Should Marijuana Be Legalized In The United States?

Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in the United States
There are many controversial issues that divide people in today’s society. One such topic that continues to be highly disputed is the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana has been legalized in a number of states, however there are still some who feel apprehensive toward the drug. They argue that marijuana is an addictive drug, or a gateway drug, and believe that marijuana is too harmful to one’s health to allow people to use it. Others say that marijuana is harmless if used correctly and that it can be extremely beneficial in treating symptoms of certain illnesses. In fact, 86% of Americans say they support the use of marijuana for medical purposes (2016 Marijuana), proving to lawmakers
Medical marijuana is an important asset to those who suffer from cancer and must go through chemotherapy. These patients often experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and chronic pain. Marijuana is the only anti-nausea medicine that will also increase a person’s appetite. So, rather than writing prescriptions for multiple medications, a doctor could easily prescribe medical marijuana by itself to deal with these symptoms (Top 10). The drug is helpful to people with HIV/AIDS as well, as they also experience a loss of appetite. Furthermore, it can be used to reduce muscle tension, muscle spasms, and chronic pain (Jacques). Marijuana can be dosed “via [oral] ingestion, vaporization, or topical absorption,” which nullifies any risks and fears associated with smoking the drug (Top 10). Legalizing marijuana could also help to reform criminal justice systems, as “the criminalization of marijuana use disproportionately harms young people and people of color and fails to curb youth access” (Marijuana Legalization). With less people being incarcerated for possession of marijuana, less money would need to be spent on state prisons, correctional facilities, and court cases. In fact, legalizing marijuana would lead to economic boosts in many ways. Regulation of marijuana would bring one of the “nation's largest cash
The use of marijuana offers many benefits that cannot be ignored any longer. It is an excellent drug for treating symptoms of cancer, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain, muscle spasms, and many other medical conditions. Also, by legalizing it, much-needed changes would be brought to the criminal justice system, economic opportunities would be opened up, new jobs would be created, tax revenue would increase, and government spending would decrease. Currently 29 states have laws that legalize marijuana for medical use, 8 of those for recreational use as well, showing that change is being made in the US (State Marijuana). However, people in every state deserve to have access to marijuana for the sake of their