Legalizarla

“The war on Drugs has been an utter failure, we need to rethink and decriminize our marijuana laws”- Barack Obama
“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in history of mankind”- Harry J. Anslinger
Should we fully legalize medical marijuana in all fifty states? This is a much debated topic and has been for many years. It is a topic that every American should consider. The reason being isthat it could potentially help our country and could even help boost our economy, which we are in desperate need of. The process that should be followed in coming up with the final decision in determining whether or not it should be legal consist of: what is it, what are its effects, why isn’t it legal now, the pros and cons, and could it help our economy.
This first question about marijuana thatshould be asked before any politician makes their final decision about the substance should be, what it is and what are the effects. Marijuana is a “drug” that comes from a hemp plant and looks like chopped dried grass that can pretty much be grown anywhere (Ali). The plant is believed to give people a so called “high” which comes from one of the ingredients in the plant which is called cannabis.Studies have shown that the effects of marijuana differ from person to person. For some people it could relax them, while to others it makes them socially declined to others which basically make them an outcast.
The most asked question about marijuana is why isn’t it legal now? In my debate class we studied this topic for one of our debates. My teacher Bradly Kemph stated in class that, thebiggest reason marijuana cannot be legal is that it almost impossible to tax it because it can grow anywhere. In the United States there is a sales tax on everything, but how can you put one on marijuana? Some other popular reasons that this “drug” is illegal is that it is perceived as addictive, known as a stepping stone drug (which means can be linked to ther drug usage in the future by the user),and its health effects.
It is very had to find positive aspects about it, but the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the health benefits. Marijuana has many potential health benefits that most people don’t seem to acknowledge such as treatments for glaucoma, chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS. One of the symptoms of using Marijuana is the munchies (Haney). Getting themunchies for some cancer and AIDS patients allows them to eat and keep their food down without becoming nauseous. It also is used as a sleep aid for people who have trouble going to sleep at night.
Obviously there are more cons that you could find on marijuana since it is not generally accepted by most people for the simple fact that it is illegal, but are those reasons enough to keep it illegal?The most common effects of marijuana are coughing, stinging of the throat, distorted perception, lower sperm count, and it impairs the stability of the immune system. Some of these things can potentially be harmful if not used with responsibility. But, the other things can’t really be controlled. If your sperm count is lower it is harder to impregnate a woman which is a risk you take by doing the“drug”. With that being said there are many effect of drugs and every drug must be token with precaution.
But, the effect that can be most harmful to the human body is that it lowers the stability of the user’s immune system. The lower the stability of your immune system, the more prone you are to getting sick and it also makes it harder for your body to defend against bacterial infections anddiseases which ultimately leads to health problems.
One of the most impressive effects that marijuana could possible have is that it could possible boost our economy. The easiest way to find out the answer to this debated topic is to just look at a state in the United States that already made it legal. California is one of the ten states allowing the “drug” to exist in their economy. Marijuana...