Legalization of Marijuana in the United States

Introduction

Drugs are a major force of influence in our country today. The problem was so out of control that many options are being considered for control or even solve it. Ending the war against drugs seems to be impossible. The war on drugs seems to be the fulfillment of many, but this is not true. Various options should be considered. The negative consequences of alcohol and drug use are a major health-related issue in the United States. The costs of alcohol and drug use are estimated to be over 100 billion dollars per year in the United States, including the costs to the health care system, the costs of criminal behavior related to substance use, and the costs related to job loss and family impoverishment. Despite myriad negative social and health consequences associated with alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs, the recreational use of such drugs has become widespread among adolescents and young adults (O'Donnell: 229). Many people believe that consumption of a drug leads an individual to the consumption of other illegal drugs. With this regard name of marijuana is on top. The aim and objective of this paper is also to talk about the same topic. The paper aims to talk about marijuana as a gateway to other drugs.

Hundred years ago, opium, cocaine, and even heroin were legal in America. They were used mostly to relieve medical conditions. Some versions of these drugs were sold over the counter, like aspirin and cough medicine today. Several factors led to laws restricting the availability of drugs: growing awareness that they were addictive; a desire by the medical. The debate over the legalization of marijuana has been raging on for several decades. Even though countless arguments have been presented and considered over the passage of time the debate is still present in the irresolute form.

My argument for this paper is “Legalizing Marijuana could be a significant boost not only for our economy but also for our medical field”. We will be providing supporting evidences in this paper for this thesis statement (Kendler & Heath: 1877).

Body

A. Marijuana

In the late eighteenth century, marijuana began appearing in medical reference texts. It was recommended for treating coughs and general pain and as an analgesic to soothe allergies. These uses had their roots in ancient folk remedies and beliefs about the substance. By the middle of the nineteenth century, various forms of marijuana were available for general purchase in the United States (Kandel & Yamaguchi: 447). This was before medications needed to pass a strict set of criteria demonstrating they were both safe and useful before physicians could prescribe them. Most medicines were available to anyone who walked into a chemist's shop and asked for them. Doctors recommended certain treatments for patients, but drug purchases were far less regulated than they are today.

B. Economy

The legalization of marijuana can also help the economy by creating more jobs across the nation. According to the United States Department of Labor (2009), ...