Preview

Should Marijuana Be Legalized or Not?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
714 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Should Marijuana Be Legalized or Not?
Should The Government Legalize Marijuana, The Yes And No Sides Of The Fence From A Neutral Stand Point?
Assignment 1 Week 1
Melissa

Some would say, “No,” to cannabis or also known as marijuana. Cannabis or as some know it as marijuana originated in China, “The Chinese were already cultivating cannabis 4500 years BC. They were able to spin yarn for clothing and make fishing nets and rope with it.” But still with the knowledge of this “drug” I will be presenting you with that includes statistics and many quotes, you will still say that it shouldn’t be considered for legalization or you will agree that it should be legalized. As many stand against the legalization of marijuana there are many that stand for the legalization of the so-called “drug.” As I am a neutral party on the subject I just do not understand why fight about it, why can’t we just come to a compromise? As many Americans choose to say, “No,” do yourselves a favor and ask this question, “Why should marijuana be illegal?” This question goes for the ones that are for legalization as well. For those of you that are against the legalization of marijuana, here’s where I see it. The reason you all want it to stay illegal, “Marijuana is an unstable mixture of more than 425 chemicals that convert into thousands when smoked. Many of these chemicals are toxic, psychoactive chemicals which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrollable strengths.” Yes, this is one of the biggest reasons why marijuana is not legal in the United States. That is ok though, like I said, “I’m neutral on this subject.” Now don’t think for one second that I have forgotten the other side of the fence, I haven’t. Here’s for those of you that are the trueborn hippie family, there is more to it than that of what the ones that are against it have. You have religions on your side; “Some Hindus, Buddhists, Rastafarians, and members of other religions use marijuana as part of their spiritual and religious ceremonies.” Which I



References: are as follows (in order of appearance): www.roll-a-joint.com/marijuana-history.html, The Journey www.marijuana.com/legalization-decriminalization/1004-marijuana-should-not-legal-because.html, StuckinFoned www.mjlegal.org/essayspeech.html, Why Marijuana Should Be Legal, Marijuana Legalization Organization Charts and photos: How does cannabis compare to other drugs? :http://www.ndsn.org/AUGUST94/NICOTINE.html States that have medical legalization and pending medical legalization, tobacco-news.net

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The average number of deaths a year from cigarettes is 430,000, alcohol is 110,640, and pain relievers kill over 32,000 per year (Common Sense for Drug Policy, n.d). Now let’s talk about marijuana. How many deaths has marijuana ever caused? That number is zero. This is according to the Huffington Post. A lot of you believe marijuana’s uses can be beneficial. But some of you are completely against it. Marijuana has been tested and proven to provide a very positive impact on the American society for many reasons. Some of these reasons are for America’s economy, health and even crime. I believe marijuana should be legal in the United States because of these reasons…

    • 873 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Each year the United States government documents drug related deaths in our country, breaking the deaths down into categories of cause. These categories include tobacco, alcohol, prescription medications, illegal drug, and of course marijuana related deaths. Every year the number of deaths coming from marijuana is equivalent to zero. So why is there even controversy over the issue of legalization? Obviously, there are still some people out there who believe the drug is a topic for concern in our nation. In recent years, there has been tremendous progress being made in the field of medicine. University hospitals around the country have been proving again and again that the drug poses no threat to human health and well being, even among patients who have used marijuana excessively. Recreational use of the drug marijuana will most likely continue until the end of humankind. Because of this, legalization of marijuana should be instated to prevent illegal trade of the drug and to shut down the black market. Many people are proposing the legal trade of marijuana in our country. To allow for this, some individuals argue to tax the sale of the drug just like alcohol and tobacco. State governments in the United States are beginning to push for legalization and the decriminalization of the drug. It is possible that after years of debate, many people are beginning to see the light and understand that marijuana poses no negative effects on the body, only positive effects when the drug is used safely for both recreational and medicinal purposes. These positive effects come in the form of treating many illnesses such as arthritis, simple aches and pains, nervosa, relief for chemotherapy patients, migraine headaches, asthma, glaucoma, epilepsy, and eating disorders. (http://www.skunked.co.uk/articles/medicinal-marijuana.htm)…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Weed We Trust

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Marijuana is a gateway drug, or so they say. The legalization of marijuana is a common topic talked about in today’s politics, and it should be. People have gone back and forth on the pros and cons this decision could have. The fact of the matter is though, that the pros seem to outweigh the cons drastically.…

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The right to legalize marijuana has been around for a long time. As the years passed people have brought back the issue of legalizing marijuana. And for this reason is why people are taking action to oppose the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana should not be legalized. Marijuana should not be legalized because of its physical effects, financial problems, and government issues.…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    English 121

    • 1945 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Introduction: In today’s society, there are many views on the legal status of marijuana. Some people are supporters, others are opposed and there are those who have a neutral view on the issue of marijuana decriminalization and legalization. The following contains a wide range of views, with us living in the United States; we have the right to freedom of speech to express our views and site facts on controversial issues.…

    • 1945 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Immigration Outline Research

    • 2804 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Marijuana should be legalized for medical use across the country. Marijuana has a negative stigma attached by the government and public, but is actually a natural and effective medicine. The argument about medical marijuana is starting to spread across the country like wildfire, and the topic should be addressed. This paper will go into depth explanation and reasoning on why medical marijuana should be legalized as soon as possible.…

