Arguments For Legalizing Marijuana
Legalize it, Don’t Criticize It Jacob Cecil Brigham Young University-Idaho
Abstract In Jacob Cecil’s paper, who is a BYU-Idaho student majoring in social work talks about controversial topic on the legalization of marijuana. He focuses in on few core topics that heavily impact individual’s views on this topic. The one fiery debate that he goes into how it’s surfaced again is the prohibition of marijuana, then he fires into the effects on the body mentally and physically. Then dives into the medical marijuana benefits, the effects on our society, and goes right into the impact on our economy with taxes and prison. Even though there is a good chunk against legalization, …show more content…
this paper discussed the positive influence it would have. It will show the balancing effect marijuana’s properties on the body when used compared to the harmful influences from tobacco and alcohol. He explains this through laying out studies of facts for medicinal purposes and explores prohibition plays a role on crime in the United States
Legalize It, Don’t Criticize It
The view about marijuana in society 40 years ago is much more conclusive than it is this day in age. The United States is realizing the consequences and starting to second guess its position on the subject of those convicted for the most popular illegal drug on earth which is marijuana. It is now accepted half of our states and new medical research has been done. The main argument in America society today is why prohibition of marijuana still lingering around because it is built on a false sense of the economic aspect on our country, medical values, the effects on are body mentally and physically. This argument I feel is very important and can be validated with numerous of reasons. The use of marijuana being the most widely spread substance in the world, the daily usage being in the millions, with hundreds of millions of people that have tried it and it has put such a clamp on those individuals because of the drug laws. The rooted effect of frustration comes from the newly developed proof that needs an explanation that is long overdue on the prohibition of marijuana is being re-evaluated in the area that involves the economy, society, and the science behind it. The usage of marijuana being for medical reasons and for leisure is being exhaustively examined in over half of the United States in some formula, accepted in some usage, and medical marijuana patients conversely can be place into prison by federal law. According to Harrison & Beck (2004), “Since 1992, approximately six million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges” (p.11). Additionally, the United States alone spends roughly around 30 billion a year on the war against drugs. Over 50 percent of those numbers are from marijuana issues and society is starting to second guess the progress of this drug war. The people held in captivity, the U.S. budget, and citizen’s tax dollars are all affected by this drug war. If we step in the batter’s box and decide to make some modifications to these drug laws, it will make a positive change for all Americans. The Cannabis Sativa plant known as marijuana was encountered as far back as 2700 BC in China and moved across the world to Northern Africa and India. The United States has used Marijuana for assortment of medical purposes from the mid-19th century through the 1940’s for nausea and as a solution for labor pains. Even with the Cannabis Sativa plant generating marijuana, it also harvested hemp which is a beneficial cash crop that can create numerous fabricated materials and for varies purposes. In the thirties, marijuana was expelled by America because of increased number of people abusing this sativa plant. This was due to amendment that took place in 1920, which was prohibition of alcohol and that made marijuana become plan B when it came to using something for leisure. The enthusiasm for marijuana is caused by the euphoria feeling you get from THC that enters your veins, which THC is the key component from marijuana that affects the receptors in the brain that results in laughter, sleepiness, craving for food, and other pleasurable experiences. In 1965, United States passed the drug abuse control amendment which was the foundation of our country cracking down on illegal drugs.
“One of President Johnson 's first messages (January 7, 1965) exhorted the lawmakers to rush through legislation to bring the production and distribution of barbiturates, amphetamines, and other phytotoxic drugs under more effective control and at the same time to give federal law-enforcement agencies authority to seize counterfeit drugs at their source”.(as cited in King, 2007, page 1)
About 5 years later President Nixon was the mastermind behind the concept of today’s modern drug war with a no holds barred on drugs and crimes in America. In our country today, marijuana is categorized as a Schedule I drug, teamed up with Heroin, LSD, Peyote, and has not been change since the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 was established. In a 2012 Report by DEA Diversion Control “Substances in this schedule have no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse” (p.1). I find that kind of odd because marijuana in certain states is used for medical use, but the federal law overrides the state and that opens the window for medical marijuana patients to be thrown in prison.
We need to have convinced ideas put in line so the evidence can be offered to us correctly.
