People grow it, sell it, buy it, smoke it, and then usually are harmfully affected by it, they even give it fancy names like “weed” and “pot”. If these facts are true then why is marijuana legal in some states? The main reason is because marijuana can be good or bad in some cases. Marijuana itself can kill brain cells and cause memory problems too, but at the same time marijuana has many medical values like providing symptomatic relief to things like nausea and vomiting. Marijuana can also provide relief to migraine headaches(Internet 1) and chronic pains. So overall the legalization of marijuana is a tough argument for both sides, but personally I do not think marijuana should be legal in the United States.

Marijuana can be very harmful in some cases. Marijuana may not be able to kill you unless you take a large dose of it, but it can still cause serious harm your body in many ways. It usually affects the brain in most cases, causes sleepiness, anxiety, distorted (Internet 2) perception, and difficulty concentrating. These are the main reasons why marijuana is illegal in most states. This is why I am against the legalization of marijuana in the United States or any state in particular.

Many people (including me) may think marijuana is bad for you and think it should be illegal, but at the same time there are also people who think marijuana can help in some cases, for example doctors. Doctors can use “medical” marijuana to treat most (Internet 3) conditions and symptoms like chronic pain, nausea, glaucoma, seizure disorders, cancer, diabetes, muscle spasms, and many more. In this case marijuana is favored, that’s why it is legal in some states, and people are debating over the legalization of marijuana in other states, if not all of the 50 states.

The debate of the legalization of marijuana goes on. Currently the president of the United States (President Obama) released his administration’s first National Drug Control Strategy, which sets up five-year goals for reducing drug use and the problems associated with it. This strategy states that “this Administration firmly opposes the legalization of (Internet 4) marijuana or any other illicit drug.” Though this November, Californians get to vote on a ballot initiative that, if passed, would make marijuana legal in that state. Those over 21 will be allowed to possess small amounts of marijuana. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it just shows you how our nation is starting to give in to marijuana and its good and bad uses. But California is actually the only state that marijuana could be legal in; the other 14 states that it is legal in only allow medical marijuana to be legal. No matter what, I do not approve of legalizing marijuana in any form, any where.

While the war of marijuana rages on, I fight on the con side in this argument. Marijuana may help in some cases, but can always back fire in others too. The nation is starting to change when it comes to legalizing marijuana. Medical marijuana is starting to convince states to legalize marijuana, but luckily some states are smart and are still making marijuana an illegal drug, and if you get caught, well let’s hope you don’t get caught with it in the first place, because you might be facing some tough consequences.


Bibliography

Internet 1: NORML (updated in 2010). Medical Marijuana Reports. 5/16/10, 2010, http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3472

Internet 2: FamilyDoctor.org (2000 updated 2010). Adverse Side Effects. 5/16/10, 2010, http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/addictions/drugs/485.html

Internet 3: Pain Management of America (updated 2010). Medical Marijuana with Pain Management of America. 5/16/10, 2010, http://www.medicalmarijuana.net/


Internet 4: Political Hotsheet (updated 2010). Obama’s New Drug Strategy Opposes Legalizing Pot. 5/16/10, 2010, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20004702-503544.html?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea