Legalizing Marijuana

Legalizing Marijuana
March 17, 2011

Legalizing Marijuana
Why is marijuana illegal? There is a huge controversy over the topic of marijuana. A few reasons legalizing marijuana poses ethical reasons is people are not informed on the issue; if they cannot control it they try to prohibit it. Being educated with the facts of marijuana may help to determine if marijuana should be legalized.
First off, for those unfamiliar with marijuana; according to Nemours “It is a dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, and leaves of the plant Cannabis sativa” (Nemours, 2011). Marijuana may vary in colors; it can be green, brown, grey or a mixture of the three. Marijuana has multiple names; a few common street names for marijuana are: “pot, herb, weed, grass, Jane, reefer, dope, and ganja” (Nemours, 2011). The cannabis plant is an herb that is produced and sold in nearly all the states (McVay, 1991). Even though marijuana is most commonly smoked, it can be blended in foods or brewed as a tea (Nemours, 2011). ). At Warren Hospital, M.D. Chief of emergency medicines Howard Swidler states "Marijuana is non-addicting and there is no physical dependence or physical withdraw associated with its use” (The Daily Review, 2010).
Since marijuana is an herb found throughout the world why is it illegal? Since marijuana contains the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol it is considered dangerous. So what is this delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol? It is more commonly known as THC. THC is considered the active ingredient; also about 400 other chemicals can be found which could be hazardous to an individual’s health (NIDA, 2000). Marijuana is illegal due to THC, yet there is a prescription for Dronabinol, also known as Marinol that is approved for cancer and aids/HIV patients. Dronabinol contains THC as well and yet is not illegal to use and prescribed to patients. Even though THC is in Dronabinol it is really hard to prescribe this drug because it first needs to go through the DEA. So... [continues]

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