Arguments Against Legalizing Marijuana
Legalization of Marijuana
With the United States recovering from a painful recession, the fiery debate over the legalization of marijuana has once again come to the forefront of American politics. The arguments from both sides are valid and convincing. For some, it’s a simple moral issue. For others, it delves deep into issues of personal freedom and economical wellbeing. While the legalization of marijuana could generate a large amount of much needed stimulus to the economy, I believe it is a potentially harmful drug to be readily available to the public and should remain illegal.
The legalization of marijuana would have many diverse benefits. The most relevant and current of these benefits are the effects on the American economy. The …show more content…
Violent gangs thrive from a constant flow of cash from illegal practices, a large portion of which is tied to the production and sale of marijuana, among other illegal drugs. By legalizing the drug, it no longer becomes of much value to these gangs, since it is readily available on the free market, and could decrease gang violence. In addition, the legalization of marijuana would render many petty crimes tied to marijuana use and sales void, alleviating the problem of overcrowded prisons, as well as allow a more efficient allocation of police and legal resources away from being tied up in enforcing marijuana laws. As for the harmful health issues with regards to marijuana, legalization would allow the government to regulate and standardize the products which involve …show more content…
There are many reasons for this, the most prevalent being that it is unhealthy. Studies have shown that regular marijuana intake has many adverse side effects. It has been proven that using marijuana over long periods of time is correlated with a decrease in memory function. These people, commonly known as potheads, have a much shorter retention of short term memory. Another adverse health effect is that while marijuana itself is not addictive, it is an example of a gateway drug. A gateway drug is a drug that can lead the user to more addictive and harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. These drugs are highly addictive and have plenty of their own side effects, one of which is death. One last health effect is that the use of marijuana can affect nonusers, too. Similar to cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke has negative effects for those who inhale it, even if not directly. Both first and secondhand smoke can cause throat, tongue, and lung cancer, plus plenty of other problems like emphazema. Marijuana clearly isn’t a benefit to a persons
With the United States recovering from a painful recession, the fiery debate over the legalization of marijuana has once again come to the forefront of American politics. The arguments from both sides are valid and convincing. For some, it’s a simple moral issue. For others, it delves deep into issues of personal freedom and economical wellbeing. While the legalization of marijuana could generate a large amount of much needed stimulus to the economy, I believe it is a potentially harmful drug to be readily available to the public and should remain illegal.
The legalization of marijuana would have many diverse benefits. The most relevant and current of these benefits are the effects on the American economy. The …show more content…
Violent gangs thrive from a constant flow of cash from illegal practices, a large portion of which is tied to the production and sale of marijuana, among other illegal drugs. By legalizing the drug, it no longer becomes of much value to these gangs, since it is readily available on the free market, and could decrease gang violence. In addition, the legalization of marijuana would render many petty crimes tied to marijuana use and sales void, alleviating the problem of overcrowded prisons, as well as allow a more efficient allocation of police and legal resources away from being tied up in enforcing marijuana laws. As for the harmful health issues with regards to marijuana, legalization would allow the government to regulate and standardize the products which involve …show more content…
There are many reasons for this, the most prevalent being that it is unhealthy. Studies have shown that regular marijuana intake has many adverse side effects. It has been proven that using marijuana over long periods of time is correlated with a decrease in memory function. These people, commonly known as potheads, have a much shorter retention of short term memory. Another adverse health effect is that while marijuana itself is not addictive, it is an example of a gateway drug. A gateway drug is a drug that can lead the user to more addictive and harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. These drugs are highly addictive and have plenty of their own side effects, one of which is death. One last health effect is that the use of marijuana can affect nonusers, too. Similar to cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke has negative effects for those who inhale it, even if not directly. Both first and secondhand smoke can cause throat, tongue, and lung cancer, plus plenty of other problems like emphazema. Marijuana clearly isn’t a benefit to a persons