalization of marijuana. The first thing that came to my mind when thinking about whether or not to decriminalize the use of marijuana was, why is marijuana illegal in the first place? I did a little research and found some interesting information about the origins and uses of Hemp/Marijuana and how it became illegal. Marijuana was only recognized as an illegal drug as recently as the 1900s. Before this the Hemp plant was used to make fabrics, rope, food and much more. In fact one of the first laws in this country regarding Marijuana was enacted in Jamestown Virginia in the 1600s ordering all farmers to grow hemp seed. Over the next 200 years laws were passed that would send farmers to jail in times of shortages for not growing it because hemp was so important. It was even a form of currency early on and one could pay his taxes with hemp. Hemp...
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...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...
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...TV shows or even in chatting with friends is the legalization of marijuana. It is a polemical issue in our society with a lot of pros and cons. However, the main issue in this debate is why marijuana is still prohibited? The legalization will be the solution for several social problems that we have in our society, such as traffic, murders and everything that is involved in this illegal market. Serious dependence is the first argument that people against the legalization use in a debate. They say that marijuana causes dependence, and this dependence could interfere in social life of users, for example, school and job performance. First of all, there are research comproving that marijuana is less harmful to human health than most of other banned drugs, such as cocaine or crack. Furthermore, marijuana is less harmful than the main two legal drugs that we have nowadays. The dependence of tobacco and the changes in our mind of alcohol are countless times more harmful than marijuana. The main point in this discussion more than the dependence, is the social problems that the illegal commerce of marijuana causes. The current ways adopted by the government to combat the traffic are not working. The government does not know how to stop this illegal commerce. It happens because even with the legal prohibition the consumers do not stop to consume drugs and it does not stop trafficker to produce and sell illegal marijuana. In summary, only the combat against the crime is not the right way...
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