Legalizing Marijuana Pros And Cons

The general use of marijuana can be viewed from two different aspects. These aspects include both the pros and the cons of the drug. Many Americans are in support of the drug in terms of medical use. Personally, I believe that there is nothing wrong with the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Medical marijuana is the only non-synthetic medication out there that treats many of society's health problems. A few of these problems include; relief from nausea, loss of appetite, and certain pains associated with other diseases. On the other hand, according to the Controlled Substance Act, marijuana is still considered a schedule one drug, and in most places is still illegal. Also if marijuana was to be legalized, it would have to have many regulations
in play to be able to correctly and safely incorporate the "drug" into society. I believe that the benefits outweigh the risk in this situation.

Benefits of legalizing marijuana cover a vast array of areas.
The first, and most important in my eyes is that marijuana is a "safer" medication. Compared to most other medications marijuana is much safer and treats the same symptoms. For example, Chemotherapy is used as one of the main treatments for cancer, but does not come without side effects. The most occurring side effects are nausea, vomiting and, appetite loss. These are the exact side effects that can be treated with marijuana. Another benefit of the legalization of marijuana it the fact that it can be taxed and sold for a profit like alcohol is. The United States is in debt amounting to trillions of dollars. If the government is all about success-the process of achieving goals- as they say, then making marijuana legal and selling it for medicinal purposes, I believe that within a short amount of years we would see a massive decrease in our debt. Just take a second to think about how many people in the United States use marijuana daily in its illegal state. on that same note, think of how much revenue the government would generate if they legalized marijuana and taxed it like they do alcohol, which causes many deaths annually and is still considered legal. the United States is in need of another "home soil resource", so legalizing marijuana would both increase the amount of jobs in this country and also increase the amount of resources on U.S. soil( which we are in desperate need of). So , the legalization
of marijuana has many beneficial aspects to it. If used as a medication, marijuana is one of the safest "drugs" out there, treating complications with cancer, paralysis, and even side effects of H.I.V. and AIDS. The denial of legalization of marijuana disregards certain aspects of Human Diversity. The first aspect in violation is culture. Many cultures have used marijuana for centuries for recreational use and also for medicinal purposes. So, going against this legalization can be considered a violation of out cultural rights. Global perspective is another aspect to consider. By definition, global perspective is the view of the world and our place in it. Throughout history, no matter the religion or culture, one thing is the same, supporting the general well-being of people. Marijuana has many safe and beneficial qualities to it. So, if we as a people are bred to help others, then why not do it in a safe way?

On the other hand, marijuana does have some negative qualities to it.
One of these qualities is the fact that marijuana is a drug. In our society, the use of drugs is heavily frowned upon. Marijuana is also considered a "Gateway Drug". So why should our government legalize one drug that has the possibility of leading to other drugs? That is just unfair to our society and can cause serious if not more severe complications than just continuing to keep the drug illegal. Marijuana also has some side effects. Consistently using this drug can lead to short-term memory loss, lack of motivation and also a decrease in critical reaction time. So, legalizing marijuana has the potential of decreasing the attention span of our people. With technology on the rise, making daily life less complicated and easier and requiring less thought, what would happen to our government officials? Maybe if our president was allowed to use marijuana on a regular basis, he/she would forget some important aspects of running our country. Also, if marijuana was allowed to be used in the military, how would it affect our troops? For example, on a battlefield where enemies are trying to kill our troops, minor details can be the deciding factor between life and death. The government simply can't legalize a drug that has the possibility of such negative side effects. Let's say that a commanding officer was "high", and gave the wrong coordinates to a battalion? This could lead them to be inside of the enemy
base and into a slaughter vs. One mile outside of the camp where they are supposed to be. I personally believe that if marijuana was to be legalized it should not be used in any branch of the military! Too many risks can come along with the use of the drug. Another downfall of marijuana is the fact that smoking it releases the same carcinogens that can cause cancer. The final con of legalizing marijuana is that though it can help many aspects of health, there are not enough tests to prove the actual effectiveness of the drug in the medical field. With such a lack of evidence in the support of the benefits of marijuana, the government can't legalize a drug that it not proven to help our society.

Though marijuana use has its disadvantages such as, lack of accurate testing to prove its worthiness, and the possibility of causing memory loss and a decrease in cognitive ability, I believe that the good qualities of the so-called "drug" outweigh the risks. If it was to be legalized, it would be a naturally occurring medicine that does less damage than most, and can help out with our debt situation. I believe that legalizing marijuana is one of the safest ways to improve the United States economy and well-being of our people as a whole. However, there would have to be many regulations in play just to do so. Smoking in public would not be allowed, and also use in the government could not be allowed.