The argument that I am laying out to you is the legalization of marijuana for both medical and leisure purposes. This argument does not pertain for marijuana being healthy for us or for illegal drugs to be legalized. Furthermore, it is more geared in the direction of marijuana in the medical world and its health benefits in association to legal substances. First, I want to explain some vocabulary in this argument that I feel needs to be explored. When the female bud of the Sativa plant and leaves dry out becomes what is it is commonly known as marijuana. The key ingredient of marijuana which has many benefits is Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is normally called THC. One definition I feel is very important to talk about is the decriminalization. The simple way to explain this concept is that presents a dismissal of any criminal punishment for possessing marijuana in any circumstances, but could have limitations which result with some sort of fine without serving time in person. The government approval is the only way to have legalization of marijuana. The skirmish between drug dealers and the law enforcement is what is known as the Drug …show more content…
War.
The main focal point about the argument over legalization of marijuana is broken down into a few major categories. The one issue that has more of the public spotlight, especially in the media is the medical aspect of marijuana. Secondly, that marijuana is harmful and its relationship to other illegal drugs. Then I would say the effect of marijuana has on our nation’s economy.
In the discussion of medical marijuana there are a substantial amount of arguments opposing why we ought to not tolerate it for medical purposes. In a 2004 Report by Mark Souder says, “Patients who are smoking marijuana are being denied legitimate care that could improve rather than worsen their medical conditions” (p.1). Mark is a member of the US House of Representatives and along with the AMA made a comment as well that marijuana should remain as a schedule I drug and doesn’t have any medical benefits and has an increase chance for abuse. The Food and Drug Administration has a certain procedures with the community of individuals in the medical and science field to conclude the safety and functioning effects of medications. This procedure has not accepted marijuana in their eyes. The government has the mindset that pro marijuana are using medical marijuana as a tool to make it legalized in general, does give it a strong outlook that does cause commotion on both sides. The FDA hasn’t given the thumbs up for marijuana, so the opponents feel it is too unsafe and that clarifies the prohibition of marijuana. They feel that the plant is pointless because there is a substitute for using marijuana called Marinol, THC in a pill form. They also point out that there are elements in marijuana that are cancer related and that there has been test done that a pack of cigarettes daily equal to smoking a handful of joints in a week.
The rivals against legalization for all tenacities have confidence in that it is dangerous to the consumers of marijuana and hence that it should continue to be illegal. The popular opinions made by rivals of marijuana is it’s a gateway drug and leads to hardcore drugs. Along with that argument, they point out that the THC levels of marijuana are five times more potent today compared to the 1960’s. This obviously directs an increased strength in THC levels which makes the element unhealthy. It has been scientifically confirmed that daily marijuana smokers can be numb at every moment because the THC floats around in fat cells for long periods. There have been experiments done on animals that have exposed damage on the brain from marijuana. Rivals have expressed brain chemistry effects of long term use of other drugs are real comparable to Marijuana. The motivation levels are also decreased due to the nerve cells and that is another popular opposing argument. The jeopardy of blood pressure increase and heart attacks as well in the beginning stages of smoking. The Prohibitionists say that smokers have an increase chance for respiratory problems, infections in the lungs, and certain cancers because they express that there is double the carcinogens in Marijuana compared to tobacco.
They also stated that you are more prone to diseases because the smoke hurts your immune system which results in not being able to fight off diseases. The last important part of this argument is that even though Marijuana doesn’t have the formula for addiction, they feel it still has certain features of addictive traits of sleeplessness and being irritable. The issue I think is the most important is the most disregarded issue in the debate of legalization is the impact of prohibition of marijuana on our economy. The rivals of legalization defends that the expenses of prohibition with the outlook that our society would be harmfully impacted if it became legal. First of all they sense that if legalized the hazard of Marijuana will be misunderstood by the average person and would increase drug abuse. They are confident that crime rates would soar across the country if marijuana was accepted in the community. The Prohibitionists feel that the drug marketplace would still be flexible for the growers and decriminalizing would raise the amount of marijuana users.
In the concerns to medical marijuana assessment, advocates of legalization trust that marijuana runs into the FDA principles as a drug that has the positives prevail over its dangers.
This is looked at to be the standard when the FDA decides on favoring a drug for therapeutic purposes. There has been a few varies test done by our government that proves that marijuana has medical benefits. The rivals stated that Marinol, the alternative use of THC eliminates the reason to use marijuana for beneficial purposes. There have been expensive tests done by different institutes that have proven that Marinol is not as useful as smoking. In a 2012 Report by National Academics Press “there are other elements marijuana has that help patients in ways that Marinol cannot.”(p.137) The issues with Marinol is that it take a while for it to kick in, more expensive, and patients are higher for too long of a time frame compared to smoking marijuana. The fact that many patients use marijuana for nausea and patients are throwing it back up because Marinol is taken in a pill approach, which defeats the whole
point.
