Persuasive Essay On Marijuana Legalization
Persuasive Essay on Marijuana Legalization
Javier A. Ocasio
COMM/215 Essentials of College Writing
1/29/2015
Nicole Svee Magann
Persuasive Essay on Marijuana Legalization
Introduction
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. Mainly people think of marijuana of the dirty drug out on the street, when actually marijuana has been proven to help people medically. Drugs are not a new subject in this world, but as technology advances, new uses for them are found. Cannabis or Marijuana is a very controversial subject for its reputation in the underworld, but is often overlooked. Cannabis has many health benefits and although is been proven, the government is still hesitant on making it legal.
A single …show more content…
person is yet to die from an over dose on marijuana, while millions of people die from alcohol and tobacco every year. If cannabis was legalized it would do many great things, such as create millions of new jobs. With the economy struggling right now in American this would help our country greatly. Another thing marijuana would do is eliminate the spending on preventing marijuana use in North and parts of South America. If marijuana was legal it would give our government more time to look at more important issues, instead of preventing the use and selling of cannabis. Our government could focus more on the War on Terror and prevent harsher drugs from entering the U.S. such as heroin, meth, and cocaine. Our society would completely change; marijuana would be off the streets and would be treated properly and will ensure the quality of the plant. You would see a decrease in marijuana use at a younger age because it would be more accepted in our society. Marijuana can and should be legal because it is taking one step in the right direction for our country. For some reason, society always wants to do what is forbidden, what is dangerous and/or illegal. Having marijuana legalized could decrease the percentage of teenagers using it on the streets.
Marijuana’s history shows that it can be used to help people therefore it should be legal. It was used in the early centuries. Marijuana is a green, brown, or grey mixture and is made up of dried leaves and stems. Marijuana’s technical term is Cannabis, but this is not the only name is it know by. Other names marijuana is referred to are weed, pot, ganja, reefer, and Kush. Marijuana is mainly used in a pipe, bowl, joint, blunt, or in a rare case a vaporizer. Marijuana was used for other things in the early centuries other than smoking. Hemp, the marijuana plant, was used for fiber cloth, paper, and even as food in the early centuries. The main reason why Marijuana spread so quickly through the eastern hemisphere was not because of its effects while smoking it, but because of its industrial use. Marijuana’s industrial use started out in Taiwan and spread throughout the world. Cannabis’s first use as a drug was first documented in 200 A.D. in the country of China. Shen Neng was the man who got the credit. He was the ruler of China at the time and used marijuana. His teachings were to use this drug as medicine for pain and flatulence. Even in the early centuries marijuana was used with little harm. If marijuana was treated like it was in the early centuries, we wouldn’t have the problems we do today in the United States. Hemp was finally introduced to North America in 1545 by the Spanish. In 1611 the drug was introduced to Jamestown and was later grown as a crop alongside tobacco. At first it was grown as a source of fiber. In later years marijuana was replaced by cotton as major crop cash. Marijuana was then basically no existent until the 1920s. It was used in some medicine by it was hardly any compared to opium and cocaine. Its recreational use came back during the Jazz era. Marijuana use was basically restricted to the use of jazz bands and people in show business. Marijuana clubs later spread out throughout bigger cities. These clubs were called “Tea Pads” and at the time cannabis was not considered a social threat. These establishments were left alone because they did not cause any harm to the community. If the United States looked at marijuana as they did in the 20s and 30s we would not have the problems we do today.
Marijuana was considered an acceptable drug for medical use from 1850s to 1942.
