Teacher
Class
15 April 2013
Legalization of Marijuana Close to 100 million Americans claimed to use marijuana at some point in their lives, and 25 million within the past year (Normal). Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug used in the United States. The legalization of marijuana has caused much controversy in this country since around the 1970’s and the debate still continues to this day. Many argue that marijuana is a gateway drug and there are no benefits of this drug, while others recognize there are medical advantages but still do not support recreational use. There is a large population, though, who believe there is no harm with the recreational use of marijuana, and support the legalization of it. The legalization of marijuana in this country would not only prove further that this drug is not a gateway drug, but it would also enhance the quality of the drug, and the economy. Many believe that marijuana is a major gateway drug, and use that as a main reason to keep it illegal. Keeping marijuana illegal makes it much more difficult to receive this drug, and those who want to try it may begin to associate with bad influences to get it. This is an understandable way to look at this drug as a gateway drug, but with its legalization, teens and other marijuana users would not have to associate with drug dealers who are interested in selling more serious drugs. A 12 year study was performed in 2006 by the American Psychiatric Association that proved no relationship between the uses of marijuana increasing the chances of the usage of other drugs (Gupta). The legalization of marijuana could do nothing more than dispel the myth of it being a gateway drug. The quality of the black marketed marijuana could easily make a consumer a bit uneasy. Because this drug is illegal, it is nearly impossible to get quality, well refined marijuana without a ridiculous price tag attached. With the help of the government, this drug could be processed mechanically and kept refined, inspected, and packaged in small amounts as the government pleases. This would drastically reduce the price from as high as $300 an ounce, to less than 50 cents an ounce (Gupta). In the black market, the cheap marijuana can have negative effects on the consumer, with a risk factor that the consumer receives an impure version of this drug. With government regulation there would be no chance of purchasing laced marijuana unless you continue on the black market. The quality of marijuana would increase twofold if it were legalized in this country.
Finally, the legalization of marijuana could greatly impact the economy. Having government regulation on marijuana could change the game for America. As stated before, marijuana could be regulated and sold for less than 50 cents an ounce, when people are used to buying the same amount for anywhere between 20-300 dollars (depending on the quality). The government could take great advantage of this by taxing it and still keeping it at an affordable price. Economist Stephen Easton suggests that as much as $100 billion could be generated revenue with the legalization of marijuana (Gupta). This could also easily bring in many more jobs for Americans. If nothing else, the legalization of marijuana would help boost our economy in America greatly.
With the increasing numbers of users of marijuana in this country, the debate of legalization becoming more and more heated. Recreational use of marijuana is not harmful, and with legalization could eliminate any risk factor in smoking it. The legalization of marijuana in this country would not only prove further that this drug is not a gateway drug, but it would also enhance the quality of the drug, and the economy.
Works Cited
Gupta, Sourabh. “Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana.” Buzzle. N.p. 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 10
Feb 2013.
Normal: Working to Reform Marijuana Laws. N.p. Web. 13 Apr. 2013.
