Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana

U.S. Government

Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana should be made legal in the state of Ohio. Not only will this help alleviate petty misdemeanors, but it will produce unbelievable amounts of tax dollars for the state. The bottom line is kids and adults will smoke marijuana if it legal or not. The legalization of marijuana will allow for the government to have a monitor of how many users there are, instead of speculating. There are some cons, such as underage users, or people driving while high, but this happens regardless of the legality, therefore, marijuana should be made legal. The pros are significant, such as the use of a pain medication to help those coping with serious problems or illnesses. There are also no deaths recorded
based on sole use or overdose of marijuana, which is why it should be legal if cigarettes and alcohol are. The term ‘drug’ scares people, but when patients are in the hospital or even at an over the counter pharmacy, they are given drugs to help them. Serious drugs such as narcotics, like morphine, are even given to patients to help them. Marijuana is much less dangerous than other legal consumables, proves to be a money making item, and will help those in need of the drug. First off, the legalization should happen, because if other states have it legalized for RECREATIONAL use, then using it for medical purposes should be tolerated by all states.
The voters should realize that wherever one will go, marijuana will still be marijuana, and if it is legal somewhere, it still has the same effects if it was smoked in a state that hasn’t legalized it. If it is legalized, it is not as if someone is forcing everyone to use marijuana, it is still each person’s personal choice, just as drinking is. This is a reason why it should be legalized. No one is forcing others to do it, and it is solely a personal decision and an activity you do not have to take part in. It is a bit hypocritical by the government to allow some to smoke it, but for others it is a crime they can pay dearly for. Something must be done about this, which is why I believe it should be legalized across the
nation. Next, a second reason for the legalization of marijuana is all the wonderful medical benefits it supplies. In asthma patients, marijuana can help open up the lungs of the patient to improve breathing. For people with injury hampering their appetites, marijuana will help increase their appetite. It also reduces pain and muscle spasms, which is key for an active person. Another reason is from a legality standpoint. An interesting take on marijuana is provided, “American adolescents use Marijuana twice as much as their counter parts in Holland where Marijuana is legal” (MarijuanaToday.com). This goes to show that people do not care if it is legal, they will do it, and also shows that even if it was legal, it wouldn’t mean more people would do it. In America, where it is illegal in most states, people still regularly smoke the drug, and in Holland, even when it is legal, people still have the choice not to smoke, even though it is legal. Another interesting fact from this website is, “It is estimated that the United States government spends $10 billion dollars a year in its attempts to keep Marijuana off the street, while the State of California has revenue of 14 billion annually for the production of its legalized medicinal Marijuana” (MarijuanaToday.com). This goes to show that just the medical marijuana in one state produces enough money to offset all the funds used to try and prevent it in other states. If marijuana was legalized across the nation, then the government wouldn’t waste money on a futile effort, and it could use the tax dollars from the sale of the drug to help fund other projects. Finally, from a moral standpoint, there are many benefits to making marijuana legal.
First, a drug dealer will sell to anyone, even to children, in order to make money, and if marijuana was legal, the sale of weed could be monitored to only those of age. There are no dealers of alcohol, because it is legal, and store clerks sell to those of age. If marijuana was legal, dealers would go away, because they would not be able to make money, and marijuana users would be those of age (LegalizationofMarijuana.com). Another issue would be that an individual has a right to subject their body to whatever they please, and no one is pressing the issue. Millions of people die every year from obesity, yet the government does not monitor how much one may eat (LegalizationofMarijuana.com). One may choose to consume what and how much, a marijuana user may do the same, deciding if they want to use and how much. This idea of people being the deciding factors of what they put in their body is a very enticing point, and helps wrap up the fact that I believe marijuana should be
legalized.

Works Cited
"Pros & Cons of Legalizing Marijuana." Legalize Marijuana Legal Weed Marijuana Facts. LegalizationofMarijuana.com, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
"Pro 's of Marijuana Legalization - MarijuanaToday.com." Pro 's of Marijuana Legalization - MarijuanaToday.com. MarijuanaToday.com, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.