.
The rivals to legalization debate the issue of Marijuana being unsafe or more dangerous than the substances such as alcohol or tobacco. There is no evidence that validates a recording of anyone ever dying from Marijuana intake, while the same cannot be explained for alcohol and tobacco. The supporters say that marijuana shouldn’t be in the same category as a schedule I drug like heroin and LSD because it is purely less damaging of a substance than alcohol and tobacco. Supporters also highlight that Marijuana does not harm the brain the way it was expressed, it simply improves the action of the brain connected to alpha waves, which triggers you to mellow out and brings that euphoria feeling. Activists of legalization state that it is merely false that Marijuana has added potency this day in age now than it was back in the 1960’s, applying the details that lack evidence during the 60’s bringing a failure in potency results of studies and that marijuana is similar in the present as it was in the 60’s. Supporters contest the statements that marijuana damages memory by stating damage happens only when you’re under the influence and that test showed they were brainwashing people into thinking that the damage was eternal when in fact it was short-term. In the 1990’s, there was false statements in commercial ad’s from certain Drug-Free programs. When examiners argued about the legitimacy of the ad that told how marijuana squashes brain waves it was shut off the air. Supporters of legalization maintain that you can squash the arguments against marijuana about to respiratory damage compared to cigarettes and other methods for marijuana use which include vaporizers, or the eating of cannabis in foods and candies. Many recognize Marijuana prohibition as a large burden to our economy, and proponents of legalization state that this burden would be removed if Marijuana was legalized and regulated by the government. According to many, America is waging a very expensive and seemingly ineffective war on drugs that is costing our nation roughly 30 billion a year. Half of this cost goes towards the prohibition of Marijuana, so if legalized, Marijuana supporters deduce that we would reduce the cost of the drug war by roughly 50 percent. Proponents of legalization also emphasize that based on those statistics we would be spared 15 billion a year, which could be used more constructively. The drug war causes closer to a million arrests a year for issues related to marijuana related charges, which is expensive and is considered to be an unfair penalty to most individuals. The supporter’s resolution for our fallen economy could profit from legalizing and expressed if it followed same formula as the Netherlands would help improve our budget slowly but surely. Amsterdam alone is earning around 70 million a yearly and is mostly produced nearby and the accessibility of hemp goods would also improve our revenue. The government needs to open its eyes by taxing marijuana and you would find comparable numbers. In the United States alone, the government is making 12 million each year by taxing alcohol and tobacco, and we would get familiar results with doing the same with marijuana.
Advocates debate that in the prohibition of marijuana is not just a liability on our economy, but society as a whole and that putting guidelines on marijuana resolve everything. The fact alone that it cost us tax payers 10,000 each time we arrest someone and our averages over 800,00 arrest annually that destroys the lives of those individuals, registering them as criminals that will be carted with them as long as they live. Marijuana donates to 50 percent of the war on drugs, this would leave the drug cartels empty handed and you would see a drop off in violence related to this war would be cut in half. Lastly, tests have shown that incarceration for drug charges is less effective than treatment. According to Sternberg (1998), “Drug and alcohol abuse are medical problems that respond to treatment just as well as diabetes and other chronic diseases do, and treatment is less expensive and more effective than incarcerating addicts, according to the public health group, Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy”. (p.8) It’s these type of issues that motivates supporters to get up, stand up, and fight for your rights.
To digest this whole debate of the main outlooks by the two parties of the advocates and their rivals of these core topics relating to the legalize marijuana needs to be regurgitated. One of the opposing views is the core topic of marijuana having no medical benefit can be dodged with THC replacements to the plant. They have confidence in that there isn’t enough adequate of studies done to challenge their philosophy to second guess reconsidering prohibition for medical marijuana. Advocates feel completely opposite that there is convincing amount of evidence showing that marijuana can bless the sick. They have faith that marijuana fits in the category as a remedy to those individuals in need. Next, is the other core topic if the Marijuana damaging enough to continue to be illegal and blend that in with the comparison with alcohol and tobacco. Rivals to legalization insist that marijuana believe that marijuana holds a threat to society that it should continue to be banned, when the advocates of legalizing marijuana contest those statements with the demonstration of updated studies and findings that expose its present position as being damaging, prohibited drug. Furthermore, the last core topic is how legalization plays a role in our economy? Rivals feel that it would boost crime and drug use along with other factors. Advocates believe Proponents believed the reverse of this matter with providing studies and personal opinions of the encouraging effect of marijuana would have if we legalized it. After passionately overlooking all the evidence and breaking down the concepts by each party, I have concluded without any hesitation that there is no excuse to keep incarcerating individuals for using marijuana in our society. The prohibition mind set has a disillusioned outlook on the issue and what they have confidence in grounded on deceitful proof from second-rate studies As we strive to evolve into latter-days I am feeling stronger and stronger about that marijuana should even be in the same category as alcohol and tobacco. Throughout the past decades the sponsored test and marketing tools done by the government that circled our society has brainwashed us and find very much like the funnies section of the New York Times. I can wrap my finger around why our government continues to display the negative publicity tools or why look over the other shoulder when more of our country wants to legalize it, but from my personal experience I believe that it is just a few groups or individual that benefit from this drug war and the government plays a key role in providing drugs to cartels. More and more evidence is accurately displaying that marijuana is not harmful, and you ask anybody across the world that has inhaled would tell you how ridiculous our laws have become. I am condoning marijuana use, but if someone wants to sit in the privacy of their own home, roll up a joint without being harassed more power too you.. These concepts and laws is costing us tax payers billions and billions of dollars, let’s improve the budget, tax it, regulate it, free up the prisons for those non-violent people. I have seen friends and family benefit from the remedy of marijuana. Before you point your finger, make sure your hands are clean.
References
Armentano, Paul (2012). Opposing Viewpoints Series: Medical Marijauna. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, p.73
Bearman, David (2011). Current Controversies: Medical Marijuana. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, p. 66
Gamble, Joe (2012). Introducing Issues With Opposing Viewpoints: Marijuana. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, p. 173
Joy, Janet E., & Watson, Stanley J.(2012). Marijauna and Medicine. The National Academic Press, 137-138. Retrieved from http://nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376
King, Rufus (2007). The Drug Hang Up, America’s Fifty-Year Folly. Drug Abuse Control, 1965. Retrieved from http://druglibrary.org/special/king/dhu26.htm
Souder, Mark (2004). Should marijuana be reclassified as a drug generally available by prescription (Schedule II or III)? Retrieved from http://medicalmarijuana.procon.rg/view.answers.php?questionsID=00330
Sternberg, Steve. (1998). Doctors Want Addicts Cured, Not Jailed. USA Today, (p.8) Retrieved from http://ndsn.org/marapr98/treat1.html
Abstract In Jacob Cecil’s paper, who is a BYU-Idaho student majoring in social work talks about controversial topic on the legalization of marijuana. He focuses in on few core topics that heavily impact individual’s views on this topic. The one fiery debate that he goes into how it’s surfaced again is the prohibition of marijuana, then he fires into the effects on the body mentally and physically. Then dives into the medical marijuana benefits, the effects on our society, and goes right into the impact on our economy with taxes and prison. Even though there is a good chunk against legalization, …show more content…
this paper discussed the positive influence it would have. It will show the balancing effect marijuana’s properties on the body when used compared to the harmful influences from tobacco and alcohol. He explains this through laying out studies of facts for medicinal purposes and explores prohibition plays a role on crime in the United States
Legalize It, Don’t Criticize It
The view about marijuana in society 40 years ago is much more conclusive than it is this day in age. The United States is realizing the consequences and starting to second guess its position on the subject of those convicted for the most popular illegal drug on earth which is marijuana. It is now accepted half of our states and new medical research has been done. The main argument in America society today is why prohibition of marijuana still lingering around because it is built on a false sense of the economic aspect on our country, medical values, the effects on are body mentally and physically. This argument I feel is very important and can be validated with numerous of reasons. The use of marijuana being the most widely spread substance in the world, the daily usage being in the millions, with hundreds of millions of people that have tried it and it has put such a clamp on those individuals because of the drug laws. The rooted effect of frustration comes from the newly developed proof that needs an explanation that is long overdue on the