LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Legalization of Marijuana

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Table of Contents

Thesis Statement3

Introduction3

Legalizing Marijuana3

Advantages4

Less Harmful Than Alcohol and Tobacco4

No Harmful Effect on Society4

Legalization Will Reduce the Price of the Drug5

Medical Benefits for Cancer Patients5

Source of Additional Tax Revenue5

Court and Police Resources Will Be Saved6

Marijuana is a Guilty Pleasure6

The Use of Cannabis6

Chances of Becoming Lifelong Criminals7

Disadvantages of Marijuana7

Marijuana is a Stepping Stone for Harder Drugs7

Reckless Driving8

Moral Implications8

Consumption of Marijuana by Youngsters8

Impact of Drug-Related Arrests9

Physical Damage to the User9

Secondhand Smoke Damage9

Conclusion10

References11

Legalization of Marijuana

Thesis Statement

Is the legalization of marijuana an appropriate choice?

Introduction

In today's era, almost everything in the world has a remedy; however, even the remedy can be detrimental if not used in appropriate ways and for the right reasons. This research paper discusses the importance of legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is considered to be a medical drug because it is used in the treatment of various illnesses, but our society, specially the youth has embraced its usage in a total inappropriate direction. Marijuana cannot be consumed openly in a public place; however, in several states it is an ongoing debate to legalize the usage of marijuana if a medical treatment requires it. Considering history, marijuana has been amongst the most controversial drugs, based on its medical uses, or its ability to restore health and ease down pain (Clark, 2000, p. 6). The reasons for marijuana being controversial remain with its uses in the society. It would not be a controversial drug to that extent, if it was only used for the medical purposes; however, the society has extracted pleasure out of a medical drug. Therefore, several debates over time have taken birth, grading marijuana as an illegal drug.

Legalizing Marijuana

In order to legalize marijuana, it is important to weight the advantages and disadvantages of the drug, and its potential impact to the society from a variety of perspectives. Therefore in this section I will discuss the advantage and disadvantages of legalizing marijuana.

Advantages

Less Harmful Than Alcohol and Tobacco

Alcohol and tobacco are more harmful than marijuana, if people take marijuana in a moderate amount. According to the recent researches, there is a contradiction regarding the harmful effects of the drug. Many doctors believe that if people do not take the drug in an excessive amount, it will not cause harmful effects. Moreover, tobacco and alcohol are more addictive as compared to marijuana. Therefore, it is important to consider the fact that the excessive use of everything is harmful. For instance, tobacco, caffeine, sleeping pills, sugar, and even excessive eating have harmful effects. There should be a balance is the usage of every drug, otherwise it can be dangerous.

No Harmful Effect on Society

According to the legal records, the use of marijuana cannot be linked to any crime. Many people perceive marijuana as a victimless drug crime because there are no reported cases in which any person has committed crime due to the after effects of the drug. Therefore, even if a person takes the drug in an excessive amount, its harmful effects will not affect the ...