Marcus White

Marijuana

Ever since marijuana hit mainstream America over 30 years ago, government prohibition
of it has been the subject of an ongoing debate. Should marijuana be legalized? In my opinion
marijuana should be legalized instead of being illegal. I believe that marijuana is positive
because it has been used for over 10,000 years and not one single death has ever been recorded.
Another unquestionable reason to legalize Marijuana is its use as an reliever of pain. Those who
must suffer with Multiple Sclerosis felt a lessening of spasticity, as well as muscle pain.
Secondly, people who suffer from Glaucoma felt relief of pressure, and it is even reported to
have put a halt to the progression of the disease (Kubby and Rosenthal 69). Marijuana is
effectively cleansing the poisons out of the patients bodies. Cannabis is not addictive and is
actually far less addictive than caffeine and other drugs that are legal in the united states. If
legalized, far less more minors would be smoking weed and marijuana would be sold in stores.
After customers start buying from marijuana dispensaries, drug dealers wouldnt have to sell it
on the streets and the crime rate would go down. Some might say marijuana is a gateway drug
but it's not its just the dealers persuading their customers to try harder drugs like heroin and
cocaine because they know marijuana is not addictive.
Some studies have shown results that the benefits of using marijuana for medicinal
reasons far outweigh the negative health matters that may be associated with its use, and
therefore should be an accepted method of treatment for some patients who are suffering with
illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS, and eating disorders (Okie, 2005). Marijuana
is less harmful than any other drug like cigarettes for example, with chemicals that are known to
cause cancer and other have dangerous poisons in it. Marijuana has been used since the

beginning of time and no one has over dosed or died from using marijuana. Marijuana has some
bad effects but most of them are good. Cigarettes and alcohol are both legal and they both cause
death if you take them enough. Cigarettes gives smokers lung cancer and alcohol can kill
someone and many ways like driving while drunk or just from drinking it
everyday, so why is marijuana still illegal?
Marijuana should be legal to US residents because it has many benefits from using it. The
legalization of marijuana will put a stop to the useless jail sentences of petty marijuana related
crimes. In addition to saving the United States money, from the legalization of marijuana, it will
be given the resources necessary to make a significant dent in the war on crime (Kubby and
Rosenthal 34). Marijuana can be used medically by helping sick patients with curing diseases or
improve symptoms. Medical marijuana can also be used to reduce nausea and vomiting during
chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to treat chronic pain and
muscle spasms. Medical cannabis can be administered by a lot of ways, including vaporizing or
smoking dried buds, eating extracts, taking capsules or using oral sprays. Synthetic cannabinoids
are available as prescription drugs in some countries. Marijuana helps with stress too, if your
mad about something or you owe money, marijuana helps you not think about it and give you a
positive mind set about it.
Marijuana should be legal everywhere its a safe drug that makes you feel good. Its
starting to get legal in some states and I think more states will follow in their footsteps. With all
of the new hemp based products to be created and a growth in the marijuana industry the
country would create thousands of jobs for Americans Since the beginning of time marijuana
has not one single account of death recorded from overdose. On the other hand, in 2010,
38,329 people died from drug overdoses. A number of small studies of smoked marijuana found

that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy. Also a few
studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of
neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves) and improve food intake in HIV patients in
studies. (Beal JE, Olson R,). A lot of people have lost family members due to cancer now we
have the cure, why should it still be illegal?
In conclusion, the legalization of marijuana is what is needed in the United States to
bring profit and prosperity back to the country. Marijuana being legal will create a low cost
solution to those suffering with pain and illnesses. It will also generate billions of dollars for the
countrys revenue stream. Finally, it gives resources to law enforcement needed to stop truly
dangerous crimes and criminals. Legalizing this herb can only benefit the wealth and security of
the United States. Politicians need to go back and look at what Thomas Jefferson and the
Founding Fathers wanted for the United States; they wanted prosperity for their country and
the most logical way to achieve success is to legalize marijuana.

Works citied

1) Bureau of Justice Statistics Drugs and Crime Facts: Contents

bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/dcf/contents.cfm 2007. Web 15 Mar. 2012.
2) Rosenthal, Ed, and Steve Kubby. Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. New
York: Thunders Mouth, 1996. Print
3) Okie, S. (2005). Medical marijuana and the Supreme Court. The New
England Journal of Medicine, 353(7); 648-651
4) Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. Marijuana Legalization and
Regulation
.November 13, 2015
5) Beal JE, Olson R, Laubenstein L, et al. Dronabinol as a treatment for
anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. J Pain Symptom
Manage. 1995;10(2):89-97.