Legalizing Marijuana Legalization

The past few years in our modern America have been subjected to continuous debate over a specific topic. Should it be legalized? Should it stay illegal? The states of California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, and others have already decided to legalize this substance, with much dispute from the opposing side. 58% of Americans favor the legalization of this substance, tied with 2013 with the highest acceptance rate in 46 years. It seems that legalization nationwide is inevitable in the coming years. This essay with delve deep into cannabis country and explore the rich history of marijuana as well as it’s side effects, legal limitations, and it’s impact on American culture as a whole.

For us to fully understand the origin and history of marijuana,
According to the Monitoring the Future survey (an annual survey of American teenagers and their use and attitudes towards illicit drugs) teens perceptions of the dangers of cannabis has declined over the past few years which is most likely attributed to the legalization in some states and softening of drug policy in others. In 2015, 11.8% of 8th graders reported marijuana use in the past year. For sophomores, we see a steady incline in use, as 25.4% had used marijuana in the past year. For seniors, the rates were even highers, with 34.9% of teens saying they had used cannabis in the past year. In total, nearly 24 millions Americans are known to use illicit drugs. This counts as 9.2% of the population. Medical emergencies related to illicit drugs have also increased. The Drug Abuse Warning Network, also known as DAWN monitors the health impact of drugs in the United States. They found that in 2011, there were nearly 456.000 emergency room visits related to the use of marijuana. This was a 21% increase over 2009. The data collected showed that around 66% of the patients were male and 13% were between the ages of 12 and 17. However astonishing numbers, scientists cannot be sure that cannabis was a factor in the injury sustained by the patient. The fact that marijuana was listed in the medical records can merely be chance. Despite this, it seems quite suspicious that many of
However, many of them do not understand the bad sides to cannabis. Let’s take a look at some of its side effects. In the short term, it’s not uncommon to witness enhanced senses and a feeling of exhilaration. These feelings are normally followed by drowsiness and relief as well as slow reaction time, dizziness, heightened heart rate, hallucinations, anxiety, and panic attacks. These side-effects might seem harrowing enough, however, it’s in the long-term where the effects of cannabis are truly seen. Patients with a