Legalizing Marijuana

LEGALIZING MARIJANA

Margaret E. Bridges

SOC 120

Lynn Ma

02/03/2010

It seems that one of the most controversial issues in our society today is about the legalization of marijuana.   Ethics tends to play a very important role when trying to come up with an answer to the problems that arise when the subject is brought up. It raises ethical issues in personal, political and religious circles.   Although in many cases the individual may take advantage of the situation, there are many health conditions that could improve with the use of marijuana. I believe that if more research was done there would be a more understanding of how the plant actually works. Instead because the government calls it a drug, society is leaning against it. More Americans die from alcohol abuse these days than ever before. In this paper, I will discuss the many reasons why the legalization of marijuana would benefit its many users and the economy. Depending on an individual believes is right or wrong can also help influence on which way they will chose to vote for the legalization of marijuana if it was ever to be put to a ballot.

What is Marijuana? I have heard this question over and over again since my teens. Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant ("Alcoholism.about.com," 2011). Growing up all I have ever heard about marijuana is bad and negative things. While doing my research I found that there were many pros and cons to this subject.  There are actually more pros then I would like to admit. I believe that utilitarianism theories could be used in helping to resolve the problems on these issues people are having in regards to legalization.   According to Mosser (2012), utilitarian’s would approach ethics by the moral worth of an action and that was what would end up determining the usefulness of this product. So in theory one could say that if a drug that was illegal had more positive uses to it...