Preview

The Pros to legalizing marijuana

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1421 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Pros to legalizing marijuana
Professor Hull
English 1213
Outline Essay #3
17 November 2012
The Pros to legalizing marijuana
Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the United States and legalizing Marijuana has been an ongoing controversial debate for decades. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa and the main active ingredient is THC. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint), but can also be put in food or brewed as tea. When smoked it has a distinctive smell, which is usually a sweet-and-sour smell. There are 18 of 50 states and DC that have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. People will argue that marijuana may cause physical damages, have mental effects and more criminals will be on the streets. Although there may me adverse effects that in moderation, the drug is no more harmful than legal drugs, such as tobacco or alcohol. Marijuana has many medical benefits, which outweighs its potential abuse. The government could earn money from taxes on its sale, create jobs and improve our economy. So marijuana should be legalized because the pros outweigh the cons.
Opponents claim that marijuana harms the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. It affects your learning and hinders your memory. People will also argue that marijuana can cause cancer. There is very little proof that smoking marijuana has a significant health risk. There have also been no reported cases of lung cancer or emphysema credited to marijuana. Research into the effects of long-term marijuana use on the structure of the brain has produced unreliable results. Marijuana is less toxic than many drugs that doctors prescribe every day. I believe that there are many drugs that are worse on our body than marijuana and far more addictive. Many studies have shown a link between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. But does marijuana use cause depression or schizophrenia or do people with these mental health disorders us it as a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    argument essay 2

    • 909 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Marijuana, an herb with over two hundred common names including weed, pot, and bud, is a mixture of green and brown dried shredded leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. Marijuana may be used for recreational and medical use as a psychoactive substance. It contains a chemical called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). When marijuana smoke is inhaled, THC passes through the lungs, bloodstream, and other organs in the body, including the brain. Marijuana has many benefits that general Americans are unaware of, and with this in mind, marijuana should be legalized. There are several reasons for this. First marijuana should be legal due to its helpfulness in treating cancer patients and chronic diseases. Secondly, there is no reason why alcohol and cigarettes should be legal and marijuana should not be. Finally, marijuana does not cause physical addiction.…

    • 909 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Since 1961 marijuana has been illegal in the United States but in the 2012 election Colorado and Washington voters decided they wanted that to change. Marijuana has very valuable medical use to patients suffering from some terminal diseases. It also has a very valuable industrial use with the cultivation of hemp from the cannabis plant. Along with this marijuana is also a fun recreational drug that is used by many to create a fun social environment among friends. The legalization of marijuana would make it so law enforcement could stop wasting there time with non-violent marijuana users and spend it on finding the real criminals in the US.…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    First of all, marijuana should not be legalized because of the physical effects. The use of marijuana affects the person by causing “impairment of short-term memory, logical thinking, hallucinations, energy loss, toxic effect on brain nerve cells, risk of chronic bronchitis, impaired immune system, and etc”. Because of these of effects many people should know why they shouldn’t smoke marijuana. And by not legalizing marijuana many people don’t have to worry about these effects.…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In 2010 an estimated 443,000 people died prematurely from smoking tobacco or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Despite these risks, approximately 46.6 million U.S. adults smoke cigarettes. Alcohol use last year led to 14,406 alcoholic liver disease deaths and 23,199 other alcohol related deaths excluding accidents and homicides. (Alcohol Use, 2009) Despite these alarming statistics, these substances remain legal and socially acceptable while marijuana, which has never killed anyone anywhere, is illegal, remains classified as a stage one controlled substance, which likens it to killer drugs such as LSD, and heroin, both so lethal you could die with a single use. Why is it socially acceptable to use substances, which kill thousands a year while a plant that is practically a miracle drug remains portrayed as one of the most dangerous substances, known to man? In this paper, we will look at the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana the financial impact as well as the effects it would have on industry. We will also look at social impact caused by legalizing marijuana can it be socially acceptable. Alcohol and tobacco continually kill people by the thousands and yet remain legal, why then is marijuana, a drug that has never killed a single person still illegal.…

    • 2601 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The uses of marijuana amongst teenagers has increased over the years making it the most accessible drug in America as well as one the most beneficial due to its medical uses. According to the article of Marijuana Use Among Youths Is a Serious Problem, written by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) (2004), stated that the uses of marijuana has impacted the youth in many ways due to the unknown factors of marijuana such as admittance to treatment facilities, and being admitted into emergency rooms. The CASA took the con side of the argument dealing with the issues of marijuana use with teenagers. The second article Marijuana Should Be Decriminalized, written by Lynn Zimmer (1998), stated that the uses of marijuana amongst teens can help with medical conditions such as cancer patience, glaucoma, multiple – sclerosis, and individuals with AIDS. Examining both articles the public will see the benefits and the potential harms of marijuana use.…