Cited: Gupta, Sourabh. “Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana.” Buzzle. N.p. 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Feb 2013. Normal: Working to Reform Marijuana Laws. N.p. Web. 13 Apr. 2013.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Marijuana is not being looked at as a harmful illegal drug, rather it is beginning to be looked at as helpful. Since the first state legalized cannabis, the rise in usage has gone up drastically. A major reason to this growth in usage…
- 674 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout this paper, there will be the highly debatable discussion between legalizing medical marijuana and regular marijuana. Both sides of the argument have their pros and cons and there is an in depth description of both sides of the argument. At the end of the day though, the paper thoroughly supports the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana in general. Medical marijuana less harmful than most other legal tobacco products and has the ability to reduce the pain within ailing people. Cannabis also can be a curable and more natural drug to help people in pain. Marijuana also has the potential to raise the U.S. out of their tough economic struggle as well as lower crime rate and create more jobs for many more people. On the other hand researchers believe that medical marijuana is still bad for people’s health and the government does not know how to regulate the production and sell of marijuana. Both sides have valid arguments, but the pros outweigh the cons by a significant amount. This paper has opinions of lots of credible sources, doctors and researchers explaining their side of the story. But read on to create your own personal opinion.…
- 2804 Words
- 12 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The debate whether or not marijuana should be decriminalized throughout America has been a trending topic for decades now. Marijuana should be decriminalized because it would save the government the time and effort of trying to stop this nation's so-called war on drugs, which evidently has been a failure. The first step to legalization of marijuana is to decriminalize it. Marijuana is undoubtedly the most popular in the United States, the quantity has risen dramatically, the price is cheaper, and more and more people are tempted to start. The illegal drug use and drug related crimes have killed nearly 20,000 Americans annually. The argument whether or not the legalization of Cannabis for medical or recreational use have been an ongoing quarrel…
- 763 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The spanish brought marijuana to America in 1545, and by 1611 it became a major commercial crop. However, marijuana didn’t really catch on till the jazz age in the 1920s. It became such the rage that there were clubs specifically for smoking, and since it was not illegal at the time and the people weren’t causing any problems the authorities let them be. From 1860 to 1942 it was even prescribed for various medical uses, but authorities soon began to see it as a “gateway” drug. By 1970 the Controlled Substance Act labeled marijuana as having a high abuse potential and having no medical use. Due to the illegalization of marijuana it began to be smuggled in from Mexico and Colombia, starting the “war on drugs.”In 1982 the Drug Enforcement Administration began to crack down on finding growers in the U.S., and by the 1990’s marijuana was once again in an upward trend of users.…
- 1669 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
In society today, many people are looking for a feeling of freedom. Some go on vacation and spend money while others look to drugs. The sense of high that results from using marijuana acts as an escape from the stresses of everyday life. As a result, a tremendous number of Americans participate in the illicit use of marijuana. Our American society is facing a tremendous drug problem that will increase exponentially by the legalization of this drug. Marijuana should be illegal because it will cause an increase in drug users and drug related crimes, the short term and long term effects of marijuana on the body, and the effect it will have on the country.…
- 1519 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Caulkins, J. P., Hawken, A., Kilmer, B., & Kleiman, M. A. (2012). Marijuana Legalization What Everyone Needs to Know. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.…
- 2324 Words
- 10 Pages
Better Essays -
For most of the 20th century and beyond, it has been illegal in the United States and other countries, turning its sale and usage into a vast underground market that has gone untapped by any professional outlet. Some say that it is a harmful, addictive drug that leads to health detriments down the line for those who use it. However, there are others who claim that it is perfectly safe, not addictive, and could be an incredible source of income for a legitimate economy. The legalization of marijuana has the potential to create an incredible revenue stream of a highly demanded product that is safe to use. In this essay, the pros and cons of marijuana legalization will be explored and discussed.…
- 2144 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The topic of legalizing marijuana has been a topic of controversy for quite some time now not only throughout our local streets, but throughout the local and into the state government. The legalization of marijuana is such a controversial topic because some are for it and some are against it. People are for the legalization because of the great uses it has towards medicine, the money that could come from the taxation of legalized marijuana, and the emptying of prisons because of the releases of marijuana offenses. The list could go on and on. Other people are against the legalization because it is considered a “gateway drug”, or because the legalization of marijuana would eventually lead to the legalization of harder drugs such as heroine or cocaine. Despite the negative comments about the drug, marijuana should be legalized because it would give the U.S. a huge amount of money from the taxation and regulation of the drug, its uses would greatly impact our health throughout the medical field and throughout our own well being, and would help our fight with the war on drugs and our overcrowded prisons.…
