Preview

Legalization of Marijuana Research Paper

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1715 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Legalization of Marijuana Research Paper
Marijuana is a very popular drug that many people have used. Over 98 million people over the age of 12 in the United States have smoked marijuana. It is known under many different names such as: weed, bud, ganja, hashish, doobie, reefer, mary-jane and grass. It plays quite a substantial role in modern day pop culture and almost everyone over the age of 16 knows what it is. Despite all this, marijuana is illegal and in most states a person can be sent to jail for the possession of less than a gram of this substance. Even if the person is doing nothing wrong and is subjected to a random search, if that person has marijuana on them, they will be charged with a criminal offense and sent to jail. Marijuana should be legalized because it can have many positive effects in the United States. Marijuana is not a very harmful drug and other legal drugs such as alcohol are more harmful. A lot of money is spent on the “War on Drugs” which is not even working according to the UN. Marijuana could be taxed and regulated in the U.S to make a lot of profit. Legalizing marijuana would also give people more freedom of choice, they can choose whether they want to use the drug or not. There would also be laws and policies that would prevent the abuse of this drug. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States of America.
The reason why a lot of people are against marijuana is because not a lot was known about it in the 20th century and people tend to be afraid of things that are unknown to them. However, in recent years a lot of research has been done on how marijuana does not negatively affect the human body. It turns out that marijuana is actually less harmful than some other legal drugs. There are many things in this world that can kill a person. Someone can die from alcohol poisoning, as well as lung cancer from smoking cigarettes. It is even possible to overdose on Advil. A person can also die from drinking too much water, a basic essential for life. However no matter how



Bibliography: 1. News, Adam Mynott BBC. "BBC News - Global War on Drugs 'has Failed ' Say Former Leaders." BBC - Homepage. 2 June 2011. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624303>. 2. Staff. "Marijuana Can Prevent Cancer, Not Cause It." Cannabis News. Google News. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://cannazine.co.uk/cannabis-news/united-states/marijuana-can-prevent-cancer-not-cause-it.html>. 3. Chung, Jen. "Man Jumps to Death from Roosevelt Island Building: Gothamist." Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events. Gothamist, 7 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://gothamist.com/2011/03/07/man_falls_to_death_from_roosevelt_i.php>. 4. Miron, Jeffery A. "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition." Costs of Marijuana Prohibition: Economic Analysis. Marijuana Policy Project, June 2005. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/mironreport.html>. 5. "Crime in the United States 2009," FBI Uniform Crime Report (Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice, September 2010), Table 29, http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_29.html and Arrest Table: Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations, http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/arrests/index.html. 6. "2008 Crime in the United States," FBI Uniform Crime Reports (Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice, September 2009), Table 29, http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_29.html and Arrest Table: Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations, http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/arrests/index.html. 7. Dolin, Benjamin. "National Drug Policy:  The Netherlands." Parliament of Canada Web Site - Site Web Du Parlement Du Canada. 15 Aug. 2001. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/371/ille/library/dolin1-e.htm>. LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA By: Nicholas Galatis

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    PBS. (2012, August 18). Marijuana Economics 101. Retrieved August 18, 2012, from PBS Georgia: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-pot-republic/marijuana-economics/…

    • 3561 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Clemmitt, M. (2007, January 5). Prison health care. CQ Researcher, 17, 1-24. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    "Failed States and Failed Policies: How to Stop the Drug Wars." The Economist 5 Mar. 2009: n. pag. Web.…

    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    First of all, marijuana should not be legalized because of the physical effects. The use of marijuana affects the person by causing “impairment of short-term memory, logical thinking, hallucinations, energy loss, toxic effect on brain nerve cells, risk of chronic bronchitis, impaired immune system, and etc”. Because of these of effects many people should know why they shouldn’t smoke marijuana. And by not legalizing marijuana many people don’t have to worry about these effects.…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Medical marijuana should be legalized at the federal law for medical purposes because marijuana helps many people manage pain or illnesses. There is a lot of illnesses and pain that marijuana can treat. Marijuana does have side effects but what medication does not? Many people deal with the slight side effects and people who cannot deal with the side effects quit smoking marijuana. A problem in society is the federal law arresting people selling or smoking marijuana and giving them more years in prison than a rapist or serial killer. So what people are mostly scared of is the risk of arrest.…

    • 1641 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Marijuana is a plant that is known by many different names such as cannabis, weed, pot, and grass just to name a few. It is known as a plant that is used for medical purposes as well as for recreational use for people all over the world. There are many different views on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Some want to make marijuana legal just to save the money and resources that are being used on tracking marijuana dealers. Also, as well if marijuana was legalized it is thought that the tax put on sales would help the United States in this economy. People often hear when talking about marijuana, that marijuana is in fact good and there is nothing wrong it, therefore it should be legalized.…

    • 3037 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cannabis and Marijuana

    • 1035 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Marijuana was first used for medicinal purposes dating back as early as the 1600’s. However, a law was passed in 1930, which banned the substance. Since then we have been fighting a never-ending war on drugs that has estimated to be over a trillion dollar failure, and we have nothing to show for it. There are many different takes on legalizing marijuana nation-wide but some states are not convinced yet. There are two main views on legalizing cannabis. One is the government view, which believes if marijuana was taxed like alcohol and tobacco it could yield close to 50 billion in tax revenue annually. Along with this, legalizing the drug would save the U.S. about $41 billion a year in enforcing the drug laws, and using that for education and health. The other view would be the medicinal use side of it. Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. The government should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use because it will create tax revenue, help patients, and we will be done fighting an everlasting war.…

    • 1035 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shane, James, Rich, & Rob. (2010) Losing Effort: The United States “War on Drugs”. Retrieved…

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2005). Crime in the United States 2005. Retrieved from http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_08_nv.html…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There is no solid reason for marijuana to be illegal. The risks and dangers of taking it are about the same as the risks of drinking alcohol of smoking tobacco, both which are legal for adults. Furthermore, making it illegal is ineffective at stopping minors from taking the drug, and makes the drug more dangerous because it cannot be regulated. Legal marijuana would be less dangerous because it would have to conform to safety standards, and have warnings to keep people informed, like cigarettes do. If society can change their views on alcohol, they can change their views on marijuana.…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Walters, J. P. (n.d.). Drug Policy Information Clearing House. Retrieved September 21, 2008, from ONDCP: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/crime/index.html…

    • 3198 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    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.…

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    The trend of African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 has seen a dramatic increase of incarceration. Attention has been focusing on areas of housing, education, and healthcare but the most prominent problem for African American males is the increase in the incarceration rate. African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 incarceration rate has been thought, by many, to be caused by economic factors such as under employment or unemployment, poor housing, lack of education, and lack of healthcare. Yet, others believe it is due to the imbalance of minorities within the criminal justice system, such as judges, lawyers, and lawmakers.…

    • 1704 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Assult Weapons Ban

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cited: FBI. Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report in the US 2012. January to June 2012.<www.fbi.gov>.…

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In summary, marijuana should be legalized. Marijuana should be legalized nationwide because of it’s low health risk and danger, it’s medical use, and would allow for more tax money for the government. Obviously, marijuana is something that is pointlessly illegal and should be legal because of how it can help and how safe it is. Marijuana should be…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays