English 1213
Outline Essay #3
17 November 2012
The Pros to legalizing marijuana
Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the United States and legalizing Marijuana has been an ongoing controversial debate for decades. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa and the main active ingredient is THC. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint), but can also be put in food or brewed as tea. When smoked it has a distinctive smell, which is usually a sweet-and-sour smell. There are 18 of 50 states and DC that have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. People will argue that marijuana may cause physical damages, have mental effects and more criminals will be on the streets. Although there may me adverse effects that in moderation, the drug is no more harmful than legal drugs, such as tobacco or alcohol. Marijuana has many medical benefits, which outweighs its potential abuse. The government could earn money from taxes on its sale, create jobs and improve our economy. So marijuana should be legalized because the pros outweigh the cons.
Opponents claim that marijuana harms the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. It affects your learning and hinders your memory. People will also argue that marijuana can cause cancer. There is very little proof that smoking marijuana has a significant health risk. There have also been no reported cases of lung cancer or emphysema credited to marijuana. Research into the effects of long-term marijuana use on the structure of the brain has produced unreliable results. Marijuana is less toxic than many drugs that doctors prescribe every day. I believe that there are many drugs that are worse on our body than marijuana and far more addictive. Many studies have shown a link between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. But does marijuana use cause depression or schizophrenia or do people with these mental health disorders us it as a