Drugs: Crime and Marijuana Essay

Submitted By Swigg24
Words: 490
Pages: 2

Outline for: Demote the Dealer by Legalizing Marijuana INTRODUCTION:
One of the hottest topics being debated in politics, economics, health, and ethics today is whether or not marijuana should be legalized. While both sides have very respectable arguments, at the end of the day, only one side will eventually prevail. America’s history has consistently proven that when the majority of our society embraces something, it’s only a matter of time before that thing will become a normal part of our society. In the following, we will review both sides of the marijuana argument, and conclude with final thought on the issue. BODY:
Arguments for Legalizing Marijuana
1. Crime levels will decrease because of legalization of marijuana.
b. Drop in the number of drug deals on the street
c. Elimination of the demand of an illegal substance
2. Users will not be at the mercy of dealers.
a. Decrease in the number of drug users committing crime in trade-off for drugs
b. Users will not be indebted to dealer
3. Dealers no longer will have a monopoly on the product.
a. Users will have a legal avenue to use for the pursuit of marijuana
b. The number of marijuana drug deals (which lead to drug crimes) on the street will dramatically decrease.
Arguments against Legalizing Marijuana
1. Medical conditions associated with marijuana users is very costly to society
b. An encounter with the criminal justice system through apprehension for a drug-related crime frequently can benefit the offender because the criminal justice system is often a path to treatment.
c. A recent study showing a drop in IQ scores among teenagers who are regular pot smokers is especially troubling, Dr. Evins said.
2. Present-day government identifies/defines marijuana under the Schedule I category
a. (1) it "has a high potential for abuse,"
b. (2) it has "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States," and
c. (3) "[t]here is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug . . . under