Marijuana is a naturally grown plant. It is called Cannabis sativa L. and is a part of the cannabis family (Marijuana). People love marijuana because if they smoke it, they can get a small high due to the THC content inside the plants’ leaves (Page). People consider marijuana a “gateway drug” because it is usually used before they graduate to stronger drugs such as heroine. People can smoke marijuana in numerous ways. They can crunch the leaves up and light them in a bowl or bong, they can roll the leaves in empty cigar casings (which is called a blunt), or they can roll them up in empty cigarette casings (which is called a joint) (Mass).
Marijuana wasn’t always used for the purpose of getting high, though. People used to make hemp rope out of marijuana for thousands of years before the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 outlawed it (Marijuana). Although, this never stopped people from illegally using it (such as in the 1920’s people illegally drank alcohol in speakeasies during prohibition). People will keep using marijuana because it’s easy to get. You can find it almost everywhere (Mass). The most available type of marijuana is the commercial-grade marijuana. The demand for this drug is higher than any other type of drug, and it keeps growing each day (National).
The group of people who use marijuana the most is teenagers. In fact, the use of marijuana by teens within the ages of twelve through seventeen has increased 105 percent between the years of 1992-1995. Teens most likely use this drug because they like the effects the drug has on them. These effects include relaxation, sense of detachment and well-being, distorted sense of time, sharper senses, and increased hunger (Mass). Another reason why they use marijuana the most is that marijuana is considered a very harmless drug, but there are bad sides to it (Lowry).
One bad side of marijuana is teenagers driving and smoking the drug at the same time. A survey that was done on high school seniors in the United States show that one in six seniors admitted to driving and smoking marijuana at the same time. This can be a bad thing because marijuana can affect the drivers’ concentration, perception, coordination, reaction time, and can make it difficult to judge distances and react to surroundings on the road. All of these are important skills that are required in order to be a safe driver (Wallace). The survey also stated that in 2001, 38,000 seniors admitted to crashing a vehicle while driving and smoking marijuana. Some other bad side effects of the drug can be problems with memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, and an increased heart rate (National). Secretary Norman Y. Mineta commented on the issue of teenagers driving under the influence of marijuana. He said, “Teens already have the highest crash risk of any group, making traffic crashes the leading cause of death or young people ages 15-20. Combining drug use with the teens’ inexperience on the road and risk-taking behavior is a recipe for disaster.” (Wallace).
Another “disaster” that should be paid more attention to is the ongoing drug war. This drug war is costing the United States government a lot of money. One of the reasons why marijuana is costing the government so much money is because of the simple fact that it’s illegal, and people are buying it on the streets for only two to three dollars a blunt and not paying taxes on it. The government has lost over 100 billion dollars just on this drug war alone (Mass). Another reason so much money is being lost is the criminalization of marijuana. Not only is it expensive, but it is foolish, too (Nadelmann). It’s foolish because there are about 700,000 marijuana arrests each year (Lowry). About 87 percent of these arrests are for nothing more than possession of small amounts of marijuana (Nadelmann). These people can be sentenced up to a year in prison for doing nothing but smoking a relatively harmless drug (Lowry). Enforcing these laws alone cost the United States government ten to fifteen billion dollars. This covers the cost of drug dealers’ shootouts, hunting down dealers, arresting the dealers and possessors, and keeping them in prison. No other illegal drug law is more enforced by the government or more disliked by the populace. Marijuana should be legalized (Nadelmann).
The American populace supports legalizing marijuana because if cigarettes, liquor, and prescription drugs can be legal, why can’t marijuana be legal (Page)? Even if it can’t be completely legalized, people would be satisfied with just decriminalizing marijuana. This means that if they were to be caught with marijuana in their possessions, then they would only be fined instead of arrested and sent to prison (Nadelmann). If marijuana was legalized, then it would force the drug dealers out of business and stop the drug related crimes. Teens would also die down in using it because most of them use it for the simple fact that it’s illegal, and they like the rush of having something they’re not allowed to have. However, this might not be entirely true because if marijuana were to be legalized, then it would most likely be only available to people 21 and up just like alcoholic beverages. Teenagers would most likely try to get marijuana after it being legalized just as they do today (Mass). Nevertheless, marijuana should still be treated like alcohol. It should be regulated, controlled, taxed, and only be available for people 21 and up (Nadelmann). This is supported by many U.S. citizens including James Ostrowski who wrote in the USA Today that, “The day after legalization went into effect, the streets of America would be safer. The drug dealers would be gone. The shootouts between dealers would end, innocent bystanders no longer would be murdered. Thousands of judges, prosecutors, and police would be freed to catch, try, and imprison violent career criminals” (Mass).
Marijuana is not that harmful and not really worth going to jail for. Marijuana itself is considered less harmful than alcohol and tobacco and more harmful than caffeine. An example of how harmless marijuana can be would be how Bill Turque continuously smoked marijuana during his young adult years and still became one of the most ambitious politicians in the country (Lowry). This is due to the fact that marijuana has a few physiological effects. Marijuana’s small physiological effects include increased appetite, a faster heartbeat, and a slight red color in the eyes. Marijuana can help with behavioral issues, too. It can calm the smoker’s mind and body to help them communicate and function in a more civilized manner (Grinspoon). The greatest thing about marijuana is that there is no such thing as a lethal overdose, and no one has known to of have died from excessively using the drug (Lowry).
Marijuana is not only harmless in a sense, but it is also not addictive. Tests done in places like Jamaica, Greece, and Costa Rica show that the heavy users there don’t seem to be dependent on the drug. They’ve also been compared with non-users and there was no evidence of intellectual or neurological damage, no changes in personality, and no loss of the will to work or to participate in society. There was also no disease connected to the drug in the studies. Experiments have also been conducted in the United States as well. They show marijuana having no effect on learning, perception, or motivation within a period of a year. The bad side of these people excessively smoking marijuana is that they often know that they are smoking too much at one time and make unsuccessful attempts to cut down the smoking (Grinspoon). The big question that everyone wants a yes answer to is: should marijuana be legalized for the purpose of medical reasons?
It wouldn’t be the first time that marijuana has been used for medical reasons. Before the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, at least 27 different kinds of medications contained marijuana and were legal in the United States. It was used in these medications because it was a safe and effective substance to have relief from nausea and appetite loss, reduction of intraocular pressure, reduction of muscle spasms, and relief from chronic pain. Marijuana is mostly considered for patients who have AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain (Marijuana).
Now these patients are suffering because they have to abide by the law and not use marijuana and use the medications provided by their doctor instead (which could be more dangerous than just smoking marijuana). Others are taking the risk and using the drug illegally to help them ease themselves through their pain (Largen). The people who abide by the law can suffer dire consequences. One example would be Peter McWilliams who was an AIDS and cancer patient. He likely died because he obeyed the law and refused to smoke marijuana (Nadelmann). Legalization of medical marijuana has a different and happier story. It includes a man named George McMahon. He receives 300 pre-rolled joints from the government each month to help him through pain spasms and nausea related to many years of surgical and pharmaceutical maltreatment, repeated injuries, and his rare Nail Patella Syndrome condition. Before he smoked marijuana for medical purposes he had gone through 19 major surgeries, took 17 different medications daily, and used a wheelchair in order to get around. Now, after smoking marijuana for the past fourteen years, he hasn’t had a need for another surgery, he no longer needs his medications, and he is able to ride a bike. That is proof that marijuana is a medicine (Largen).
Now when people look at marijuana, they don’t see the stereotypical rebel during the 80’s, but they see middle-aged Americans who are struggling with terrible diseases and are trying to find a safe way to cope (Nadelmann). Marijuana can help these sufferers of these diseases along with people who have arthritis, migraines, menstrual cramps, alcohol addiction, and depression mood disorders (Marijuana). These people need something better than addicting and dangerous prescription drugs to help them through their hard times (Page). Because marijuana can be a great substitute for most dangerous and addicting prescription drugs to help patients suffering from AIDS, cancer, and other diseases, it should be legalized to make it easier for these sufferers to use the drug consistently.
Marijuana wasn’t always used for the purpose of getting high, though. People used to make hemp rope out of marijuana for thousands of years before the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 outlawed it (Marijuana). Although, this never stopped people from illegally using it (such as in the 1920’s people illegally drank alcohol in speakeasies during prohibition). People will keep using marijuana because it’s easy to get. You can find it almost everywhere (Mass). The most available type of marijuana is the commercial-grade marijuana. The demand for this drug is higher than any other type of drug, and it keeps growing each day (National).
The group of people who use marijuana the most is teenagers. In fact, the use of marijuana by teens within the ages of twelve through seventeen has increased 105 percent between the years of 1992-1995. Teens most likely use this drug because they like the effects the drug has on them. These effects include relaxation, sense of detachment and well-being, distorted sense of time, sharper senses, and increased hunger (Mass). Another reason why they use marijuana the most is that marijuana is considered a very harmless drug, but there are bad sides to it (Lowry).
One bad side of marijuana is teenagers driving and smoking the drug at the same time. A survey that was done on high school seniors in the United States show that one in six seniors admitted to driving and smoking marijuana at the same time. This can be a bad thing because marijuana can affect the drivers’ concentration, perception, coordination, reaction time, and can make it difficult to judge distances and react to surroundings on the road. All of these are important skills that are required in order to be a safe driver (Wallace). The survey also stated that in 2001, 38,000 seniors admitted to crashing a vehicle while driving and smoking marijuana. Some other bad side effects of the drug can be problems with memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, and an increased heart rate (National). Secretary Norman Y. Mineta commented on the issue of teenagers driving under the influence of marijuana. He said, “Teens already have the highest crash risk of any group, making traffic crashes the leading cause of death or young people ages 15-20. Combining drug use with the teens’ inexperience on the road and risk-taking behavior is a recipe for disaster.” (Wallace).
Another “disaster” that should be paid more attention to is the ongoing drug war. This drug war is costing the United States government a lot of money. One of the reasons why marijuana is costing the government so much money is because of the simple fact that it’s illegal, and people are buying it on the streets for only two to three dollars a blunt and not paying taxes on it. The government has lost over 100 billion dollars just on this drug war alone (Mass). Another reason so much money is being lost is the criminalization of marijuana. Not only is it expensive, but it is foolish, too (Nadelmann). It’s foolish because there are about 700,000 marijuana arrests each year (Lowry). About 87 percent of these arrests are for nothing more than possession of small amounts of marijuana (Nadelmann). These people can be sentenced up to a year in prison for doing nothing but smoking a relatively harmless drug (Lowry). Enforcing these laws alone cost the United States government ten to fifteen billion dollars. This covers the cost of drug dealers’ shootouts, hunting down dealers, arresting the dealers and possessors, and keeping them in prison. No other illegal drug law is more enforced by the government or more disliked by the populace. Marijuana should be legalized (Nadelmann).
The American populace supports legalizing marijuana because if cigarettes, liquor, and prescription drugs can be legal, why can’t marijuana be legal (Page)? Even if it can’t be completely legalized, people would be satisfied with just decriminalizing marijuana. This means that if they were to be caught with marijuana in their possessions, then they would only be fined instead of arrested and sent to prison (Nadelmann). If marijuana was legalized, then it would force the drug dealers out of business and stop the drug related crimes. Teens would also die down in using it because most of them use it for the simple fact that it’s illegal, and they like the rush of having something they’re not allowed to have. However, this might not be entirely true because if marijuana were to be legalized, then it would most likely be only available to people 21 and up just like alcoholic beverages. Teenagers would most likely try to get marijuana after it being legalized just as they do today (Mass). Nevertheless, marijuana should still be treated like alcohol. It should be regulated, controlled, taxed, and only be available for people 21 and up (Nadelmann). This is supported by many U.S. citizens including James Ostrowski who wrote in the USA Today that, “The day after legalization went into effect, the streets of America would be safer. The drug dealers would be gone. The shootouts between dealers would end, innocent bystanders no longer would be murdered. Thousands of judges, prosecutors, and police would be freed to catch, try, and imprison violent career criminals” (Mass).
Marijuana is not that harmful and not really worth going to jail for. Marijuana itself is considered less harmful than alcohol and tobacco and more harmful than caffeine. An example of how harmless marijuana can be would be how Bill Turque continuously smoked marijuana during his young adult years and still became one of the most ambitious politicians in the country (Lowry). This is due to the fact that marijuana has a few physiological effects. Marijuana’s small physiological effects include increased appetite, a faster heartbeat, and a slight red color in the eyes. Marijuana can help with behavioral issues, too. It can calm the smoker’s mind and body to help them communicate and function in a more civilized manner (Grinspoon). The greatest thing about marijuana is that there is no such thing as a lethal overdose, and no one has known to of have died from excessively using the drug (Lowry).
Marijuana is not only harmless in a sense, but it is also not addictive. Tests done in places like Jamaica, Greece, and Costa Rica show that the heavy users there don’t seem to be dependent on the drug. They’ve also been compared with non-users and there was no evidence of intellectual or neurological damage, no changes in personality, and no loss of the will to work or to participate in society. There was also no disease connected to the drug in the studies. Experiments have also been conducted in the United States as well. They show marijuana having no effect on learning, perception, or motivation within a period of a year. The bad side of these people excessively smoking marijuana is that they often know that they are smoking too much at one time and make unsuccessful attempts to cut down the smoking (Grinspoon). The big question that everyone wants a yes answer to is: should marijuana be legalized for the purpose of medical reasons?
It wouldn’t be the first time that marijuana has been used for medical reasons. Before the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, at least 27 different kinds of medications contained marijuana and were legal in the United States. It was used in these medications because it was a safe and effective substance to have relief from nausea and appetite loss, reduction of intraocular pressure, reduction of muscle spasms, and relief from chronic pain. Marijuana is mostly considered for patients who have AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain (Marijuana).
Now these patients are suffering because they have to abide by the law and not use marijuana and use the medications provided by their doctor instead (which could be more dangerous than just smoking marijuana). Others are taking the risk and using the drug illegally to help them ease themselves through their pain (Largen). The people who abide by the law can suffer dire consequences. One example would be Peter McWilliams who was an AIDS and cancer patient. He likely died because he obeyed the law and refused to smoke marijuana (Nadelmann). Legalization of medical marijuana has a different and happier story. It includes a man named George McMahon. He receives 300 pre-rolled joints from the government each month to help him through pain spasms and nausea related to many years of surgical and pharmaceutical maltreatment, repeated injuries, and his rare Nail Patella Syndrome condition. Before he smoked marijuana for medical purposes he had gone through 19 major surgeries, took 17 different medications daily, and used a wheelchair in order to get around. Now, after smoking marijuana for the past fourteen years, he hasn’t had a need for another surgery, he no longer needs his medications, and he is able to ride a bike. That is proof that marijuana is a medicine (Largen).
Now when people look at marijuana, they don’t see the stereotypical rebel during the 80’s, but they see middle-aged Americans who are struggling with terrible diseases and are trying to find a safe way to cope (Nadelmann). Marijuana can help these sufferers of these diseases along with people who have arthritis, migraines, menstrual cramps, alcohol addiction, and depression mood disorders (Marijuana). These people need something better than addicting and dangerous prescription drugs to help them through their hard times (Page). Because marijuana can be a great substitute for most dangerous and addicting prescription drugs to help patients suffering from AIDS, cancer, and other diseases, it should be legalized to make it easier for these sufferers to use the drug consistently.
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