Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in United States and in many other countries; this is a statement that seems to be in each article that is written about the legalization of marijuana. This is a subject that has been up for debate for quite a few years now. There are many people who support the legalization of this drug and are strongly convinced that marijuana is not a drug in which one should be punished for, but rather a drug that should not be frowned upon and seen as a way to help our nation economically and medically. On the other end, there are also many people who support the criminalization of marijuana and believe it is a drug that should remain illegal or else further use of the drug may increase and become dangerous. There was a time in history when the use of marijuana was quite popular until it became illegal, like many other substances, it did not stop people from using. The question still remains, should marijuana be legalized? Throughout this writing piece, information regarding different views and opinions on the legalization of marijuana will be presented, along with positive and negative effects this would have on our nation economically and medically.
Caulkins, Jonathan B., Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer and Mark A.R. Kleiman. “What is Marijuana?” Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. USA: Oxford University Press, 2012. 2-12.
Focusing on convincing the reader of this book, Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, to come into agreement with the legalization of marijuana, the authors Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer, and Mark A.R. Kleiman explain what marijuana is. Marijuana, also known as cannabis sativa, is a plant whose dried flowers contain mind-altering chemicals known as cannabinoids. Another form of marijuana is known as hashish, it is made by extracting the cannabinoid-rich trichomes, which are the tiny hair-like
Bibliography: Caulkins, Jonathan B., Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer and Mark A.R. Kleiman. “What is Marijuana?” Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. USA: Oxford University Press, 2012. 2-12. Soros, George. (2010). “Why I Support Legal Marijuana” The Wall Street Journal (2010). Web. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303467004575574450703567656.html>. CNBC. (2010) “Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana.” Headlines from CNBC (2010). Web. <http://www.cnbc.com/id/36267223/Why_We_Should_Not_Legalize_Marijuana>.