should marijuana be legalized in the states

Introduction

In society today, many people look for a feeling of freedom. Many people go on vacation and spend money. The most common gateway for people is drugs. Our American society is facing a tremendous drug problem. Some people advocate this issue and believe that legalization is the only solution left for the nation while others oppose because it will increase the number of drug users and drug related crimes(Saffer and Chaloupka, 2005).

I. Thesis: There are many reasons to legalize Marijuana in the States, such as medical reasons, economics reasons, social reasons and the previous experiment in pro Prohibition.

II. Medical reasons:        

Marijuana is a drug that is illegal in the United States. This drug as you know is bad and causes severe side effects to your brain and body. Scientist have found that smoking marijuana can cause you to loose your memory. Marijuana has many psychological and physical effects. People usually smoke marijuana in cigarettes or pipes, but it also can be mixed with food and beverages.

Short-term effects of marijuana include both psychological and physical reactions. These reactions usually last for three to five hours after a person has smoked marijuana. The psychological reaction, known as a high consists of changes in the user's feelings and thoughts. Such changes are caused mainly by THC. The effects of marijuana high vary from person to person and from one time to another in the same individual. In most cases, the high consists of a dreamy, relaxed state in which users seem more aware of their senses and feel that time is moving slowly. Sometimes, however, marijuana produces a feeling of panic and dread. The different reactions result partly from the concentration of THC in the marijuana. Other factors, such as the setting in which marijuana is used and the user's expectations, personality, and mood, also affect a person's reaction to the drug.

Long-term effects of marijuana are not completely known, but studies have shown that some people have used marijuana regularly for several months or longer have develop serious long-term problems. Among males, marijuana use can reduce the production of sperm and of the male sex hormone testosterone. Among females, it can cause menstrual irregularity and reduced fertility(Saffer and Chaloupka, 2003). Extended use of marijuana also has a long-term psychological effect on many people. These individuals loose interest in everything. However, according to scientific experiments, marijuana is known to be beneficial in medicine. The question is should marijuana be legalized?

III. Economic reasons:       

One of the consequences of legalization will be a tremendous increase in drug users. Right now, drug users have fear of law enforcement agents, but if drugs were to be legalized, they no longer will have fear and will feel that it will be okay to use drugs.

An increase in drug use will result in an increase in drug related crimes if drugs are legalized. Supporters of drug legalization believe that crime and violence would decrease if drug use was legal. Statistics tell us that ...