Legalizing Marijuana

I know this will bring up so many different opinions.  Some might think it's great or some might just think it is good and some might say no way. 

Well let me start by saying, I personally don't think it is a good idea.  Now don't forget that is my personally opinion.  You are welcome to leave me your opinion in the comment section.

Legalization of Marijuana has been an issue in the country for around sixty years.
Why have we made an issue of it? Why will people not just give up the fight for
legalization? After all, marijuana is a drug. It sometimes leads to the use of more
dangerous drugs like heroin or cocaine. There are several reasons people fight for this
drug, and many devote countless hours to this seemingly hopeless cause.

 Marijuana is known as a gateway drug because it leads in some cases to more
serious drugs. This could be happening because of the way people are getting the drug.
To get marijuana you must buy it from a drug dealer off the street. This also gives you
access to the other drugs that are out there. If a person could just walk into a store and
buy marijuana, maybe it would not lead to the use of other drugs simply because kids
would not be around drug dealers. If you could buy marijuana at your local mini-mart
without fear of punishment then it is possible that the use of other illegal drugs would
decline.

Most Marijuana users are casual users. They fight for legalized marijuana because
they feel it should be their right to be able to enjoy this drug when they want. The
government claims that legal marijuana would cause extremely widespread use and
become an epidemic. They say that people would become dependent on the drug like
tobacco or alcohol. Marijuana is not addictive. And is not associated with any major
illness. It would seem that legal marijuana and illegal tobacco would be a more sensible
idea. This is because marijuana has less serious effects on health. Also hemp, which is
the main part of the cannabis sativa plant has dozens more uses than tobacco.
Medical uses are reasons why this is such a large issue. It has been known since
the 19th century that marijuana has beneficial uses in medicine. Marijuana has been
proven to help people suffering from diseases like cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma. Also
marijuana can be substituted for more addictive and damaging drugs. So why is it that
some people refuse to accept or allow legal medical use of marijuana? Many states are
finally approving the use of medicinal marijuana. This in turn has helped ease many
patients pain and suffering.

 There are a lot of people in the country that are pushing to legalize the drug
because of the bad image that it is giving America's youth. According to NORML, under
president Clinton more than three million people have been arrested over marijuana
charges. About 88% of them were for simple possession. Most of the people arrested
were under the age of 25. I find it disturbing that a substance that is less harmful than
cigarettes, is causing so much trouble for the youth of America. A simple marijuana
possession charge could even diminish or end a person's chance for getting a decent job.
The legalizing of marijuana is a big issue with some people because of the
financial aspects of the product. Marijuana and hemp could be a lucrative business for
farmers in the United States. Hemp is a versatile product. It can be used for things like
rope, clothing, and can even be liquefied to form a polymer-like substance. In 1999 North
Dakota became the first state to allow the cultivation of hemp. There are strict rules the
cultivators must follow. The plants must be checked for proper THC levels. Also farmers
must pay $150 for a license to grow the hemp. The North Dakota plan is modeled after
Canada, which legalized hemp a year earlier. Canada has shown strong economic benefit
from the resource. There have been many textile corporations aid in the fight against
legalizing hemp. As you can see they would stand to lose a lot of money if this unlimited
resource was made available.

 In conclusion, people are fighting for this product because the benefits far
outweigh the consequences. If the marijuana advocates keep up their fight, it is possible
that in the future we will see legal marijuana. But until that day arrives, legal marijuana
issues will be making headlines and constantly pushing for reform.

 

 

There is all the information I could find and turned it into a essay.  Remember you may not agree with my answer to this, but you can leave me your comment.  I would love to read all of them.