Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized
Should Marijuana Be Legalized?
Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial subject in our society today. There have been many slanderous claims about how cannabis is horrendous, however the truths are starting to surface. I strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized for all purposes. If the government cannot stop us from harming our bodies by overeating or skydiving, why should they be able to stop us from using drugs? The use of marijuana for medical purposes dates back thousands of years. Medical marijuana can be prescribed to treat diseases like cancer or other long term diseases such as glaucoma. It can also be used to treat muscle spasms, post traumatic stress disorder, nausea, poor appetite and weight loss, seizure disorders and Crohn’s disease (Harding). Marijuana can be used to increase appetite, calm muscles, relieve pain and sedate. (Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research). With all these medical benefits, how could marijuana be harmful to us? Marijuana is not harmful, marijuana is not damaging, and marijuana is not deadly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Centres for Disease Control and Preventions statistics show that annually 443 000 people die from tobacco, 88 000 die from alcohol, 22 767 die from prescription drugs, 14 775 die from illicit drugs, 8257 die from heroin, 4944 die from cocaine, and a big, hefty 0 deaths caused by marijuana. How is it that the two major causes of drug related deaths are legal and the one drug with zero related deaths is illegal? We won’t even mention how many other effects alcohol and tobacco have on our bodies. There is no medically proven information that marijuana has ever caused one, sole, single death. In order for a lethal response to take place you would have to consume approximately 1500 pounds of marijuana in fifteen minutes. (US Department of Justice, 56-57). Is marijuana as bad as they say? I don’t think so. In addition to
Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial subject in our society today. There have been many slanderous claims about how cannabis is horrendous, however the truths are starting to surface. I strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized for all purposes. If the government cannot stop us from harming our bodies by overeating or skydiving, why should they be able to stop us from using drugs? The use of marijuana for medical purposes dates back thousands of years. Medical marijuana can be prescribed to treat diseases like cancer or other long term diseases such as glaucoma. It can also be used to treat muscle spasms, post traumatic stress disorder, nausea, poor appetite and weight loss, seizure disorders and Crohn’s disease (Harding). Marijuana can be used to increase appetite, calm muscles, relieve pain and sedate. (Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research). With all these medical benefits, how could marijuana be harmful to us? Marijuana is not harmful, marijuana is not damaging, and marijuana is not deadly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Centres for Disease Control and Preventions statistics show that annually 443 000 people die from tobacco, 88 000 die from alcohol, 22 767 die from prescription drugs, 14 775 die from illicit drugs, 8257 die from heroin, 4944 die from cocaine, and a big, hefty 0 deaths caused by marijuana. How is it that the two major causes of drug related deaths are legal and the one drug with zero related deaths is illegal? We won’t even mention how many other effects alcohol and tobacco have on our bodies. There is no medically proven information that marijuana has ever caused one, sole, single death. In order for a lethal response to take place you would have to consume approximately 1500 pounds of marijuana in fifteen minutes. (US Department of Justice, 56-57). Is marijuana as bad as they say? I don’t think so. In addition to