Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

Legalization can lower the crime rate. Not to mention that marijuana is an affordable alternative for those seeking it for medical purposes. In the same sentiment the health benefits of marijuana have surpassed the expectations of even the most skeptical. To end, the taxing of recreational use will impact our public schools significantly in a positive way. The children of the future deserve any chance for success.

636). Thus, they argue that the legalization of marijuana, should be similar to those of alcohol and tobacco where there are regulations for the sale to minimize any health related problems it may cause (Joffe & Yancy, 2004, p. 636). Additionally, tobacco and alcohol are among the most abused substances used by adolescents; despite having regulations for their sales through enforcing legal ages for purchase, they still find ways to purchase and consume these substances. Moreover, the legalization of marijuana would assist in pain relief as a less toxic, addictive and essentially safer drug in comparison to what some individuals use for chronic pain such as opiates and alcohol. It has been reported that there has been 25% of a decrease in the deaths related to opiate overdose; essentially, marijuana could contribute to the harm reduction that other substances cause (Mitchell 2016, p. 63)

This subject has been debated numerous times over the past few years. People’s points of view and researches about the topic have varied greatly. Some people believe that marijuana should be legalized, while the rest feel should stay prohibited. Proponents of marijuana argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is not more harmful than tobacco or alcohol. On the other hand, opponents argue that marijuana is too dangerous; its legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of teens and that marijuana use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine.

By legalizing marijuana, Texas can take a significant step towards rectifying these disparities by redirecting law enforcement resources away from non-violent marijuana offenses and towards more pressing issues. This would alleviate the burden on the criminal justice system, allowing for a more effective allocation of resources and a more equitable distribution of justice. Moreover, the concerns surrounding health implications should be carefully considered in the context of marijuana legalization. Contrary to fears that legalization would result in increased marijuana use among adolescents, studies indicate that this is not the case. Research examining states where marijuana has been legalized has found no significant increase in adolescent marijuana use following legalization.

One of the most well designed studies on marijuana and intelligence, released in 2012, found that persistent, heavy use of marijuana by adolescents reduces IQ by as much as eight points, when tested well into adulthood. Other studies have found that marijuana use is linked with dropping out of school, and subsequent unemployment, social welfare dependence, and a lower self-reported quality of life than non-marijuana abusing people. According to the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, youth with poor academic results were more than four times as likely to have used marijuana in the past year as youth with an average of higher grades. This is consistent with an exhaustive meta-analysis examining forty-eight different studies by Macleod and colleagues, published by Lancet, who found that marijuana use is consistently associated with reduced grades and a reduced chance of graduating from school. In addition, studies have linked employee marijuana use with “increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.”

Marijuana Decriminalization: The Dual Purpose of Marijuana There is more than one purpose for marijuana in this world. If the criminal justice system took the time to explore the endless possibilities that marijuana provides then there would be a positive change made within society. When hearing about marijuana or weed one may instantly think of someone smoking out of a bong with a tie-dye shirt on listening to reggae music or one may picture a drug dealer who happens to be African American dealing drugs out of an abandoned apartment. The negative connotations that marijuana has allowed stereotypes like these to not only paint a negative image in the minds of Americans, but it also defines marijuana in a way that is more damaging to its reputation.

Along with this, the the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics states that American taxpayers spend more than $1 billion a year incarcerating citizens for using pot. Jon Gettman, who has a Ph.D. in public policy at George Mason University, suggest that “$10.7 billion can be saved each year in annual criminal justice

(2004) claim that the young have inclination to follow and depend on to the trend which could result an increase in marijuana use of the youth after marijuana legalization. Children and adolescents could feel relieved and become curious about marijuana after it is legalized which could be a reason for them to try or start consuming marijuana (Joffe et al, 2004). Therefore, unban marijuana could negatively impinge on the youth about educating them the appropriate lesson such as

In two thousand and nine there was a national survey done by The National Institute Drug Abuse which showed that more than one hundred and four million kids over the age of twelve had at least used marijuana at least once in life. Parents that is a serious problem! A hundred and four million kids, not a thousand, but a million kids. The consumption of marijuana in teens has risen in the last couple of years and continues to keep getting higher and higher. This problem has risen because of the parents not taking action in the teen’s life when they were younger and developing the lessons of life.

In 2016 there where 1,572,579 arrests in the united states for marijuana possession and other related violations (NIDA). Many of those who are locked up are younger adults and students who have just began to start their lives. Jail time for these young people have led to the loss of scholarships, families breaking apart, and potential of being involved in more crime after being released. Around 200,000 students have lost federal financial aid eligibility because of a drug conviction. Legalization of marijuana would mean that the states would decriminalize certain amounts of marijuana that a person could have on them so that people would stay out of jail for unnecessary purposes.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2015, more than 11 million young adults, ages 18 to 25, used marijuana in the past year (National, 2016, p.240). In the past few years there have been numerous studies to show the effectiveness of medical marijuana in the body. These studies have shown that legalizing medical marijuana would reduce pain and help ease the symptoms of certain disorders, and diseases. Currently, 10 states have legalized medical marijuana with other states allowing comprehensive medical marijuana (Hanson, 2018).

With the amount of money the marijuana business has consumed, it is a no brainer that it would be something that would only help our economy prosper. In his article “How Legalizing Pot Could Save America’s Economy,” S.E Smith mentions that “Legalizing marijuana on a federal level would provide economic benefits for the United States in the billions, precisely at a time when the federal economy needs a major boost” (3). With that being said, it could help the nation gain some money, as well as save money on law enforcement trying to keep it off the streets and out of hands of those who should not have access. Having marijuana legal gives opportunity to improve the economy with the ability to tax on it, create more jobs, and regulating the amount of marijuana out there. It is able to create more jobs that involve the growing, packing, as well as the distribution.

Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Although many slanderous claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to resurface. The big question succeeding these truths is if marijuana should be legalized in the United States collectively. Unfortunately, these truths are under a substantial amount of criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people see as the typical “pot smoker.” This twisted perception of a lazy and unmotivated America is the product of almost one hundred years of propaganda and deception spread by private interests who needed cannabis to be illegal for their own personal benefits.

Today the demands are changing in different states. In States such as Colorado and Washington, marijuana has been legalized for recreational use. This move raised several questions as far as decriminalization of marijuana is concerned. Besides portraying the US in a bad light, legalization of marijuana for recreation increases the risk of developing mental problems, increases government expenditure on public health, jeopardizes the future of children, and is a gateway to other dangerous drugs. Increased health problems and public health expenditure-

A 2003 Zogby poll stated two of every five Americans are in agreement that the government should “treat marijuana more or less the same way it treats alcohol.” This same poll reported marijuana has been tried by 100 million Americans at least once (cited in Nadelmann, 2004, p. 125). Political, business, religious and other leaders are among the Americans guilty of marijuana use. This drastic figure of Americans who continue to try and use marijuana illegally could remain high if marijuana regulations and guidelines persist, therefore, marijuana should be legalized.