Essay on Reasons for the Legalization of Marijuana

The War on Drugs has been fighting a tough opponent over the past few decades. Aimed at cutting down on drug use and sales, this war has brought many negative side effects along with it. Aside from limiting the freedoms of millions of Americans, The War on Drugs has caused many more problems while also managing to fail at drug deterrence and distribution. Since many citizens already back the legalization of marijuana, as demonstrated by Oaklands passing of Measure Z, which makes marijuana related offenses the lowest priority to Oakland law enforcement officials (Hill 2004), marijuana should be legalized. First off, marijuana isnt even that bad of a drug. It is a plant ally and hasnt been proven to do any major harm.†¦show more content†¦Although the burning of marijuana creates some of the same harmful chemicals that you get when you burn a cigarette, marijuana smokers do not smoke nearly as much marijuana as cigarette smokers smoke tobacco, and there are many more toxic chemicals in cigarettes. The other legal substance that causes much more harm than marijuana is alcohol. Alcohol can kill people from poisoning, to drunk driving, to even walking off of cliffs. Alcohol also has the power to make people act violently. This is something that marijuana users dont experience. If the government allows people to use these substances, with some regulation of course, why cant marijuana become legalized with similar regulations? The criminalization of marijuana has been limiting the freedoms of Americans for decades. Citizens have the right to make their own choices in life and in their daily activities. Smoking marijuana is a way for many users to gain medical relief and to relax and unwind from a hard day of work just like law abiding citizens like to do with a beer or a cigarette. Since it is illegal, users must hide and do these activities in private. It has also put the drug under a very negative light for uninformed Americans who just assume that marijuana is bad because it is illegal. If we look at an example like the Netherlands, where marijuana for personal use has been legalized, we can see that legalization would work and not cause a crazyShow MoreRelatedThe Social Benefits of Legalization of Marijuana1459 Words   |  6 Pagesgive the definition of Marijuana that is important for my research. â€Å"Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems and flowering tops of the hemp plant.†(Marijua na, 317). Today in most countries soft narcotics and especially narcotics like marijuana are illegal. Marijuana is a misunderstood drug that is thought of as dangerous but it isn’t. Because of people’s ignorance and gullibility marijuana has become illegal for all the wrong reasons and should be re-examined for legalization. Society today cannotRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesLegalization of Weed Growing up, everyone is told that, â€Å"Drugs are bad for you,† time and time again. Now as a kid you don’t really understand the reasoning behind it, but you listen to your authority figure regardless. I remember being told this my entire life and even to this very day. But as I got older I realized that people would still use drugs even though it’s illegal. I could never understand why someone would go against the law and jeopardize their life just to use drugs? The drug thatRead MoreIt Is Time to Legalize Marijana1700 Words   |  7 Pagestalking about is marijuana, and surprisingly it is all around us. Marijuana is even referred to in today’s media Mainstream media sources that people enjoy, like music, movies, and TV shows, do not even bother to leave the drug out of their system. Now being a young adult and having my own personal experience with the drug and knowing its effects on others, I wonder why it’s not legal. Why is it that t his drug has become illegal all over the world? The debate to legalize marijuana in the UnitedRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Legalization Of Marijuana901 Words   |  4 PagesThe legalization of Marijuana is a topic that has been discussed for many years. It has had many support as well as opposition. This topic has caused a lot of controversy over the years. In today’s society the amount of marijuana or cannabis that is being consumed is, for the most part, consumed by teens and adults. Although marijuana is an illegal drug, that does not stop people from getting a hold of it. The use of marijuana can be for many reasons such as, socializing, obtaining a high, escapingRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana1498 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Legalization of Marijuana Thesis Statement Marijuana use should not be legalized and must be discouraged as it is harmful and creates problems for the society Introduction Marijuana, also known as marihuana, is a drug that is taken from Cannabis sativa, a hemp plant. It is one of the most frequently used and popular drugs in the world along with caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. The United States of America is one of the worlds leading producers of marijuana where it is generally smoked andRead MoreWeed Be Better Off Without Marijuana1728 Words   |  7 PagesBetter Off Without Marijuana Dope, Mary Jane, Pot, Grass, Weed, Blunt, Joint, and Nuggets are only a few of the countless names for marijuana, a narcotic drug used for recreational and sometimes medicinal uses across the world. Recently growing enough popularity among younger generations due to the glamorization of media, and the overwhelming financial gains through taxes and fees seen in Colorado, have caused Ohio legislators and citizens to consider the idea of legalizing marijuana for both recreationalRead MoreContinuous Debates about the Legalization of Marijuana Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Legalization of marijuana is a notorious topic in the world today, and like any other contentious subject, it has number of support, and opposition. The valid points for both sides are plentiful, and each side feels very strong about their position on the topic. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug used for medicinal purposes, and as an illicit drug (Earleywine 34). Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the world today. Marijuana has a psychoactive effect, and this has made it recognizedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1232 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The possession, use, cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana are illegal under the federal law in the United States. However, the federal government announced that states are allowed to pass a law to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, provided that they develop a system to regulate the activities. Under the Controlled Substances Act, passed in 1970, Marijuana is classified as a substance of schedule 1, the highest listing under the legislation. The classificationRead MoreMarijuana Decriminalization and Legalization636 Words   |  3 PagesThe validity of marijuana decriminalization (and even legalization) is illustrated in the following analysis of the social, fiscal, political, and medical attributes and conceptions associated with the drug. Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, in 2008; archeologists discovered over two pounds of cannabis in a 2,700-year-old grave of a shaman found in Central Asia. (Armentano, 1) Should marijuana be legalized or at least decriminalized in America? The following information may give theRead MoreEssay on Legalization of Marijuana, Cocaine, and Prescription Pills1713 Words   |  7 PagesUnited States, there are many drugs that are outlawed due to their supposed harmful and dangerous effects on humans. Some of these drugs include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and prescription pills that are abused by people to whom they are not prescribed. Recent movements have called for the legalization of all of these drugs. Although it appears that legalization of all drugs on the market seems like a valid movement, in reality, all hard drugs such as cocaine and prescription pills should remain illegal