Once 1942 came along the Federal Bureau of Narcotics started a programming stating marijuana’s negative effects. The FBN stated that marijuana was an addictive drug and lead the addiction of narcotics. The FBN statement is still believed by many people still today. They say marijuana is a gateway drug and can lead to the use of harsher drugs. In 1970 marijuana was considered a hard drug by our society and was banned. It was put in as the same category as LSD, heroin, meth, and cocaine. The Regan and Bush administration put a zero tolerance policy on marijuana, making a simple possession charge a felony. What this brought was the drug war, because the penalty of having marijuana was so harsh in the United States, Mexico and Columbia were the main suppliers of marijuana. Banning marijuana did nothing but harm. If the United States were to start using cannabis as a cash crop just as they did when this nation was created then we would be able to use this resourceful plant for such materials as textiles (clothes) and geotextiles, paper, plastic composites automobiles/other manufacturing sectors, construction products, the use of the seeds, animal bedding, and remarkably the process of making food. If cannabis was to be legalized, then we would soon see factories being built and jobs being created for the citizens of the United States instead of outsourcing to other countries for our own necessities. …show more content…
Marijuana is a very safe drug; it is not say it as a harmless drug but it much safer than a lot of people may think. Unlike other drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, aspirin, and caffeine marijuana is not known to cause a fatal overdose. Marijuana can be used as medical use and making it legal would help many suffering people in the United States.
Conclusion
As a country we should be able to vote on what is best for us.
If cannabis is legalize only the citizens will benefit. Having back problems myself, is hard to manage pain when the medications given to me are addicting and causes more pain when not medicated. Cannabis should be legalized and use properly, but probably the reason why is still not legalized is because many pharmacists could potentially loose research on other drugs that can dominate the market. We should be strong and make sure that cannabis or marijuana can be legalized in a future not far away, for the best of our health
interests.
References
Cannabis—A Valuable Drug That Deserves Better Treatment http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196 (11)00027-9/fulltext
Hemp: A New Crop with New Uses for North America http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html Legalization of Recreational and Medical Marijuana: What
We Don’t Know
http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Legalization+of+recreational+and+medical+marijuana%3A+what+we+don%27t+know&rft.jtitle=Hospital+pharmacy&rft.au=Baker%2C+Danial+E&rft.date=2014-04-01&rft.issn=0018-5787&rft.eissn=1945-1253&rft.volume=49&rft.issue=4&rft.spage=319&rft_id=info:pmid/24958934&rft.externalDocID=24958934¶mdict=en-US
Javier A. Ocasio
COMM/215 Essentials of College Writing
1/29/2015
Nicole Svee Magann
Persuasive Essay on Marijuana Legalization
Introduction
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. Mainly people think of marijuana of the dirty drug out on the street, when actually marijuana has been proven to help people medically. Drugs are not a new subject in this world, but as technology advances, new uses for them are found. Cannabis or Marijuana is a very controversial subject for its reputation in the underworld, but is often overlooked. Cannabis has many health benefits and although is been proven, the government is still hesitant on making it legal.
A single …show more content…
person is yet to die from an over dose on marijuana, while millions of people die from alcohol and tobacco every year. If cannabis was legalized it would do many great things, such as create millions of new jobs. With the economy struggling right now in American this would help our country greatly. Another thing marijuana would do is eliminate the spending on preventing marijuana use in North and parts of South America. If marijuana was legal it would give our government more time to look at more important issues, instead of preventing the use and selling of cannabis. Our government could focus more on the War on Terror and prevent harsher drugs from entering the U.S. such as heroin, meth, and cocaine. Our society would completely change; marijuana would be off the streets and would be treated properly and will ensure the quality of the plant. You would see a decrease in marijuana use at a younger age because it would be more accepted in our society. Marijuana can and should be legal because it is taking one step in the right direction for our country. For some reason, society always wants to do what is forbidden, what is dangerous and/or illegal. Having marijuana legalized could decrease the percentage of teenagers using it on the streets.
