What are the benefits and drawbacks of legalising marijuana
Marijuana is the most extensively used illicit drug in the world, which is a controlled substance, and it is illegal to produce, use, and distribute in most countries. Despite this, marijuana has been legalised in some areas of Australia (Joffe & Yancy, 2004). Consequently, the debate about legalising marijuana has been discussed over decades. Legalising marijuana not only has benefits but also drawbacks. Some believe that the drawbacks of marijuana outweigh the benefits, while others oppose this viewpoint. This essay will describe the advantages and disadvantages of the legalisation of marijuana. It will be divided into two sections: merits, which include medical usage and reducing the crime rate, and demerits, which include the increased number of consumers, and serious physical and psychological consequences to users.
The first advantage of decriminalising marijuana is that it can be used for medical field. Countries such as Canada, United States, and Holland make some laws to decriminalise marijuana for medical use, or personal use. According to Greenwell (2011, pp. 68-69), marijuana can relieve several appointed pain situations, including cancer pain, multiple sclerosis, and generalised nerve pain. Marijuana can be beneficial for the patients who are suffering from peripheral neuropathy, and it also can assist HIV patients to reduce the nerve pain, which other conventional medicine cannot relieve (Arias, 2007). As marijuana would be able to use for medicinal purposes, HIV patients would have profits from legalisation of marijuana.
In addition, legalising marijuana can decrease the rate of crimes. Marijuana is the same as tobacco and alcohol, which cannot cause death and crime directly. However, as marijuana is an illicit drug, people’s selling and purchasing is a kind of criminal behaviour, and the price of marijuana is extremely high, which means traffickers can obtain enormous profits from marijuana trade. Therefore, traffickers may fight or murder
The first advantage of decriminalising marijuana is that it can be used for medical field. Countries such as Canada, United States, and Holland make some laws to decriminalise marijuana for medical use, or personal use. According to Greenwell (2011, pp. 68-69), marijuana can relieve several appointed pain situations, including cancer pain, multiple sclerosis, and generalised nerve pain. Marijuana can be beneficial for the patients who are suffering from peripheral neuropathy, and it also can assist HIV patients to reduce the nerve pain, which other conventional medicine cannot relieve (Arias, 2007). As marijuana would be able to use for medicinal purposes, HIV patients would have profits from legalisation of marijuana.
In addition, legalising marijuana can decrease the rate of crimes. Marijuana is the same as tobacco and alcohol, which cannot cause death and crime directly. However, as marijuana is an illicit drug, people’s selling and purchasing is a kind of criminal behaviour, and the price of marijuana is extremely high, which means traffickers can obtain enormous profits from marijuana trade. Therefore, traffickers may fight or murder