Legalizing Marijuana
Introduction:
Marijuana is an exceptionally famous drug that is spread all over the streets and mainly used for frivolous purposes. It is mainly produced by the hemp plant cannabis sativa, with THC (Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinol) being its main dynamic chemical constituent. Marijuana is frequently used with the aim of heightening one’s perception, influencing an individual’s mood and relaxation of the mind while others use it for medicinal purposes. (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2010). Different debates have been ranging on for quite some time on whether to make the drug legal or not.
Argument favoring the legalization of Marijuana:
Most of the people use marijuana for the purposes of recreation while others use it for medicinal value. Medicinal use of Marijuana is against the law in the United States with only about 35 states legislatures passing laws that render it legal for medicinal purposes (Ruschmann 2003). Individuals suffering from Aids as well as moderating glaucoma are advised to use marijuana to enhance their appetite. When smoked Marijuana helps relieve depression, seizures, migraines, chronic pain and cases of insomnia according to physicians (Merino 2011). Physicians from the American Association for Cancer Research insist that when smoked Marijuana reduces the speed at which cancerous tumors can grow.
A study conducted in 2006 by the Scripps Institute reported that the main active ingredient found in Marijuana (THC) helps in reducing the progression of Alzheimer’s progression. Marijuana is also ascertained to be the appropriate alternate to Ritalin, a drug that is mainly prescribed for ADD and ADHD patients according to a research done by University of Southern California. It is also duly noted that Marijuana usage in minimized and controlled amounts can help with PMS (Merino2011).
Increased generation of revenue is another pro that supports the legalization of the Marijuana. Legalizing of the drug would see industries generate an estimated revenue of over 100 billion dollars across a market of over 36 billion dollars mainly of illegal marijuana according to Stephen Easton, an Economist. Creation of job opportunities would be another advantage of legalizing the drug, mainly along supply chains that would emerge in most regions with the drug becoming legal.
Legalizing Marijuana can be a big boost to the government as well. Governments could save huge monies that they use to enforce laws prohibiting the use of the drug which sums up to a tune of 13.7 billion dollars. Costs incurred in prohibiting the drug would accurately be reduced, and revenues of an estimated 6 billion dollars would be generated tax imposed on the drug (Miron 2005). Again quality Marijuana will be made available to most people as the cost of the drug will reduce with its legalization.
In conclusion, proponents mainly believe that legalizing Marijuana will lead to an increase in generated revenues, with patients suffering from migraines and other specific ailments benefitting largely from the medicinal value of the drug. Hence most of the protagonists in this discussion are frequent users of the drug while the antagonists are composed mainly of those individuals who have never used or experimented Marijuana, begging the question should we consider and trust the opinion of protagonists who have used and know the effects or follow the spirit of the antagonists who argue their facts by book?
Argument against the legalization Marijuana:
There is a high possibility that increase in consumption of Marijuana rises with its legalization. It is crystal clear that Marijuana can be highly addictive and thus abused easily if legalized. Easy accessibility and the widespread acceptance of the drug would socially contribute highly to an increment in consumption. For instance, there was a radical increase in the percentage of users that was evidenced after Marijuana was made legal by the Dutch (Yacoubian 2007).
Research shows that with the legalization of Marijuana consumption of other hard drugs would be on the rise for example, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. It is absolutely clear that any Marijuana user would likely be more tempted to experiment with these hard drugs more than a non user. Hence illegal Marijuana helps control the reckless use of the fore mentioned drugs.
It should be noted that adverse use of the drug can lead to numerous health complications. A reduction in testosterone levels as well as sperm count in men are some of the major effects related with high consumption of the drug. Again chemical imbalance effect in the brain’s regulatory system that consequently affects learning ability and memory can also be largely attributed with the high use of Marijuana. Violent outbursts, irritability, anxiety and Anger increment are other main side effects of heavily abusing Marijuana (Caulkins 2012).
In conclusion, the debate regarding the legalization of marijuana is a contentious one. Thus detractors argue that there will be an increment in the number of users, with related ordinary health risks and vices, accredited to the legalization of Marijuana.
Works cited:
Committee. “Legalization of Marijuana: Potential Impact on Youth.” Pediatrics 113.6 (2004): 1825-1826. Print.
Caulkins, Jonathan P.. Marijuana legalization: what everyone needs to know. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.
Merino, Noël. Medical marijuana. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. uana.html
Miron, Jeffrey A.. The budgetary implications of marijuana prohibition. Washington, D.C.: Marijuana Policy Project, 2005. Print.
