Means Legalization Of Marijuana example essay topic

It is safe to say that at some point in the not- too- distant future, United States will confront the question of whether or not to legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana, also well know as: pot, weed, grass, hashish... etc. This topic has baffled the United States lawmakers reformist and citizens for so long that many people probably consider it rhetorical question. We could categorize marijuana somewhere between alcohol and tobacco on the one hand and caffeine on other, but no doubt it is an addictive drug. With this in mind the only solution would be to do to the research and see what studies would say about the dilemma. What legalization really means? It is very imprecise term for regulating and controlling things that are considered prohibited.

Also its meanings is to regulate and control such things as alcohol is licensed by the various states, sold only to adults and subject to tight controls. Legalization of any drug is not positive way to fight crime. The issue of legalizing marijuana is truthfully a controversial one, and unquestionably one that requires a plethora of considerations at the top levels of the legislative branch. When considering the possibility of legalizing marijuana as a recreational drug, there are number of concerns that come to mind. Is marijuana physically harmful to the consumer or is it an addictive drug? Does the notion of legalizing marijuana send an immoral wrong message to the youth of America?

One of the concerns based on legalization of marijuana is "increase prostitutions in elementary and high school levels" ('legalization'). According to these studies it is much easier for school children to get illegal drug than alcohol. Another concern of legalizing this drug leads to increase the spread of AIDS and other disease. The sharing of dirty syringes has become the major cause of these disease, but hopefully if this process of legalization comes through the sale and purchasing of syringes without prescription would be legalized ('legalization'). The nation's drug czar said he opposes a California referendum proposal to legalize marijuana for medical use, calling the idea wrong and dangerous. Basically, this would make marijuana available to public without following the scientific processes, approvals and regulation.

On the other hand the supporters of the proposition said smoking marijuana relives a pain for patients who suffer form cancer and HIV. Also, the proposition sends a message to our children that marijuana use is beneficial, that marijuana is medicine, which is absolutely wrong (McCaffrey). The use of marijuana for the purposes of intoxication leads to a number of serious health risks. Inexperienced users may suffer acute anxiety the first time they use it.

This could be a direct result of increase in potency of marijuana. Today, marijuana is known as "gateway drug" to much harder substances as: heroin, cocaine, LSD, methamphetine. When it comes to question of legalizing marijuana most of our attention occupies our children, their education and behavior ('legalization'). Most of kids start consuming marijuana as soon as they get to high school. Large number of them is inspired by their friends or classmates, but also a significant number just say " I wonder what is the feeling" and that's how it starts and keep growing until they experienced real health problems. Not forget to mention children who have been under some sort of stress caused by family problems (parents divorced) or just absorbing things from their parents because if they consume drugs, surely we can say that their children will follow them.

Unfortunately, those negative things come about largely from a failure of moral education - by schools, but much more so by parents. We need to stay focused though, on much more critical problem our nations faces with this pro drug crusade, which is protecting American children from throwing their lives away on drugs. If marijuana were legalized with restrictions, similar to the age restrictions on tobacco and alcohol, the use of marijuana by children under such an age would increase. So, it means, if it's legal children would get the notion that isn't harmful.

Marijuana is the first step that leads children into dark world of drug abuse. It acts as a gateway to more serious problems. The idea is that cocaine and heroin users don't just start out with cocaine or heroin. They start with drugs like marijuana that are easier to get, to try, and are less legally offensive. Legalizing marijuana would set us on a slippery slope toward accepting any and all drugs. Many organizations try to compare prohibition of alcohol to the illegal status of marijuana.

Well, alcohol is definitely a dangerous and addictive drug and causing a thousands deaths a year, but the matter of fact is that pro-legalization argument is not valid reason to legalize marijuana. Another problem that our country is facing with is consuming marijuana and driver fatalities caused by this dangerous drug. A study of 1,882 vehicles being involved in traffic accidents indicates that driver who consumed marijuana is not major cause of most fatal crashes compared to drivers who have been under influence of alcohol. So, in this case legalization of marijuana would decrease deaths in car accidents because it looks like people tend to drink less when they use marijuana (Sullum). Also, researches showed that about 40 percent of drivers that has been tested while they were under influence of alcohol are more likely than drivers who didn't consume drug to be responsible for their accidents. In the other hand, drivers who have been under influence of marijuana alone aren't likely than drug-free drivers to be deemed responsible.

(Sullum). Basically, a study says that there was no proof than marijuana alone could cause deadly crashes, but this result does not approve driving under influence of marijuana as a safe. Some medical laboratory research found out that marijuana impairs motor coordination less than alcohol does (Sullum). So, what would have happened with traffic safety if this process of legalization comes through? Well, first of all it would mean more stoned drivers, at the second place the number of users would dramatically increase, and people who currently smoke would feel more free to smoke marijuana away from home. But the evidence that shows that people use less alcohol when they use marijuana more, so this means legalization of marijuana could mean less drunk drivers (Sullum).