prohibition of marijuana is being re-evaluated in the area that involves the economy, society, and the science behind it. The usage of marijuana being for medical reasons and for leisure is being exhaustively examined in over half of the United States in some formula, accepted in some usage, and medical marijuana patients conversely can be place into prison by federal law. According to Harrison & Beck (2004), “Since 1992, approximately six million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges” (p.11). Additionally, the United States alone spends roughly around 30 billion a year on the war against drugs. Over 50 percent of those numbers are from marijuana issues and society is starting to second guess the progress of this drug war. The people held in captivity, the U.S. budget, and citizen’s tax dollars are all affected by this drug war. If we step in the batter’s box and decide to make some modifications to these drug laws, it will make a positive change for all Americans. The Cannabis Sativa plant known as marijuana was encountered as far back as 2700 BC in China and moved across the world to Northern Africa and India. The United States has used Marijuana for assortment of medical purposes from the mid-19th century through the 1940’s for nausea and as a solution for labor pains. Even with the Cannabis Sativa plant generating marijuana, it also harvested hemp which is a beneficial cash crop that can create numerous fabricated materials and for varies purposes. In the thirties, marijuana was expelled by America because of increased number of people abusing this sativa plant. This was due to amendment that took place in 1920, which was prohibition of alcohol and that made marijuana become plan B when it came to using something for leisure. The enthusiasm for marijuana is caused by the euphoria feeling you get from THC that enters your veins, which THC is the key component from marijuana that affects the receptors in the brain that results in laughter, sleepiness, craving for food, and other pleasurable experiences. In 1965, United States passed the drug abuse control amendment which was the foundation of our country cracking down on illegal drugs.
“One of President Johnson 's first messages (January 7, 1965) exhorted the lawmakers to rush through legislation to bring the production and distribution of barbiturates, amphetamines, and other phytotoxic drugs under more effective control and at the same time to give federal law-enforcement agencies authority to seize counterfeit drugs at their source”.(as cited in King, 2007, page 1)
About 5 years later President Nixon was the mastermind behind the concept of today’s modern drug war with a no holds barred on drugs and crimes in America. In our country today, marijuana is categorized as a Schedule I drug, teamed up with Heroin, LSD, Peyote, and has not been change since the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 was established. In a 2012 Report by DEA Diversion Control “Substances in this schedule have no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse” (p.1). I find that kind of odd because marijuana in certain states is used for medical use, but the federal law overrides the state and that opens the window for medical marijuana patients to be thrown in prison.
We need to have convinced ideas put in line so the evidence can be offered to us correctly.
The argument that I am laying out to you is the legalization of marijuana for both medical and leisure purposes. This argument does not pertain for marijuana being healthy for us or for illegal drugs to be legalized. Furthermore, it is more geared in the direction of marijuana in the medical world and its health benefits in association to legal substances. First, I want to explain some vocabulary in this argument that I feel needs to be explored. When the female bud of the Sativa plant and leaves dry out becomes what is it is commonly known as marijuana. The key ingredient of marijuana which has many benefits is Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is normally called THC. One definition I feel is very important to talk about is the decriminalization. The simple way to explain this concept is that presents a dismissal of any criminal punishment for possessing marijuana in any circumstances, but could have limitations which result with some sort of fine without serving time in person. The government approval is the only way to have legalization of marijuana. The skirmish between drug dealers and the law enforcement is what is known as the Drug …show more content…
War.
The main focal point about the argument over legalization of marijuana is broken down into a few major categories. The one issue that has more of the public spotlight, especially in the media is the medical aspect of marijuana. Secondly, that marijuana is harmful and its relationship to other illegal drugs. Then I would say the effect of marijuana has on our nation’s economy.
In the discussion of medical marijuana there are a substantial amount of arguments opposing why we ought to not tolerate it for medical purposes. In a 2004 Report by Mark Souder says, “Patients who are smoking marijuana are being denied legitimate care that could improve rather than worsen their medical conditions” (p.1). Mark is a member of the US House of Representatives and along with the AMA made a comment as well that marijuana should remain as a schedule I drug and doesn’t have any medical benefits and has an increase chance for abuse. The Food and Drug Administration has a certain procedures with the community of individuals in the medical and science field to conclude the safety and functioning effects of medications. This procedure has not accepted marijuana in their eyes. The government has the mindset that pro marijuana are using medical marijuana as a tool to make it legalized in general, does give it a strong outlook that does cause commotion on both sides. The FDA hasn’t given the thumbs up for marijuana, so the opponents feel it is too unsafe and that clarifies the prohibition of marijuana. They feel that the plant is pointless because there is a substitute for using marijuana called Marinol, THC in a pill form. They also point out that there are elements in marijuana that are cancer related and that there has been test done that a pack of cigarettes daily equal to smoking a handful of joints in a week.
