Essay on Legalizing Marijuana Pros and Cons - 1599 Words

The war on drugs is a movement of prohibition and military aid being undertaken by the United States government intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade. In the year 2010 the U.S. government spent $15 billion on the war on drugs, at a rate of $500 per second. State and local governments spent another $25 billion as well. In 2007, $42 billion was spent on the marijuana prohibition. That is more money than the war on drugs spent on all types of drugs three years before when $40 billion was spent all together. Why is our government focusing on a drug that can be called merely harmless to those who use it? Why is this drug getting more money spent on it than drugs that are highly addictive and life threatening? Marijuana†¦show more content†¦Physical effects include red eyes, dry mouth, increased heart rate, and loss of coordination. Beneficial effects for medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis include relief from pain and nausea, increa sed appetite, and reduced muscle spasms. Psychological effects, which are not apparent in ever user, may entail hallucinations, impaired judgment, and mood swings. The one frightening effect is that marijuana has been linked to short term memory loss, and although this drug does not cause physical addiction a psychological dependence can come about (Gale). Now that you know the basic facts of marijuana lets dive into the real issue of the paper. Legalizing marijuana has both pros and cons, but which position should you take on this issue? You have the freedom to choose whatever position you would like to take, but before you do that listen to both sides of this argument first. So, why should one choose to be for legalizing marijuana? Well, there are plenty of reasons to support this position like the fact that this drug is considered not addictive. The article â€Å"Is Marijuana Good?† supports this by providing statistics that state that only nine percent of people who used marijuana once became dependent on it, compared to the 32 percent of tobacco users and 23 percent of heroin users (Mathews). Marijuana is considered a â€Å"gateway† drug though, meaning that it is a drug that will lead into further, heavier illegal drug use with otherShow MoreRelatedEssay on Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana1880 Words   |  8 PagesPros and Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana is a very common street and recreational drug that comes from the marijuana plant. The plant that produces marijuana, as is well known, is the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is tetra-hydro-cannabinol. Marijuana is used to heighten perception, affect mood and relax. It is estimated that about thirty percent of adults in the U.S. use marijuana. Many people think marijuana is harmless. It is not.Read MorePros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana2690 Words   |  11 Pages Marijuana Angela Stackhouse 05/07/09 Marijuana 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 factorsRead MoreEssay on Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana557 Words   |  3 Pageslegalization of marijuana is a very debatable subject, some people think it is bad and should be illegal, and some people think it is good in some ways if used properly. It should be legal because it has few negative effects, it serves other purposes than getting people stoned, and it is better than other drugs. Many advocates say â€Å" Marijuana is a common drug used by many people.†(Sandra) A lot of people think marijuana has numerous amounts of negative effects on the body. Marijuana helps the bodyRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1030 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana should not be legalized There are many reasons why marijuana should not be legalized. There are also reasons why marijuana should be legalized. However, the cons for legalizing marijuana outweigh the pros, which lead to why marijuana should not be legalized. The topic of marijuana is extremely important in our society and one worth investigating. It was a blast finding information that I didn’t know about this topic. In this essay, I will break down facts, statistics, and data aboutRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?870 Words   |  4 Pages Legalize Marijuana In my opinion I think marijuana should be legalized across the country because it does benefit a lot of people with autoimmune problems, anything that weakens the immune system, cancer, M.S., and more. Doctor’s believe that the prohibition of marijuana causes the public more harm than good. Those are some of the pros. Some of the cons of legalizing marijuana is it has an addictive nature, it can alter a user s perception, is popularly known as a gateway drug, does damageRead MoreMarijuana: For Better or For Worse?1740 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana is a harmful drug and should not be legalized. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug used in the United States. It is a plant that grows from the ground however, it contains many harmful toxins. There are many pros and cons for the legalization of marijuana although there are more cons than there are pros; one being that children are the ones who abuse marijuana the most. Surprisingly, against other beliefs, marijuan a smoking actually does impair the user’s ability to drive aRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1224 Words   |  5 PagesLegalizing Marijuana Many different web pages and read over the information that they provided and this is what is found. The debit for this topic is all over the place some say we should some say we should not legalize marijuana. The three main topics that will going to go more into depth with are the medical benefits, monetary benefits and the renewable benefits. But first, let a bit about marijuana, so other names for it is weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane to name a few. MarijuanaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1463 Words   |  6 PagesLegalizing marijuana is the most argumentative issue in United States. It has been discussed for many years. There are many debatable questions that need the final answers such as: Should Marijuana be legalize and taxed? Should medicinal marijuana in all states? Should the issue be addressed at the national or at the state level? Everything has its own pros and cons, so does legalizing marijuana. It can reduce the pain in medical purposes, prevent consumers from consuming marijuana illegally, andRead MoreEssay about Should Marijuana be Legalized?968 Words   |  4 PagesShould marijuana be legalized for recreational or medical use? This is a debate that has been happening for quite some time and this is not just a debate that is happening among people. There are many that have taken sides including medical personal and government officials. Currently in the United States there are two states in which recreational use of marijuana is legal; Colorado and Washington. There are three states currently that have pending legislation to legalize recreational use; CaliforniaRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana For Recreational Use1362 Words   |  6 Pageslegalize marijuana for recreational use. Similar to the age limitation set for buying and consuming alcohol and smoking of tobacco products, Colorado has set the age limit for recreational use for adults who are at least twenty-one years of age and over to use an ounce of this drug. A ccording to the drugabuse.gov website, the drug marijuana is defined as a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa—the hemp plant. After two years of legalizing marijuana, Colorado