If the drunk drivers are the ones who usually cause an accident, with this process of legalization, traffic fatalities might stay about the same or even decline. Nowadays, government efforts toward reducing the demand for marijuana and other addictive drugs through educational campaigns such as " Just Say No " to drugs, dramatic punitive law enforcement efforts such as "Zero Tolerance" in which expensive automobiles or boats have been confiscated if their owners were caught possessing as little as less than an ounce of marijuana, or the testing for drug in workplace have not work sufficiently. Also, government tries to control and reduce spreading of drugs by increasing search-and-seizure procedures of people, cars, boats, airplanes at Unite States point of entry, and proposing to employ the military in fighting the war on drugs. None of these attempts appearing to be notably effective in reducing the demand for the supply of drugs. Now the question is: Should conservatives support legalization of marijuana?

Their philosophy is more like " do your own thing" which means that individuals are allowed to use narcotics consistent with the laissez-faire worldview, which holds that people should be free to choose their own path to perdition, so they don't drag others down with them (Feder). The freedom to take drugs is foremost among these. If the term "do your own thing " is real meaning of conservatism, then they should support legalization of prostitution, pornography, homosexual marriage. The first two seemed to be victimless crimes, but they are not because prostitutions is followed by disease, pornography causes sex crimes. People who are addict commit crime to get drugs. Addiction doesn't recognize either you are from family members or victims from car accidents- it affects everyone.

(Feder). According to Feder's studies conservatives also propose that they are comfortable with pro - pot position because our culture and behavior encourages us to think of marijuana as risk-free substance- starting from college parties and yuppie socializing. "It's far less harmful than alcohol, and that's legal", proponents argue. As matter of fact alcohol is approximately 20 times more common than marijuana use, so you would expect the damage to be larger. Not forget to mention how many times marijuana has caused visits in emergency rooms.

According to the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research in 1999, more emergency-room visits were related to marijuana than heroin, however less than half that for cocaine, but on the marijuana cases, 27 percent had unexpected reactions, 18 percent had overdosed and 14 percent sought detox (Feder). Another research shows that kids who smoked marijuana weekly or more often seems like they have bigger chances to commit suicide and tend to run away from home more likely than drug-free children (Feder). According to the District of Columbia's Pretrial Services Agency in 1999, about 60 percent of juveniles arrested for in Washington tested positive for marijuana, which is not really coincidental (Feder). Marijuana makes many long - term users angry, antisocial, tangled, and less productive.

Legalization of marijuana will provide a powerful movement for ending the prohibition on drugs across the board. Just take a look at the money we " ve saved on enforcement and the individuals whose lives weren't ruined by a drug bust. The laws largely are ineffective, except for unlucky few who are caught. Still, users are said to crowd our jails taking space which should accommodate real criminals. (Feder).

It is so bizarre that in this country founded in part on the pursuit of happiness, we should now be expending so many resources on incarcerating and terrorizing so many people, simply because they are doing what their Constitution promised. Sure, pleasure isn't the same thing as happiness, but the responsible, adult enjoyment of pleasure is surely part of it. Let's take a look at latest movements and issue of legalizing marijuana. All the way from the high schools, over the law offices, all the way to the government offices legalization of marijuana is still debating issue (Keith). Some high ranked people advocates legalizing drugs under a system of control, regulation, taxation and suggested that actually might lead to " healthier society" (Keith). However, federal government is not convinced.

Some local students want to see marijuana legalized saying that the anti-marijuana laws are a government infringement on American's rights (Keith). In addition, government doesn't have right to tell people what to do on their own private property. Another student said " It seems like so many people are using it that the government should go ahead and make it legal because if someone wants is bad enough they are going to smoke it whether it's legal or not" (Keith). Regretfully, marijuana seems to be accessible and we seen children whose lives have been negatively affected. Too many people are using it freely and become more and more addicted. Marijuana can ruin their life; break up families, and marriages (Keith).

Marijuana should remain illegal because of enormous number of side effects and addictions that result from use. The illegality of drugs helps to discourage at least some people form trying them. Making marijuana widely available would undoubtedly increase at least experimental use, and given the stronger potency of modem marijuana, most users would go on to develop abuse-related problems. Marijuana is still drug!

That fact cannot be changed no matter how many people vote on it. Drugs lead to crime. And crime breaks down society. Health and social costs associated with increased availability of marijuana would break our economy. Crime would not decrease. The moral fiber of our country would be ripper apart.