Legalization of marijuana in the U.S free essay sample

Marijuana has been use ford thousands of years by people from different culture as a medicine. Millions of people use marijuana in the U. S. and is increasing every year. Marijuana is a controlled substance that should be legalized for medical use. Marijuana is a plant that has been by people from all over the world, and marijuana should not be classified as an illegal drug. The effects of marijuana, the politics view on marijuana, the ways that marijuana could be used in the medical field, and the future of legalized marijuana. Marijuana is defined by http://www. dictionary. com/ â€Å"as a strong smelling plant from whose dried leaves a number of euphoria causing and hallucinogenic drugs. † Marijuana is a controlled substance that should be legalized for recreational use. Marijuana is a plant that has been by people from all over the world, and most part of society classified marijuana as an illegal drug. Also, marijuana is commonly known like pot, grass, weed, dope, sees, skunk, Mary Jane, and Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana is not a drug, and shouldn’t be in our judicial system as an illegal drug. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIC) â€Å"define the immediate effects after taking marijuana include rapid heart beat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety. † However, it has never led to a single case of human death from overdose in its entire history. This is a sharp contrast to the high mortality rate of other drug like cocaine. Plus, the side effects of marijuana are not bad at all compare to Codeine one of the most popular pain medications used in the U.S. The official website of drugs. com describe the side effects of Codeine as: â€Å"slow heart rate, weak pulse, fainting, shallow breathing; feeling like you might pass out; confusion, agitation, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior; feelings of extreme happiness or sadness; seizure. Marijuana was widely used by some of the world’s earliest civilizations. Cannabis Now Magazine state that â€Å"history documents show that the fiber-rich cannabis plant was used to produce rope and woven fabrics around 7000 B. C. in Central and South Asia. † Plus, marijuana is in the Chinese manuscripts dating back to 2700 B. C. this plant was used as medicine. Marijuana is define by http://www. dictionary. com as a strong smelling plant from whose dried leaves a number of euphoria causing and hallucinogenic drugs are prepared. Marijuana has many names like ganja, pot, grass, weed, dope, sees, sens, skunk, Mary Jane, and Cannabis Sativa. Cannabis Now Magazine publish on the article History of Marijuana in America that â€Å"After being used by half of the world for nearly 8,000 years, Marijuana reached North America with Christopher Columbus in 1492 A.D. This is a plant that has been grown for fiber and as a source of medicine all those years. But the plant didn’t become popular until the early 20th century. Since marijuana become popular this plant has become controversial because of people misunderstandings marijuana. All of the soon this recreational plant became considered as harmful as cocaine or heroin. However, Cannabis Now Team added that â€Å"the United States Pharmacopeia had marijuana on its list of pharmaceuticals from 1850 until 1942. Marijuana was introduced in America after the Spanish-American War by Mexican-Americans who work on large farms in American fields. These immigrants cultivated marijuana, which they brought with them from Mexico and they enjoyed smoking marijuana for recreational purposes. † Marijuana view by part of society as drug. On the other hand, a lot of people believe that marijuana is not a drug, and shouldn’t be in our judicial system as an illegal drug. the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIC) define â€Å"Marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. And the immediate effects after taking marijuana include rapid heartbeat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety. † However, it has never led to a single case of human death from overdose in its entire history. This is a sharp contrast to the high mortality rate of other drug like cocaine. Remember the side effect of marijuana are not bad at all compare to Codeine one of the most popular pain medication used in the U. S. I went into the official website of drugs. And I looked up the side effects of Codeine are: â€Å"slow heart rate, weak pulse, fainting, shallow breathing; feeling like you might pass out; confusion, agitation, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior; feelings of extreme happiness or sadness; seizure (convulsions); Other side effects including withdrawal symptoms after either abrupt cessation or fast tapering of narcotic analgesics have been reported. These withdrawal symptoms have included agitation, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, vomiting, and sweating  or problems with urination. Nonetheless, the use and cultivation of the cannabis plant was made illegal because of some antidrug advocates. Marijuana in this age is really controversial issue. Especially in politics this topic is on flame. For example; Washington State consider and pass a law calls I-502 to legalize tax and regulate marijuana. In the article â€Å"The Politics of Pot Legalization† Connor Guy expressed that â€Å"This would generate an estimated of $560 million in additional revenue per year. Similarly to the California’s Proposition 19 in 2010 that failed. † However, dispensary owners and medical marijuana lawyers did not support this law because they benefit from the system. The public support for I-502 was divided because of the legal penalties of driving under the influent of marijuana. They argue there is no an effective way of known if the person under the influent because marijuana can remain in the blood. Personally, I believe that the legalization in the use of marijuana in Washington open a door to discuss the possibility to change the legal statues of marijuana in the country. But, the politics have to articulate more in how the going to regulate the drug, and make more save for the public by giving hard sanction to the driver who drive under the influent of marijuana. The government will benefit on the legalization of marijuana by taxing stables places where marijuana can be properly sale and distribute. I think that politic for once can have a series discussion about legalizing marijuana. The legal state of marijuana is affecting millions of consumer in the United States that need this drug to go cope with medical, mental, and physical problem they have. Marijuana has been part of humanitys medicine since the history started to be recorded by people. The negative consequences of marijuana prohibition categories it as a â€Å"dangerous drug† because heavy marijuana users generally report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental and physical health, relationship problems, and less academic and career success compared to their peers who came from similar backgrounds. None of this problem is as tragic as the denial of medicinal cannabis to the tens of thousands of patients who could benefit from its therapeutic use to the sick and dying that need this drug. NIDAs studies show that â€Å"the benefits of using medical marijuana are grader than any smoking related harms that some patient may have. † For example, after conducting a nearly two-year review of the medical literature, investigators at the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine affirmed: Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. Except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use are within the range tolerated for other medications. † The future of medical marijuana is uncertain. Society is change and the view of how society see this drug will change. I believe that in my life time marijuana will become legal again. Marijuana was a legal substance during the beginning of the twentieth century, and marijuana could legal again by this century. Also, many countries in the world like Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands have legalized marijuana. The U. S. is starting fallow those countries in legalizing marijuana. Voters in sixteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, and the District of Columbia have approved initiatives excusing patients who use marijuana under a physicians supervision. But people opposite the legalization marijuana are unpleased with the decision, they argue by making the drug legal more people may consume the drug. But this drug is as addicted as taking Tylenol for the paint. The legalization affect all society. However the prohibition of marijuana has not helped in the reduction of its consumption. In many cases, the consumption and production of marijuana has become wild, and out of control, even after it has been prohibited. As such, the drug become attractive to people. Also, some people argue that legalization of marijuana will help in allowing it to be consumed in a responsible way. â€Å"The US government has tried to use criminal penalties to reduce consumption of marijuana for over 75 years in vain. Today, the number of people consuming marijuana is estimated to be more than 25 million in the US. In fact, it is alleged that the largest cash crop in the US is cannabis sativa. † for that reason ridiculous to argue that prohibition of marijuana is a successful policy. Instead we should take a look to other society like some European countries had make laws less strict or repealed their laws, which were the drug become legal for recreational use. For example; Commander Brain Paddock in a neighborhood of London called Brixton, did a little experiment. â€Å"Over a six month period, he instructed his officers to warn those caught with small amounts of marijuana rather than arrest them. At the end of those six months, Scotland Yard issued a report that stated more than 2500 hours of manpower was saved by giving warnings (Katz, 2002). Not making arrests meant not spending valuable time transporting prisoners and filling out paper work, not to mention court time and costs saved prosecuting those arrested. That time could then be spent on investigating and enforcing other more serious criminal activities. † Legalization of marijuana may bring different social impacts in communities where it is legalized. For instance, it may unavoidably create a new industry in a challenging economy. Socially, people argue that legalization of marijuana may create good connection among the members of a given society. The effect of the drug may make conflicts with other members of the society due to the relaxing effect of marijuana (LdySnows Blog). Therefore, the society will benefit enrollment of marijuana smokers would boost the local economy as well. Also the drug may have impact negatively on the members of the society. In conclusion, I cannot argue which what might other people think, might say or think about medical marijuana. But, I believe the only solution is to regulated marijuana in market this way this drug can be control, and probably reduce the availability as well as the interest teens in Marijuana. On the street there are no ID checks, no regulation, and we can keep letting this drug be used with no control. In dispensaries medical marijuana could be manage and distribute under the control of the federal government. Knowing the history of the plant and the effect of smoking, or taking in an oral way may help people to have a better about why people want this drug to be legalize. Also, old politic has been one of the biggest challenge to overcome. Never less, the view of this drug need to change because of the medical aspect that this drug and the huge benefits this drug provide people that are in intensive pain. The future of this medical marijuana is a paradox. Because is better to leave it to the criminal justice system to keep enforcing the prohibition, or would we be better off with some form of controlled legalization or regulated market. The cost to our government by keeping this drug as illegal drug is very extensive. The only thing that sentence is leaving people with criminal records, be send to prisons, and the cost billions of dollars used to fight it. How exactly has criminalization of a plant benefited our society?