The rivals against legalization for all tenacities have confidence in that it is dangerous to the consumers of marijuana and hence that it should continue to be illegal. The popular opinions made by rivals of marijuana is it’s a gateway drug and leads to hardcore drugs. Along with that argument, they point out that the THC levels of marijuana are five times more potent today compared to the 1960’s. This obviously directs an increased strength in THC levels which makes the element unhealthy. It has been scientifically confirmed that daily marijuana smokers can be numb at every moment because the THC floats around in fat cells for long periods. There have been experiments done on animals that have exposed damage on the brain from marijuana. Rivals have expressed brain chemistry effects of long term use of other drugs are real comparable to Marijuana. The motivation levels are also decreased due to the nerve cells and that is another popular opposing argument. The jeopardy of blood pressure increase and heart attacks as well in the beginning stages of smoking. The Prohibitionists say that smokers have an increase chance for respiratory problems, infections in the lungs, and certain cancers because they express that there is double the carcinogens in Marijuana compared to tobacco.
They also stated that you are more prone to diseases because the smoke hurts your immune system which results in not being able to fight off diseases. The last important part of this argument is that even though Marijuana doesn’t have the formula for addiction, they feel it still has certain features of addictive traits of sleeplessness and being irritable. The issue I think is the most important is the most disregarded issue in the debate of legalization is the impact of prohibition of marijuana on our economy. The rivals of legalization defends that the expenses of prohibition with the outlook that our society would be harmfully impacted if it became legal. First of all they sense that if legalized the hazard of Marijuana will be misunderstood by the average person and would increase drug abuse. They are confident that crime rates would soar across the country if marijuana was accepted in the community. The Prohibitionists feel that the drug marketplace would still be flexible for the growers and decriminalizing would raise the amount of marijuana users.
In the concerns to medical marijuana assessment, advocates of legalization trust that marijuana runs into the FDA principles as a drug that has the positives prevail over its dangers.
This is looked at to be the standard when the FDA decides on favoring a drug for therapeutic purposes. There has been a few varies test done by our government that proves that marijuana has medical benefits. The rivals stated that Marinol, the alternative use of THC eliminates the reason to use marijuana for beneficial purposes. There have been expensive tests done by different institutes that have proven that Marinol is not as useful as smoking. In a 2012 Report by National Academics Press “there are other elements marijuana has that help patients in ways that Marinol cannot.”(p.137) The issues with Marinol is that it take a while for it to kick in, more expensive, and patients are higher for too long of a time frame compared to smoking marijuana. The fact that many patients use marijuana for nausea and patients are throwing it back up because Marinol is taken in a pill approach, which defeats the whole
point.
.
The rivals to legalization debate the issue of Marijuana being unsafe or more dangerous than the substances such as alcohol or tobacco. There is no evidence that validates a recording of anyone ever dying from Marijuana intake, while the same cannot be explained for alcohol and tobacco. The supporters say that marijuana shouldn’t be in the same category as a schedule I drug like heroin and LSD because it is purely less damaging of a substance than alcohol and tobacco. Supporters also highlight that Marijuana does not harm the brain the way it was expressed, it simply improves the action of the brain connected to alpha waves, which triggers you to mellow out and brings that euphoria feeling. Activists of legalization state that it is merely false that Marijuana has added potency this day in age now than it was back in the 1960’s, applying the details that lack evidence during the 60’s bringing a failure in potency results of studies and that marijuana is similar in the present as it was in the 60’s. Supporters contest the statements that marijuana damages memory by stating damage happens only when you’re under the influence and that test showed they were brainwashing people into thinking that the damage was eternal when in fact it was short-term. In the 1990’s, there was false statements in commercial ad’s from certain Drug-Free programs. When examiners argued about the legitimacy of the ad that told how marijuana squashes brain waves it was shut off the air. Supporters of legalization maintain that you can squash the arguments against marijuana about to respiratory damage compared to cigarettes and other methods for marijuana use which include vaporizers, or the eating of cannabis in foods and candies. Many recognize Marijuana prohibition as a large burden to our economy, and proponents of legalization state that this burden would be removed if Marijuana was legalized and regulated by the government. According to many, America is waging a very expensive and seemingly ineffective war on drugs that is costing our nation roughly 30 billion a year. Half of this cost goes towards the prohibition of Marijuana, so if legalized, Marijuana supporters deduce that we would reduce the cost of the drug war by roughly 50 percent. Proponents of legalization also emphasize that based on those statistics we would be spared 15 billion a year, which could be used more constructively. The drug war causes closer to a million arrests a year for issues related to marijuana related charges, which is expensive and is considered to be an unfair penalty to most individuals. The supporter’s resolution for our fallen economy could profit from legalizing and expressed if it followed same formula as the Netherlands would help improve our budget slowly but surely. Amsterdam alone is earning around 70 million a yearly and is mostly produced nearby and the accessibility of hemp goods would also improve our revenue. The government needs to open its eyes by taxing marijuana and you would find comparable numbers. In the United States alone, the government is making 12 million each year by taxing alcohol and tobacco, and we would get familiar results with doing the same with marijuana.
