Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana Free Essays

Pros and Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana is a very common street and recreational drug that comes from the marijuana plant. The plant that produces marijuana, as is well known, is the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is tetra-hydro-cannabinol. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marijuana is used to heighten perception, affect mood and relax. It is estimated that about thirty percent of adults in the U. S. use marijuana. Many people think marijuana is harmless. It is not. Signs of marijuana use include red eyes, lethargy and uncoordinated body movements. The long-term effects may include decrease in motivation and harmful effects on the brain, heart, lung and reproductive system. People who smoke marijuana are more likely to develop cancer of the head and neck. The more often a person smokes marijuana and the longer they continue to smoke it, the greater is their chance of developing cancer in places such as the mouth, tongue, larynx or pharynx. A number of movements to legalize the use of marijuana have been gaining steam lately. There are places in California where it’s already legal for medicinal purposes. Much of the American public now believes that the drug should be legalized but others are still concerned about health damage and other adverse affects. The argument whether to legalize the drug marijuana has Been going on for years. Many different pros and cons come with the drug marijuana. Legalizing marijuana is an important legal battle for several reasons. First, decriminalizing marijuana would make it readily available to individuals that need it, in safe and healthy way. Cancer patients, AIDS sufferers and many other patients must now obtain marijuana illegally in most states. The objections of the federal government to legalizing marijuana have almost nothing to do with how much harm it may or may not cause–it is a matter of pharmaceutical companies resisting legalization because it will be difficult for them to profit from the legal use of marijuana. Some of the chemical components that make up marijuana have been isolated and made into pill form through government-sponsored research, which directly contradicts the current legal view of marijuana. In fact, the former Surgeon General of the United States Jocelyn Elders asserted that overwhelming evidence exists that marijuana can relieve certain symptoms of ain, nausea and vomiting. (balanced politics. com). There are many pros for legalizing marijuana. Legalizing marijuana has many positive aspects, including increased tax revenue through the legal sale of marijuana. There is also the matter of the medical benefits of marijuana to those with illnesses that limit range of motion or induce nausea an d pain. (marijuana today. com). One of the most common arguments for legalizing marijuana is for medical benefits. Particularly health benefits for people who suffer from illnesses such as depression, cancer, glaucoma and even AIDS. Marijuana has been proven helpful for inducing appetite and combating nausea. Furthermore, marijuana has also proven beneficial for increasing the range of motion for those suffering from multiple sclerosis. As an illegal substance, many who suffer from debilitating illnesses would be arrested or imprisoned for simply seeking relief from their ailments. (marijuana today. com). The studies of the harmfulness of marijuana are inconclusive and contradictory. Most doctors would agree that it’s not very harmful if used in moderation. (marijuanatoday. com). It’s only when you abuse the drug that problems start to occur. But isn’t abuse of almost any bad substance a problem? If you abuse alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, or even pizza, health problems are sure to follow. Would you want the government limiting how much coffee you can drink or how much cheesecake you take in? Some medical examples that marijuana helps is chemotherapy for cancer. Chemotherapy often causes extreme nausea and vomiting. An active ingredient of marijuana is THC which often reduces vomiting and nausea. Marijuana usually lowers pretreatment anxiety as well. Another illness marijuana helps with is AIDS. AIDS usually causes low appetite, loss of lean muscle. Marijuana improves appetite. Pain and muscle spasms associated with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis can be less occurring with the use or marijuana. Marijuana may ease incontinence of bladder and bowel and relive depression. Lastly the disease Glaucoma is a progressive form of blindness due to increased pressure inside the eyeball. When marijuana is smoked it may reduce pressure within the eye. Another positive aspect for legalizing the use of marijuana is it would significantly decrease the number of marijuana-related arrests and imprisonments in the United States. Police and court resources would be freed up for more serious crimes. More than 200,000 individuals are incarcerated each year for marijuana possession, as part of the U. S. government’s War on Drugs. Decriminalizing marijuana would also eliminate much of the crime associated with the illegal sale and trafficking of marijuana. Moreover, several states allow legal use of marijuana when prescribed by a physician, yet thousands of dispensary owners and patients are arrested every year by the federal government. Legalizing marijuana could bring in more revenue for states, as well as help individuals receive care who may be unable to receive it otherwise. (marijuana today. com). If marijuana was legalized the cost on prosecuting offenders would decrease dramatically. Many consider the War on Drugs an expensive failure. Resources for DEA, FBI, and border security are only the tip of the iceberg. You must add in the cost of police officers, judges, public defenders, prosecutors, juries, court reporters, prison guards, and so on. Legalization of marijuana would free up those people to