Marijuana
Hallie McCadden 2/13/13
Letter to Editor
Dear Editor, Mary Jane. No, not the name of someone. I am talking about marijuana, or whatever you want to call it. Pot, dope, weed, grass, or green, whatever you fancy. It sweeps through just about every school and you either choose to smoke or not. Marijuana is illegal at the moment, but I think it should be legalized. More than 750,000 people are arrested each year on charges of marijuana possession and $42 billion is spent on these arrests alone! Certainly, I think that is a waste of much needed jail space and money. Law enforcement should worry about more austere crimes like murder or rape, instead of marijuana possession. Given these points, the money lost due to all marijuana related arrests could be put towards many other expenditures (such as our countries debt!) Weed-marijuana- is not as formidable as many people believe it to be. In comparison to cigarettes, which are legal to anyone 18 and older, marijuana is not physically addictive. To clarify, a physical addiction occurs when a person’s body actually becomes dependent on a substance. In particular, marijuana does not contain nicotine, which is a leading determinant of heart disease. Furthermore, Marijuana also has many positive impacts in the medical field. “Medical marijuana” can be used to mitigate the symptoms of Alzheimer ’s Disease, Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Epilepsy, Pain, and Multiple Sclerosis, just to name a few. Another large breakthrough of medical marijuana is its use in the cancer field. It is presently used to treat breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, brain cancer, leukemia, and many more. Medical marijuana is also used to help alleviate symptoms associated with cancer treatments, including nausea and vomiting. Marijuana may also help to abate or even cease the spread of cancer cells! In a personal way, marijuana can also be used to reduce stress and anxiety by producing a safe, relaxing
Letter to Editor
Dear Editor, Mary Jane. No, not the name of someone. I am talking about marijuana, or whatever you want to call it. Pot, dope, weed, grass, or green, whatever you fancy. It sweeps through just about every school and you either choose to smoke or not. Marijuana is illegal at the moment, but I think it should be legalized. More than 750,000 people are arrested each year on charges of marijuana possession and $42 billion is spent on these arrests alone! Certainly, I think that is a waste of much needed jail space and money. Law enforcement should worry about more austere crimes like murder or rape, instead of marijuana possession. Given these points, the money lost due to all marijuana related arrests could be put towards many other expenditures (such as our countries debt!) Weed-marijuana- is not as formidable as many people believe it to be. In comparison to cigarettes, which are legal to anyone 18 and older, marijuana is not physically addictive. To clarify, a physical addiction occurs when a person’s body actually becomes dependent on a substance. In particular, marijuana does not contain nicotine, which is a leading determinant of heart disease. Furthermore, Marijuana also has many positive impacts in the medical field. “Medical marijuana” can be used to mitigate the symptoms of Alzheimer ’s Disease, Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Epilepsy, Pain, and Multiple Sclerosis, just to name a few. Another large breakthrough of medical marijuana is its use in the cancer field. It is presently used to treat breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, brain cancer, leukemia, and many more. Medical marijuana is also used to help alleviate symptoms associated with cancer treatments, including nausea and vomiting. Marijuana may also help to abate or even cease the spread of cancer cells! In a personal way, marijuana can also be used to reduce stress and anxiety by producing a safe, relaxing