Mary Jane, pot, weed, grass, ganja, and reefer are all popular names when referring to Marijuana. Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs in America. Whether or not to legalize marijuana continues to be a controversial topic of discussion. Today, in the United States there are twenty-three states, and the District of Columbia (D.C), that have legalized marijuana for medical use. Additionally, four states, and D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational use. The continued legalization of marijuana can be beneficial to Americans and the economy. The legalization of marijuana would allow the drug to be used as a medical treatment. Marijuana would improve the lives of individuals suffering from illnesses such as, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Marijuana has been used to treat chronic pain, nausea, seizures, anxiety, and migraines. Also, marijuana has the advantage of being a natural drug, unlike many prescription drugs prescribed to patients. As research continues, the benefits of marijuana will continue to grow, and so will the pressure to legalize. …show more content…
In reference to Colorado's one-year mark of legalizing marijuana, Matt Connolly states, “The state brought in $36.5 million in tax revenue through the first 11 months of 2014, all thanks to medical and recreational marijuana.” (Connolly) These new taxes will be allotted to schools, infrastructure, social service programs, and economic development. If people are already using the marijuana, why not legalize the drug, that way states are able to tax and regulate it? In addition to making money, decriminalizing marijuana will save states
Have you ever wondered when and why marijuana was made illegal? The herbal plant, commonly used in medicines, was not considered a drug in the early 1900s. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 banned the use and sales of marijuana. This act was put in place due to careless slander. Marijuana, in America should be legalized because it is safer than alcohol and tobacco, marijuana funds gangs and cartels, and marijuana can replace toxic, addictive pharmaceuticals.
Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in the world. Users most commonly use it by smoking its leaves, stems, buds, or flower to experience some sort of high. Scientists have discovered that not only does marijuana have an intoxication effect, but that it could be used for medical reasons as well. Marijuana has been tested by many scientists who would all agree that it should be legalized
Equally important is the effect that marijuana has on the justice system. Resources are being used every day that could be allocated to a number of other pressing issues that are facing communities across the country. If marijuana is legalized, the resources of agencies of law enforcement would be able to focus on much more pressing issues. By legalizing marijuana, it will promote a reduction in street crimes and it will also take business from illegal drug dealers and direct it to the government. This would hopefully lead to a decrease in violence related to drugs in the United States ("Legalization of Marijuana"). Decreasing petty street crime and violence would make local streets safer. That is something that would benefit civilians as
It’s referred to as “Merry Jane” and “the devil’s lettuce” but which one is it? How can something be known as so dangerous but still be used so widely throughout the world? Medical cannabis is legal in 26 states so it can’t be that bad...right? To answer these questions, first you should know why people would or wouldn’t want to use it. You’ll find that there are more pros than cons.
Everyone has days that are very stressful or days when they just want to give up on life itself, but sometimes taking a deep breath can help or simply a cigarette can do the trick. However, in today’s society, Marijuana is usually the go to antidepressant even though it is illegal. Many people believe Marijuana should be legal in the United States and there have been rumors rising that the state of Texas may become one of the few states to legalize the drug. Marijuana has been portrayed as better than most legal drugs or alcohol out there. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol actually cause more deaths than Marijuana, about 50,000 people die from alcohol poisoning and about 400,000 people die from the use of tobacco. Marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. Although Marijuana does have some health risk, these risks are less severe when compared to other drugs, such as alcohol. Marijuana is the third most popular drug
Marijuana was discovered many, many years ago, and it played different parts for various cultures. Over the last few years however Marijuana has been made to fit our lives, and social environment. It would help The united states to improve its debt, saving millions of acres in forestry and creating jobs for many people. Today many people around the world smoke Marijuana, for medicinal purposes although it causes more harm than good. Marijuana is also link to being the greates “gate way” drug.
Increasing popularity in marijuana may leave many wondering if it should be legalized but, considering the negative effects, it should not be legalized. Use of marijuana can damage the brain, heart, lungs and immune system. It also impairs learning, memory, perception and judgement. Also, some short-term effects of marijuana are anxiety, poor coordination and increased heart rate. Looking at the effects of marijuana, it should not be legalized. Looking at the effects of marijuana, the initial high a person experiences is not worth the risks. Looking at the effects of marijuana, would you want to find out that someone you loved had died because they were in an accident with someone who had been smoking marijuana?