concentrate on more important things like terrorism, harder drugs, rape, murder, and so on. In addition, an already overloaded civil court docket would be improved; and, the wait time for other legitimate court cases would be reduced. Border agents, TSA staff, drug-sniffing dogs, and scanners are some of the resources that are being directed to drug law enforcement. When these resources are focused on drugs, less time energy is devoted to protecting against terrorism and the closing of our borders. For example, dogs are trained to sniff for drugs rather than bombs. (marijanatodaypros. com). Another pro of legalizing marijuana is that the government could regulate the quality and safety of drugs. Many people die or become sick because of what is added to the marijuana they purchase. Last but not least if marijuana is legalized the government would have one more thing to throw a tax on and profit from. An enormous amount of money is raised through government taxation of alcohol, and cigarettes. The legalization of marijuana would create another item that could be taxed. I’m sure the government would have no problem spending all that extra money. The federal government’s argument for criminalizing marijuana appears to be based on pressure from tobacco and pharmaceutical industries who find the non-patentable nature of marijuana harmful to profit margins. marijuana today. com). Along with positive reasons for legalizing marijuana there is also many cons for the legalization of marijuana. One concern that appears if marijuana is legalized is that it would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of kids. Even unhealthy legal items such as cigarettes and alcohol are prohibited from being sold to kids. This is because kids generally donâ⠂¬â„¢t exhibit the same reasoning, responsibility, and judgment of an adult. And their bodies aren’t as equipped to handle the intake of these substances. The problem is even worse for marijuana use. Developing brains and bodies can be dealt serious blows by the use of marijuana. Any time you make something legal, you increase the accessibility to children. All too often kids and teenagers get their hands on alcohol or cigarettes. They shouldn’t let the same thing happen with marijuana. Another bad effect that may occur if marijuana is legalized is more widespread use would increase the dangers of secondhand smoke-damage to bystanders. The dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke are well-publicized. Common sense tells us that more widespread usage of marijuana increases the likelihood that other people would suffer the damage of inhaling other people’s smoke. Public places like bars would expose innocent patrons. In the home siblings, roommates, kids, and spouses would all face increased exposure. A huge concern in legalizing the use of marijuana is driving while under the influence of marijuana. Which is referred to â€Å"stoned diving†. Driving and smoking is harder to detect than drinking and driving. Only because it doesn’t usually have a distinct smell unless just smoked and the only sign is usually redder eyes. Driving while being under the influence of marijuana may be more prone to cause a car accident. Marijuana causes the brain to function slower than usually, so driving abilities may be inadequate. Marijuana is often used to a stepping-stone drug leading to heroine, cocaine, or harder drugs. Studies show that marijuana use often progresses to the use of harder drugs. In other words, people experiment with what is often thought of as a harmless drug. Then, after using it for a while people want to feel a better high. This is particularly a problem since most people will not directly start abusing the harder drugs that are generally understood to be harmful. The last and most common reason marijuana hasn’t been legalized yet is the physical damaged that is done to users’ body after a period of time. Although some studies have been disputed, marijuana abuse has been tied to brain damage, cancer, lung damage, depression, amotivational syndrome, and even death. The brain damage has been shown to cause memory loss and difficulty in problem solving. It is the governments duty to protect the public from such dangerous drugs. After all, that’s why the FDA was created. (marijuanatodaycons. com). Immediate effects after someone has smoked marijuana may include: loss of restlessness, excitement, hallucinations, psychotic, paranoia, psychotic episodes, impaired coordination, impaired motor ability, mood swings, increased appetite, and impaired ability. Long Term effects of marijuana may include: the loss of brain cells, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, energy loss, slow confused thinking, apathy, and blood vessel blockage. Physical effects of marijuana may include diarrhea, cramps, weight loss or gain, and impaired sex drive. Marijuana can be a gateway drug, which means it can lead to the use of many other harmful drugs. Marijuana has been linked with teen violence, suicide, crime, and unsafe sex-HIV transmission. Smoking marijuana by adolescent user can disrupt their emotional development, delay puberty, and can delay the monthly cycle in females. Marijuana may produce a mild physical dependence that causes minor withdrawal symptoms when discontinued, including nausea, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety. marijuanatodayeffects. com) Marijuana is an addictive drug that can harm your body which is the main reason that the government would rather leave the use of it legally out of the law. Marijuana is a commonly used drug in the united states and all over the world. Many people feel differently about the legalization of marijuana. Which is clear because in some states the drug is legal, or at least lega l for medical purposes. There is many pros and cons that come with the substance of marijuana. Regardless of the law the drug is very wide spread and used. How to cite Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Papers