Marijuana Legalization

Jasmine Brown

Carlton Usher

KSU 1111

September 23, 2012

Should the Federal government legalize marijuana?

Most believe only “potheads” want marijuana to be legalized but the truth is, economists are those pushing for legalization. In fact a long list of positive effects would occur if marijuana was legal as alcohol and tobacco products are, not only for those who smoke but the average tax-payer too. A couple positive effects are, sick patients would be pain-free and happier, and the economy would gain financially.

Whether the government should legalize marijuana comes down to reason and cold hard facts. The fact is, marijuana unlike tobacco does not contain any addictive substances. It is true that some claim to be addicted to marijuana and have to go to drug dependent rehab, but there are also rehab centers for shopping addiction. Too much of a good thing is bad; everything has the potential to be addicting. Most good things are also bad for you in some way; smoking weed certainly isn’t good for you but increased heart rate, distorted perception, loss of coordination, and feelings of fear or panic are miniscule compared to alcohols short term side effects. This includes vomiting, stomach lining irritation, and urinary issues. Doctors warn that short-term effects of weed are mild memory loss such as being forgetful. However, when consuming alcohol you can lose track of whole nights or even days depending on how much you drink. Shouldn’t we be able to decide if we are willing to overlook this negative consequence like we are with alcohol?

Those willing to outweigh the negatives for the positives of marijuana are patients of diseases that cause chronic pain. Patients with diseases such as AIDS, Cancer, and Multiple Sclerosis even go so far to say marijuana’s medical purposes saved their lives. Pain and nausea are symptoms relieved by marijuana use. Morphine and other heavy drugs would be prescribed by doctors in place of marijuana. These drugs, though legal, have a...