    • 2804 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marijuana is the growing topic in Americans daily lives; shockingly people are blind to realize that this substance will probably be one of the deadliest drugs in the next decade. “History repeats itself” a wise man once said, and this isn’t the first time or the last time America will use the excuses to make illegal substances that kill. The generations of the 20th century where blind and medically illiterate to the dangers of cigarettes in fact they believed it was health approved. Only a few decades later people started to realize the demons of smoking and plagued America with 5 million deaths a year ever since.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I don't understand why cannabis is still illegal in this country. To this day, I have not heard an intelligent argument against the legalization and regulation of cannabis. There is so much negative controversy that we get from supports. The fact is, many people would outlaw fast food, cigarettes, and tanning beds because of the harm that they cause America. But this is America and there is about their freedom and this is about their choice. Give the people in our states the choice to enjoy…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Legalization of marijuana is highly heated and controversial issue that we have in this world today. Data shows that fifty five percent of American believe that marijuana should continue to be illegal, while forty five percent of American believe that marijuana should be legal in the United States. When marijuana is legal, two million to ten million dollars of tax payer’s money on law enforcement would be saved. Legalization of marijuana would reduce amount of terrorism and corruption that we have in the world today. The legalization of Marijuana is a highly heated and controversial issue in America today. Data shows that over 55% of Americans believe marijuana should continue to be illegal and the remaining 45% believe the pot‘s legal status should be altered. But why? Prohibitionist policies based on eradication, interdiction and criminalization of consumption of the drug simply haven’t worked. It has simply just places a burden on tax payer’s money and has been a wasteful usage of police enforcement. The prohibition of weed is also a direct infringement of our personal liberties, President Abraham Lincoln once stated that, “…Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes…” Marijuana prohibition laws strikes a fatal blow at the very ideologies and principles of freedom upon which our republic was founded and to the very civil liberties which government was set up to defend.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cannabis and Marijuana

    • 1035 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Marijuana was first used for medicinal purposes dating back as early as the 1600’s. However, a law was passed in 1930, which banned the substance. Since then we have been fighting a never-ending war on drugs that has estimated to be over a trillion dollar failure, and we have nothing to show for it. There are many different takes on legalizing marijuana nation-wide but some states are not convinced yet. There are two main views on legalizing cannabis. One is the government view, which believes if marijuana was taxed like alcohol and tobacco it could yield close to 50 billion in tax revenue annually. Along with this, legalizing the drug would save the U.S. about $41 billion a year in enforcing the drug laws, and using that for education and health. The other view would be the medicinal use side of it. Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. The government should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use because it will create tax revenue, help patients, and we will be done fighting an everlasting war.…

    • 1035 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Legalization of Marijuana

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The topic of legalizing marijuana has been a topic of controversy for quite some time now not only throughout our local streets, but throughout the local and into the state government. The legalization of marijuana is such a controversial topic because some are for it and some are against it. People are for the legalization because of the great uses it has towards medicine, the money that could come from the taxation of legalized marijuana, and the emptying of prisons because of the releases of marijuana offenses. The list could go on and on. Other people are against the legalization because it is considered a “gateway drug”, or because the legalization of marijuana would eventually lead to the legalization of harder drugs such as heroine or cocaine. Despite the negative comments about the drug, marijuana should be legalized because it would give the U.S. a huge amount of money from the taxation and regulation of the drug, its uses would greatly impact our health throughout the medical field and throughout our own well being, and would help our fight with the war on drugs and our overcrowded prisons.…

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marijuana has been used recreationally as well as medicinally for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of inhalation of marijuana, a small pile of charred cannabis/seeds, was found in Romania and believed to be dated prior to the 3rd millennia BCE. Marijuana use is considered to be beneficial to some, however has been controversially classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance, making it as illegal as heroin, politicians claim it to be more dangerous than cocaine, with little to no factual basis. Based upon my personal use of medical marijuana, I have seen more positive than negative effects, and believe it should be decriminalized so as to ease the pain, suffering, anxiety,…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marijuana is safer than many legal drugs and was outlawed on the basis of false, unscientific claims. The incredible advantages associated with its legalisation (in terms of taxation, regulation and weakening the black market) cannot be overlooked by false ideas and a system of prohibition that does not…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Legalization of Marijuana

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Marijuana has a history dating back many years, and has been used in various cultures in different ways. In recent years, marijuana has become a forefront topic in the world of American politics whether or not it should be legalized. Marijuana has been adapted to fit our lifestyles and our social environment. A vast amount of the world’s population smoke marijuana for various purposes. Thus, the drug should be legalized because it has many medical beneficial uses, the ability to generate billions of dollars in tax revenue, and would lower the cost to imprison individuals arrested for crimes related to marijuana.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are plenty of good reasons to legalize it, like the fact that some chemicals in it help alleviate some symptoms of serious diseases like cancer, epilepsy, and AIDS. (Welsch and Loria: Business Insider, “Medical Marijuana”: Drug Policy Alliance) However, there are many reasons not to legalize it, too, like how it can be addictive, and abuse can seriously damage your lungs and respiratory system. (“Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?”:ProCon, Kleiman: Frontline) Sure, 23 states have legalized medical cannabis, but the people who take and manufacture it are in constant danger of being arrested. (,“Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?”:ProCon, “Medical Marijuana”: Drug Policy Alliance) Is it fair to be so strict about these laws when only 6% of marijuana research is devoted to finding medicinal properties of the drug? (Kleiman: Frontline) Maybe not. In fact, in my opinion, medical marijuana should be legalized in the remaining states, and federally. I think that there are just too many good reasons to legalize it to ignore them. That’s just my opinion, but it is clear why medical marijuana is so…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays