Legalization of Marijuana
Legalization of Marijuana Legalization of marijuana means the government would educate, regulate, tax, and control the estimated $400 billion a year drug industry (Gerdes 50). It does not mean that the federal government would allow marijuana to grow like grass does now, as thought by so many people. As of today, many people around the world smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes. The drug not only benefits the sick, but it would also help the United States debt, lead to a decreased rate in crime, bring youth farther away from it, and many other beneficial factors. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational use in all states of the U.S. The only major federal report on the subject of medicinal use of marijuana concluded that there was evidence that it could be useful for “pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation” (Mjlegal). For people with medical problems, smoking marijuana has been shown to provide immediate relief from pain without the unpleasant side effects caused by prescription medication (Parks 25). A study has shown that some components of marijuana interact with cells to block tumor growth. The main ingredient in marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been found to reduce growth in lung cancer in mice, and even destroying malignant tumors that cause brain cancer in rats. Further research is necessary to see if THC treatment has the same effect in humans (Mjlegal). Cancer patients do feel relief from smoking marijuana, which is enough for most. However, they are not the only ones who gain relief from it. Marijuana has reportedly restored the appetite of AIDS patients, arrested the deterioration of the eyes of glaucoma sufferers, and relieved the symptoms of chronic migraines, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis (Thompson 149). If marijuana-which has been consumed in large quantities for centuries-was responsible for any chronic, progressive, or disabling diseases, it certainly would have shown up in
Cited: About.com. About.com Guide. 2013. 4/29/13. . Gerdes, Louise I. Legalizing Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001. Huffingtonpost.com. Shadow Conventions 2012. 8/28/12. 4/29/13. . Mjlegal.org. Marijuana Legalization Organization. 1999. 4/29/13. . Parks, Peggy J. Drug Legalization. San Diego: Reference Point Press, Inc., 2009. People-press.org. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 4/4/13. 4/29/13. . Thompson, Stephen P. The War on Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1998.