Marijuana’s history shows that it can be used to help people therefore it should be legal. It was used in the early centuries. Marijuana is a green, brown, or grey mixture and is made up of dried leaves and stems. Marijuana’s technical term is Cannabis, but this is not the only name is it know by. Other names marijuana is referred to are weed, pot, ganja, reefer, and Kush. Marijuana is mainly used in a pipe, bowl, joint, blunt, or in a rare case a vaporizer. Marijuana was used for other things in the early centuries other than smoking. Hemp, the marijuana plant, was used for fiber cloth, paper, and even as food in the early centuries. The main reason why Marijuana spread so quickly through the eastern hemisphere was not because of its effects while smoking it, but because of its industrial use. Marijuana’s industrial use started out in Taiwan and spread throughout the world. Cannabis’s first use as a drug was first documented in 200 A.D. in the country of China. Shen Neng was the man who got the credit. He was the ruler of China at the time and used marijuana. His teachings were to use this drug as medicine for pain and flatulence. Even in the early centuries marijuana was used with little harm. If marijuana was treated like it was in the early centuries, we wouldn’t have the problems we do today in the United States. Hemp was finally introduced to North America in 1545 by the Spanish. In 1611 the drug was introduced to Jamestown and was later grown as a crop alongside tobacco. At first it was grown as a source of fiber. In later years marijuana was replaced by cotton as major crop cash. Marijuana was then basically no existent until the 1920s. It was used in some medicine by it was hardly any compared to opium and cocaine. Its recreational use came back during the Jazz era. Marijuana use was basically restricted to the use of jazz bands and people in show business. Marijuana clubs later spread out throughout bigger cities. These clubs were called “Tea Pads” and at the time cannabis was not considered a social threat. These establishments were left alone because they did not cause any harm to the community. If the United States looked at marijuana as they did in the 20s and 30s we would not have the problems we do today.
Marijuana was considered an acceptable drug for medical use from 1850s to 1942.
Once 1942 came along the Federal Bureau of Narcotics started a programming stating marijuana’s negative effects. The FBN stated that marijuana was an addictive drug and lead the addiction of narcotics. The FBN statement is still believed by many people still today. They say marijuana is a gateway drug and can lead to the use of harsher drugs. In 1970 marijuana was considered a hard drug by our society and was banned. It was put in as the same category as LSD, heroin, meth, and cocaine. The Regan and Bush administration put a zero tolerance policy on marijuana, making a simple possession charge a felony. What this brought was the drug war, because the penalty of having marijuana was so harsh in the United States, Mexico and Columbia were the main suppliers of marijuana. Banning marijuana did nothing but harm. If the United States were to start using cannabis as a cash crop just as they did when this nation was created then we would be able to use this resourceful plant for such materials as textiles (clothes) and geotextiles, paper, plastic composites automobiles/other manufacturing sectors, construction products, the use of the seeds, animal bedding, and remarkably the process of making food. If cannabis was to be legalized, then we would soon see factories being built and jobs being created for the citizens of the United States instead of outsourcing to other countries for our own necessities. …show more content…
Marijuana is a very safe drug; it is not say it as a harmless drug but it much safer than a lot of people may think. Unlike other drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, aspirin, and caffeine marijuana is not known to cause a fatal overdose. Marijuana can be used as medical use and making it legal would help many suffering people in the United States.
Conclusion
As a country we should be able to vote on what is best for us.
If cannabis is legalize only the citizens will benefit. Having back problems myself, is hard to manage pain when the medications given to me are addicting and causes more pain when not medicated. Cannabis should be legalized and use properly, but probably the reason why is still not legalized is because many pharmacists could potentially loose research on other drugs that can dominate the market. We should be strong and make sure that cannabis or marijuana can be legalized in a future not far away, for the best of our health
interests.
References
Cannabis—A Valuable Drug That Deserves Better Treatment http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196 (11)00027-9/fulltext
Hemp: A New Crop with New Uses for North America http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html Legalization of Recreational and Medical Marijuana: What
We Don’t Know
http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Legalization+of+recreational+and+medical+marijuana%3A+what+we+don%27t+know&rft.jtitle=Hospital+pharmacy&rft.au=Baker%2C+Danial+E&rft.date=2014-04-01&rft.issn=0018-5787&rft.eissn=1945-1253&rft.volume=49&rft.issue=4&rft.spage=319&rft_id=info:pmid/24958934&rft.externalDocID=24958934¶mdict=en-US