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Maribelle Orellana
9/16/11

A Case for Marijuana
If Marijuana were separated from other drugs, a sound argument could be made for its legalization. First, it is highly unlikely to becomeaddicted to Marijuana, unlike many other recreational drugs, such as Heroin, Cocaine, and Meth. In William Bennett’s article, Should Drugs Be Legalized?, he forms many arguments on the premise that thesedrug users are addicted and that all actions performed by the user is a product of his or her addiction. However, Marijuana is a special drug that is classified in its own category. It is shown inmany cases that it is very unlikely to become addicted to Marijuana. Since most users do not develop a dependence on this one particular drug, many of Bennett’s cases are thrown out and a strong casecan be made for Marijuana. Second, violence and anger are not common side-effects of Marijuana use. One major argument for prohibiting drug use is the actions committed by people under the influenceof drugs. However, if Marijuana were separated from other drugs, that argument holds no support. A common side-effect of Marijuana, the typical “high” feeling, would be euphoric and relaxing, thecomplete opposite of violence. Since Marijuana is not known for being addictive, people would not commit violent actions, such as mugging, breaking and entering, or armed robbery, to fuel their habitof dependence on this drug. Also, in some cases, the effects of Marijuana would be so strong that users immediately become lethargic and fall asleep. They simply have no energy for criminalactivities. Third, Marijuana virtually does not harm its users. When it comes to the risk of overdosing on a drug, it can be a very easy mistake to make. However, overdosing on dangerous drugs like Heroin isrelatively easy compared to overdosing on Marijuana. In General Pyschology with New Practice Tests, College of San Mateo’s Psychology textbook, the reason users of Heroin and Cocaine are to like to...