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Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper

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Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper
Alex Jones Jones 1
Professor Sosnoski
ENG 102
30 January 2013
Legalization of Marijuana Recently, the controversial debate over legalizing marijuana has become more relevant than ever before. In the states of Washington and Colorado marijuana is currently legal for recreational use. In Michigan the cities of Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids have decriminalized the drug. Also, in the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti the penalties for marijuana are closely related to receiving a speeding ticket. I will be researching the legalization of marijuana in the United States. As I began to research this topic I realized just how uneducated many people are when it comes to marijuana. Cannabis, or marijuana, as it is more commonly referred …show more content…
Marijuana has gained momentum as a treatment for various medical conditions and a pain reliever. Today, 18 states and the District of Columbia have made medical use legal, and at least seven more states are considering it. The rules and regulations vary from state to state but the general premise is that if approved by a doctor one can register and legally use marijuana. Some of the …show more content…
Conditions that marijuana is typically prescribed to treat are cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. Medical cannabis is a highly controversial subject because cannabis is still considered illegal under federal law. In fact, Federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which means that it has no safe medical use and a high potential for abuse. Both of these statements are completely false. Marijuana has been proven to be beneficial as a form of medical treatment. Also, marijuana is not physically addictive and therefore, has low potential for abuse. Some people can develop minor dependence issues from a psychological standpoint. When comparing marijuana's drug classification to the most popular drugs in the United States it is illogical. Alcohol and Tobacco are both far more addictive and harmful than cannabis is. Each year new research is released documenting the harmful effects that tobacco and alcohol have on the body. Including direct links to cancer and death. Unlike tobacco marijuana has never been linked to cancer. In addition, there has never been a single documented death from cannabis usage. Alcohol causes people to use poor decision making and it causes people to become violent and aggressive. When comparing marijuana to modern day pharmaceuticals one again is forced to conclude that marijuana's classification is unjustified.
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