- 1557 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
One of the most controversial debates in our time has been the legalization of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana in the United States can promote utilitarianism for the greater good. Political parties have argued various pros and cons of legalizing marijuana in the United States. I believe that by legalizing marijuana you can actually produce the best results, thus affecting the greatest number of people. Legalizing marijuana would allow the government to control the substance, just as they control tobacco and alcohol. If the government controls the retail market of marijuana use and the distribution it can dictate the negative outcomes that are a direct result from keeping marijuana illegal. Legalizing marijuana has many benefits; however there are four of them that can dramatically affect our country for the better. They are as follows; increased tax and private market economic growth, reduced crime, medical advancements, and safer drug use. These four categories can improve the lives of our citizens for the greater good.…
- 2091 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
When most people hear marijuana, they automatically think gateway drug. The gateway theory is the theory that the use of less deleterious drugs may lead to a future risk of using more dangerous hard drugs. Scientific research has found that more than 100 million Americans have tried marijuana. There is an estimate of 14.4 million Americans to be past month users. Yet there are only an estimated 2,075,000 past month users of cocaine and 153,000 past month users of heroin. The fact that most people get marijuana from people who have more harmful drugs like cocaine and heroin, if the government legalized marijuana people would not be persuade to try other drugs and less likely to get a hold of them.…
- 625 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Although many slanderous claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to resurface. Unfortunately, these truths are under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This skewed perception of a lazy and unmotivated American is the result of over seventy years of propaganda and misinformation spread by private interests who relied on illegal cannabis illegal from their own personal gains. As a marijuana consumer and a current medical marijuana patient, I strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized for all users. Currently in the United States today, marijuana is prohibited by federal law and has been a topic of controversial debate since the start of the prohibition. There are several, important reasons for the legalization of marijuana, including research concerning these issues are beneficial in understanding both sides of the debate. The result of abolishing our country’s marijuana prohibition by supporting legalization will stimulate the economy, to show the medical properties, and lower the crime rate.…
- 1773 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
Marijuana has a history dating back many years, and has been used in various cultures in different ways. In recent years, marijuana has become a forefront topic in the world of American politics whether or not it should be legalized. Marijuana has been adapted to fit our lifestyles and our social environment. A vast amount of the world’s population smoke marijuana for various purposes. Thus, the drug should be legalized because it has many medical beneficial uses, the ability to generate billions of dollars in tax revenue, and would lower the cost to imprison individuals arrested for crimes related to marijuana.…
- 871 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
My Hypothesis was that the average person at Franciscan University would be against the legalization of marijuana usage. I interviewed four people, three girls and one boy. My dependent variable was the participants and their points of view while the independent variables were the questions that were asked. Five questions were asked and they all were asking for opinions on marijuana. The questions were asked from an unbiased point of view.…
- 548 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The question, whether to legalize marijuana or not, is not an easy one to answer. There are many arguments on both sides of the debate. When weighing the pros and cons, it becomes slightly more evident that this drug has unjustly gotten a bad rap. It is easy to say that the drug does terrible things and site numerous examples, however, when compared to other drugs it is easy to see that marijuana is not quite as bad as many people say. Lots of research has been done on the effects of marijuana and other drugs and the results are fairly overwhelming. While there are negative effects, they hardly compare to the negative effects of many other drugs. There could be many benefits to the legalization of marijuana, some obvious, and some not so much.…
- 824 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a plant that can be ingested or smoked. This plant, or rather botanical, is illegal in most of the country with the exception of some states giving physicians authority to recommend the use to their patients. The purpose of this essay is to examine both the benefits and the risks of legalizing marijuana. Marijuana has many medicinal properties that have been proven to be therapeutically effective for various conditions. However, this drug also has carcinogenic properties and dangerous short- and long-term effects on the body. Although advocates may argue that the legalization of marijuana has many potential benefits, such as it would lessen our national debt and benefit our overall economic system, opponents may beg to differ. In this essay, the debate over the legalization of marijuana continues, with arguments over the therapeutic benefits versus the dangerous adverse effects of marijuana, the influence marijuana has on individuals, and whether or not the legalization of this drug could benefit our economy.…
- 5889 Words
- 24 Pages
Better Essays