    • 2705 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Medical marijuana should be legalized at the federal law for medical purposes because marijuana helps many people manage pain or illnesses. There is a lot of illnesses and pain that marijuana can treat. Marijuana does have side effects but what medication does not? Many people deal with the slight side effects and people who cannot deal with the side effects quit smoking marijuana. A problem in society is the federal law arresting people selling or smoking marijuana and giving them more years in prison than a rapist or serial killer. So what people are mostly scared of is the risk of arrest.…

    • 1641 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Myths About Marijuana

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Marijuana can cause mental illness: Some of the effects of ingesting Marijuana may include feelings of panic or anxiety. Experiences like these can be a bit scary, but they are only temporary. That being said, Marijuana can correlate with certain psychiatric illnesses for many reasons. For example, “People often turn to the alleviating effects of marijuana to treat symptoms of distress. One study demonstrated that psychotic symptoms predict later use of marijuana,…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Marijuana is a plant that is known by many different names such as cannabis, weed, pot, and grass just to name a few. It is known as a plant that is used for medical purposes as well as for recreational use for people all over the world. There are many different views on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Some want to make marijuana legal just to save the money and resources that are being used on tracking marijuana dealers. Also, as well if marijuana was legalized it is thought that the tax put on sales would help the United States in this economy. People often hear when talking about marijuana, that marijuana is in fact good and there is nothing wrong it, therefore it should be legalized.…

    • 3037 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cannabis and Marijuana

    • 1035 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Marijuana was first used for medicinal purposes dating back as early as the 1600’s. However, a law was passed in 1930, which banned the substance. Since then we have been fighting a never-ending war on drugs that has estimated to be over a trillion dollar failure, and we have nothing to show for it. There are many different takes on legalizing marijuana nation-wide but some states are not convinced yet. There are two main views on legalizing cannabis. One is the government view, which believes if marijuana was taxed like alcohol and tobacco it could yield close to 50 billion in tax revenue annually. Along with this, legalizing the drug would save the U.S. about $41 billion a year in enforcing the drug laws, and using that for education and health. The other view would be the medicinal use side of it. Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. The government should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use because it will create tax revenue, help patients, and we will be done fighting an everlasting war.…

    • 1035 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Legalizing Marijuana

    • 2519 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Marijuana has many harmful chemicals to date it is registered at 425 that convert to thousands when smoked. The medical problems it causes are not just short term but can be long term as well. These problems range from pre mature cancer, depression, memory loss, and addiction. Cancer is one of the main medical threats and is more harmful than tobacco in cigarettes (Marijuana should not be legal because, 2001). Therefore, the addiction rate is higher and can lead to harder drugs.…

    • 2519 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The situation of the legalizing marijuana is a very popular topic, I think it needs to be legalized. I myself with complete honesty, do not smoke or have any use of marijuana. In my opinion the legalization of marijuana can benefit the United States. The idea of legalizing marijuana in the country might be exceptional for others, but it’s more towards the economy. The legalization of marijuana can have excellent changes, but also can contain minor flaws.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What many people do not understand about marijuana is that it is a safe drug and not all drugs are bad drugs. “Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose.” (NORML, 2015). Marijuana comes in third behind alcohol and tobacco as the most popular recreational drugs. There has never been a death due to marijuana due to the fact that is is nearly impossible to overdose and it is “nontoxic”. It is very confusing to many people as to why this drug is illegal when looking at how safe it is compared to things like alcohol and tobacco…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marijuana is mostly known to have a negative impact on the brain. The presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) causes a harmful effect on a person’s ability to function. The brain stores memories in two different ways; long term memory and short term memory. A long term memory is all the things you remember that happened a long time ago, and short term memory is when you hold a small amount of information in your mind for a short period of time. The science of marijuana stated in 2012 article, “Some people believe smoking marijuana carries no risk.” (The science of marijuana how THC affects.. Nov/Dec 2011). Marijuana is organic, which means it’s kind of good for some people. Most people will agree because some people use…

    • 1806 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Should marijuana be legalized? This is a question that we face everyday. Marijuana is used in many ways, some legal and some illegal, but the question is should all ways be legal? In this paper, you will read about the pros and cons of marijuana and the effects of it. Some people would look at this situation and say marijuana should be legalized because it helps with eyesight and others would say it ruins the lungs. But where do you stand? Do you feel that it’s healthy or does it ruin lives?…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Some research shows that marijuana smoke has up to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke, it says. Long-term, heavy use of marijuana can lead to impaired thinking skills and memory problems,…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays