Argumentative Essay: The Use Of Marijuana

“Under federal law, it is illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate marijuana, since the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, claiming it has a high potential for abuse and has no acceptable medical use” (Wikipedia). Also under federal law, if you are caught in possession of marijuana, you will be charged with a misdemeanor that has punishments of up to one year in prison and a fine of up $1000, and that’s just for possession (Stine). However, the FDA has approved two drugs containing an artificial version of the cannabinoids that are found in the marijuana plants and another drug containing an artificial chemical that resembles a mixture of cannabinoids from marijuana that are not present in
It is possible to experience a non-fatal overdose, which typically happens when people consume it orally and continue consuming it as the effects of oral use isn’t as immediate as inhalation and to treat these overdoses consists of monitoring the person’s heart rate/vitals, sleeping if off, or in some situations, a low-dose sedative (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Alcohol, on the other hand, can cause overdoses that have the potential of being fatal. The non-fatal overdoses have treatment options, most of which are quite invasive, like intubation to help with breathing, a catheter, or even an IV drip of fluids. (NHS Choices). Illicit drugs, cannabis excluded, are illegal for good reasons, with the amount of serious and harmful reactions they cause the body but alcohol, a mind-altering substance is legal, even with being in the same category as illicit drugs. Another legal toxin is tobacco, which is used by smoking and oral use and is the one herb that has been accounted for having the most deaths out of all herbs (US Department of Health and Human Services) (Charlton). So why are we making cannabis, one of the safest of all evils, if there was such a thing, illegal and an immediate penalization by