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This question has been on many people’s minds in recent years. Many conservatives in
office are still opposed to the idea, but are coming around since its medicinal benefits have
been proven. Since legalizing the medical use of marijuana, people are finding out that it’s
really not what they have always thought it to be… an addictive gateway drug, or “the devil’s
lettuce”.
At the end of the day, this is a plant organically grown from the ground we are talking
about. It’s not some artificially made drug cooked up in the kitchen with elements like battery
acid thrown in. Yet it is considered a schedule 1 drug alongside heroin and cocaine. It should
not be penalized the same. This also causes many researchers and scientists to not be able to as
many studies with cannabis. It blows my mind that it’s a schedule 1 drug, since we’re finding all
of these benefits, like preventing Alzheimer’s (Loria, 2018) and lowering the risk for some
cancers (Kaufman, 2006). Schedule 1 drugs are said to have no medicinal value, so why is
cannabis on this list? Ronald Paulus, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Mission Health, stated the
following in a July 2, 2017 news release- "The most absurd aspect of current marijuana policy is
its DEA classification as a Schedule 1 drug, defined as having no accepted medical use and a
high potential for abuse. Other Schedule 1 drugs include LSD and heroin. I believe that drugs
should be classified based upon science, not emotion. Schedule 1 classification significantly
impairs the ability to do rigorous research, which prevents the true pros and cons of marijuana
from being discerned." (Should Marijuana, 2017). I believe the government is against the
legalization of weed because big pharmaceutical companies would take a huge hit. And many
people in these higher political positions are sponsored by big corporations to say certain
Also, alcohol is proven to be more addictive, more likely to cause medical problems and
LEGAL. (Marijuana is Safer, 2018) When was the last time people were gathered around just
smoking and wanted to start a fight? Or when was the last time someone died because of a
cannabis overdose? Oh yeah it’s because it’s literally impossible to die from overdosing on
cannabis. According to the National Cancer Institute, it's impossible- “Because cannabinoid
receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas controlling
respiration, lethal overdoses from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur." (Can You
Overdose, 2017) Sure if you smoke too much you can have unwanted side effects like paranoia
and nausea but at least you know your lungs will still be able to breath and your heart able to
pump.
Also, there is more public support for marijuana law reform than ever before. New polls
show that more than half of the country is in favor of legalizing marijuana. The Drug Policy
Alliance (DPA) believes marijuana should be removed from the criminal justice system and be
regulated just like alcohol and tobacco. Below is a Map of states that have already legalized the
adult use of recreational of cannabis. The DPA believes all states should be shaded red, and so
safer for the consumer, since it is being regulated and checked for parasites and funguses
(Should Recreational, 2018), and will boost the economy, since government will be able to tax
cannabis and it will be creating jobs for people. (Marijuana Legalization, 2018) Overall, weed
should be legalized it’s not as harmful as the legal drugs that are out on the market today. It’s
time to accept it for what it is, a healing plant naturally from Mother Nature herself.
References:
Hoaken, Peter N.S. Stewart, Sherry H. (2003). Drugs of abuse and the elicitation of human
Jacques, Renee. (2017, December 6). This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere. Retrieved from
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/marijuana-legalization_n_4151423.html.
Kaufman, Marc. (2006, May 26). Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection. Retrieved from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html.
Loria, Kevin. (2018, March 7). 23 health benefits of marijuana. Retrieved from
http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4.
Marijuana is Safer than Alcohol: It’s Time to treat it That Way. (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.mpp.org/marijuana-is-safer/.
Prince, Ea. (2016, June 27). WHY WEED SHOULD BE LEGAL ft Barack Obama. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YWe5kjG35M&t=29s.
Should Marijuana Be Reclassified as a Schedule II or III Drug? (2017, July 10). Retrieved from
https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000330.