The Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana

Aside from a multitude of medical benefits, it is important to recognize how the United States economy could save an estimated 7.7 billion dollars annually, if they let citizens to have an alternative legal form of medicine such as marijuana. Many of our country’s money saving would stem from the amount of money which is spent in order to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate those who utilize medical marijuana. Caputo and Ostrom have as well stated, “It estimated that the figure represents 10-15 percent of the total trafficking illicit marijuana sales which, assuming a 15 percent

The federal ban on medical marijuana should be lifted so that patients can have access in all states in the US. Perhaps the largest concern regarding medical marijuana is the question of its medical value, although it is now recognized as a medicine in 28 states. Many among the opposition of the marijuana movement argue that marijuana has no medicinal value and is strictly being used to get people high. This concern is

Using marijuana can cause brain malfunction or damage, laziness, weakens of immune system and other health issues. The author

While the American Medical Association, or AMA, has put in place a petition to review marijuana’s status as a Schedule 1 substance and instead categorize it as a Schedule 2 controlled substance, the federal classification and legality of the drug has remained stagnant (Hoffman, Weber, 2010). Because of this, research into the plausible uses of marijuana has been restricted and kept from blossoming into what some would consider the next big thing in medical science. Marijuana has been proven to aid in discomfort from upwards of 100 different conditions, but its use is currently centered around only a few very serious diseases (Doctors, 2013). While it can be argued that the cons of marijuana outweigh the pros, this argument is mundane, as it is attributed to the smoking of dried herb. Nearly all medical states, excluding the select few who have legalized recreational marijuana, solely prescribe and recommend cannabis or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil to patients.

Peer Review Outline Thesis: It is time to get rid of the stereotypes of marijuana and starts evaluating it in the medical field, the article shows both sides of medical marijuana the good and the side effects. “So What” Statement: Marijuana has the potential to treat all kinds of medical conditions symptoms and more, but marijuana also has side effects of its own as stated in this article. Which is very important to get to see both sides of the topic. The article “The NEW SCIENCE of Marijuana” by Ginny Graves is about how studies have shown that marijuana can relieve chronic pain from migraines and much more.

Back in the early twentieth century, marijuana was mainly used for medical purposes in the US. Now, both it 's recreational and medical use is increasingly being consumed by the population and the tendency is to continue increasing. Much has been said about the use of marijuana as a solution to different health problems, and although not everything that is said is true, it cannot be ignored that marijuana can help in the treatment of some cases of adult patients. CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was opposed to the medicinal use of cannabis. Based on his knowledge as a neurologist, he was convinced that the drug was dangerous and had dismissed its supposed therapeutic benefits.

California decriminalized marijuana use for medical purposes in the mid-1990’s (Rabe, 2002, p. 293). There are several remarkable cases that have proven marijuana for be a medical aid for many people of all ages. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN 's chief medical correspondent, spent the last couple of years examining marijuana to combine all of his research into a documentary called “Weed”. He traveled around the world to interview medical leaders, experts, growers and patients.

Stakeholders that are directly affected need to be educated about the negative consequences related to the use of medical marijuana. The marijuana plant is composed of more than 400 chemicals which can pose serious side effects on one’s health. Also, it has a chemical that alters the mind of the ones that consume it. This chemical is known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and can produce euphoria, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. When marijuana is smoked all those chemicals are transported rapidly from the lungs into the circulatory system.

As a nation we have come to point where we must take a unified stand on the issue of marijuana. Since 1937 the drug has been deemed illegal by the U.S. government but over the best decade, people have been pushing for the decriminalization of the cannabis plant. As a non drug user, i have researched the internet in search of unbiased information regarding the drugs health, economic, and crime influences on society. The fruits of my labor have brought me to the undisputable conclusion that our continued restriction on possession and use of the drug not only violates the liberties of U.S. citizens, but it also is costing Americans Billions of dollars, and something, our lives.

Ending Prohibition Since 1951 the federal government has prohibited the production or consumption of marijuana. In 2012 two states challenged this policy by instating legislation that legalized recreational marijuana use in their states. These two states, Washington and Colorado, have reopened the marijuana legalization debate, and Americans are questioning the current federal policy regarding marijuana. The U. S. government should follow these states and legalize marijuana for recreational use despite the minor health drawbacks for the economic benefits correlated with legalization. Unlike the famed 1980’s anti-drug campaign in featuring a fried egg with the catchphrase “this is your brain on drugs” recent research, including the research published in the National Academy of Sciences report Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base (1999), comes to the conclusion that “moderate use of marijuana produces no serious, long-term consequences for individuals or for the general society” (Newton).

The use of marijuana is most common among young people (“Marijuana,” 2017). The mental and physical effects of marijuana contribute to the controversy over legalizing marijuana. Marijuana has proven to have both short-term and long-term effects on the human brain. When an individual smokes marijuana, the chemical compound in cannabis called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. However, if an individual eats marijuana in the form of an edible the THC is absorbed more slowly.

More serious drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, meth, and heroin, interfere with the brain’s use of dopamine in manners that can seriously alter a person 's behavior. A drug’s ability to affect the neural systems related to dopamine production is now the defining characteristic of drugs that have a serious abuse potential. The main fear about marijuana in today’s time is that its effects are somehow similar to the dangerous, addictive effects of opiates such as heroin and morphine. Marijuana will interfere with the receiving of sensory to the cerebral cortex. Recent research in animals has also suggested that long-term use of marijuana can produce changes in the limbic system that are similar to those that occur after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse such as alcohol, cocaine, and heroin.

Make something easier and cheaper to obtain, and you increase the number of people who will try it,” said Walters (2002). This is why, if drugs were legalized, it will not make the situation better but make it worse. There will be no penalties anymore and the price of the drug will be cheaper. People will always try to use something which exists around the society with a cheap price and easy to obtain. It would increase drug demand because it allows people to consume them freely and it would be a daily need for them,

2. Marijuana has been found to be helpful in managing chronic pain experienced by individuals who have cancer, epilepsy, and other medical

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-