Advocates debate that in the prohibition of marijuana is not just a liability on our economy, but society as a whole and that putting guidelines on marijuana resolve everything. The fact alone that it cost us tax payers 10,000 each time we arrest someone and our averages over 800,00 arrest annually that destroys the lives of those individuals, registering them as criminals that will be carted with them as long as they live. Marijuana donates to 50 percent of the war on drugs, this would leave the drug cartels empty handed and you would see a drop off in violence related to this war would be cut in half. Lastly, tests have shown that incarceration for drug charges is less effective than treatment. According to Sternberg (1998), “Drug and alcohol abuse are medical problems that respond to treatment just as well as diabetes and other chronic diseases do, and treatment is less expensive and more effective than incarcerating addicts, according to the public health group, Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy”. (p.8) It’s these type of issues that motivates supporters to get up, stand up, and fight for your rights.
To digest this whole debate of the main outlooks by the two parties of the advocates and their rivals of these core topics relating to the legalize marijuana needs to be regurgitated. One of the opposing views is the core topic of marijuana having no medical benefit can be dodged with THC replacements to the plant. They have confidence in that there isn’t enough adequate of studies done to challenge their philosophy to second guess reconsidering prohibition for medical marijuana. Advocates feel completely opposite that there is convincing amount of evidence showing that marijuana can bless the sick. They have faith that marijuana fits in the category as a remedy to those individuals in need. Next, is the other core topic if the Marijuana damaging enough to continue to be illegal and blend that in with the comparison with alcohol and tobacco. Rivals to legalization insist that marijuana believe that marijuana holds a threat to society that it should continue to be banned, when the advocates of legalizing marijuana contest those statements with the demonstration of updated studies and findings that expose its present position as being damaging, prohibited drug. Furthermore, the last core topic is how legalization plays a role in our economy? Rivals feel that it would boost crime and drug use along with other factors. Advocates believe Proponents believed the reverse of this matter with providing studies and personal opinions of the encouraging effect of marijuana would have if we legalized it. After passionately overlooking all the evidence and breaking down the concepts by each party, I have concluded without any hesitation that there is no excuse to keep incarcerating individuals for using marijuana in our society. The prohibition mind set has a disillusioned outlook on the issue and what they have confidence in grounded on deceitful proof from second-rate studies As we strive to evolve into latter-days I am feeling stronger and stronger about that marijuana should even be in the same category as alcohol and tobacco. Throughout the past decades the sponsored test and marketing tools done by the government that circled our society has brainwashed us and find very much like the funnies section of the New York Times. I can wrap my finger around why our government continues to display the negative publicity tools or why look over the other shoulder when more of our country wants to legalize it, but from my personal experience I believe that it is just a few groups or individual that benefit from this drug war and the government plays a key role in providing drugs to cartels. More and more evidence is accurately displaying that marijuana is not harmful, and you ask anybody across the world that has inhaled would tell you how ridiculous our laws have become. I am condoning marijuana use, but if someone wants to sit in the privacy of their own home, roll up a joint without being harassed more power too you.. These concepts and laws is costing us tax payers billions and billions of dollars, let’s improve the budget, tax it, regulate it, free up the prisons for those non-violent people. I have seen friends and family benefit from the remedy of marijuana. Before you point your finger, make sure your hands are clean.
References
Armentano, Paul (2012). Opposing Viewpoints Series: Medical Marijauna. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, p.73
Bearman, David (2011). Current Controversies: Medical Marijuana. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, p. 66
Gamble, Joe (2012). Introducing Issues With Opposing Viewpoints: Marijuana. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, p. 173
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