The purpose of this debate paper is to explore both sides of the following issue. Marijuana should be legalized for personal recreational use as well as medical use. I selected this topic because I felt it is one of the more controversial and longer lasting issue that the United States has faced. The topic of legal marijuana, medically and recreationally, has been at the focal point of many U.S. citizens, including politicians, for quite some time. I expect to discover the possibility for the positive impact on the economy that would come from the legalization of marijuana. I expect to also find statistics supporting the premise that alcohol and cigarettes are not only just as addicting, if not more, than marijuana, but they are also more dangerous
For many years, marijuana has been a growing problem in our society. The people vs. the
Do you believe in unfair punishment and have a plant illegalized so that the paper industry could continue keep making money if there was a cheaper alternative? Well that plant is marijuana, cannabis, weed, whatever you want to call it. I believe with the legalization through out America, we could be making a profit instead of continually spending money to house inmates. Did you know in the United States on average it costs 28,000 dollars just to house one inmate for a year. With over 98,000 incarcerations nationwide are drug related. So we spend 2.7 billion in just one year alone on housing people in jail for marijuana.
Marijuana is a drug used to get an ultimate feeling of happiness or high. This drug has been banned for sometime now because it is viewed as unhealthy and disgraceful. However, some people need it for medical purposes, but even that is illegal in some places. The right to take Marijuana for medical purposes should be legal.
Right now in Texas the unemployment rate is 4.2%, if dispensaries opened up more than likely the unemployment rates can drop below 3.5%. Another beneficial effect of legalizing marijuana would be there is going to be more money in our economy. If at least half of the citizens in Texas would buy marijuana from local dispensaries, a lot of the money would be given back to the state meaning the it would have more money to build new roads, fix old ones, build more attractions for people from other countries or states to come see, and overall Texas would be making a lot more money than losing money. According to CNN, Colorado, a year after its legalization, had made 53 million dollars in revenue. That gives them more than enough to give money to schools in Colorado so they can repair damages and possibly make new schools. Numbers have also shown a decrease of crime rates in Colorado, if more states legalized weed the crime rates might also decrease and that would help benefit the local police and other law enforcement agencies. Another thing that would help a lot of people who have been arrested for possession of weed. If the laws change and marijuana become legal, a lot of people who only have criminal charges of possession of weed should be released from prison because it would no longer be illegal. Even though it would seem more likely that people would go out smoking a joint and driving around recklessly, that isn’t the case. According to a graph from one of my sources, it shows that many residents of Denver still drink and drive. Although there were still drivers under the influence of marijuana, then numbers show there are a lot more drunk drivers than high
Cannabis, better known as marijuana, is an illicit drug that is commonly used in America today. There are a few different ways to use marijuana, but most people choose to smoke the “dried leaves, flowers, stems, or seeds of the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant.” (NIDA) Whichever way the user decides to consume marijuana is their choice, but the harmful effects of marijuana are the same. The question “Should marijuana be legal” is controversial in society today and surprisingly twenty-nine states have made it legal for doctors to recommend marijuana for conditions like AIDS, cancer, seizures, hepatitis C, and even just pain in general.
By legalizing marijuana the economy can create more jobs. People can work at marijuana dispensaries. If all 50 states would legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use it would create more jobs too. Growing marijuana at home would be a job by having to keep the plants alive and getting people to buy your plants. Marijuana can also boost the economy by new tax revenue. This will increase the money going towards the United States taxes. Since marijuana is legal in Colorado they are already making tax money on it. The state made $70 million dollars in tax receipts. When marijuana is legalized the states should lower prices for more consumers. The cheaper the plant is, the more the consumers will buy and that will boost the economies taxes. When marijuana is legal there will be fewer Americans in jail. This will free most of the Americans that are in jail with marijuana related charges. This will also have less people getting locked up for marijuana and limited impact on drug cartels. Cannabis should be legalized because presidents admitted that they have smoked the herb. Clinton, Bush, and Obama have all said they have smoked marijuana. Cannabis is a product people clearly want. If marijuana is legal the demand for it will not stop. By legalizing cannabis it helps guarantee a safer product. It will allow people to purchase what they want, and to use it as responsible adults. “Marijuana is expected to bring Colorado and Washington
By legalizing Marijuana, it can help bring more jobs and more money into the state by taxing it. If the drug was legalized, each process can lead to a new company. which means job growth, the people that grow the plant can make money, the seller can make money and then the government can tax it like they do cigarettes and alcohol. By taxing the drug, the money can be used for other funding like schools and building new places. Legalizing Marijuana will also bring new people into the state more tourism which