Tara Sudenga
College Writing and Research
Mrs. Wellnitz
18 December 2013
Marijuana Legalization
In today’s time a big discussion around the United States is if there should be a law legalizing the recreational use of Marijuana. A lot of different people think it is a good idea, and then you have the crowd that does not think it is a good idea. Although in some states it is legal for medical use, it is frowned upon for a nonmedical use. The real question is, should it be legalized in the United States? In this report I describe why it should be legal, but there may be a few downsides with it. Although legalizing marijuana is a slowly growing process, most of the population in the United States is agreeing with the idea of legalizing non-medical marijuana because it is less harmful than smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol. Many people believe marijuana is an addictive substance, Wesley Boyd states “...marijuana is not addictive, because being addicted to something is more than simply being physically dependent on a drug and experiencing physiological effects if the drug is stopped suddenly” (n.p). Basically, once you start using marijuana you do not have to increase the dosage each time. A small amount can be used each time, and the user will still get the same high and a big dosage would. Marijuana users can enjoy the drug “without endangering some major element of their lives” (Boyd n.p). Medical marijuana has an active ingredient, THC, which helps a patient relax and relieve pain. It is said to help control seizures and muscle spasms. Some researchers say marijuana can cure cancer, diabetes, ulcers, insomnia, and many other diseases. Medical marijuana is legalized in 15 different states including: California, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New Hampshire, along with the two states that have legalized marijuana, Washington and Colorado. Medical marijuana is "promoted to relieve pain, control nausea and vomiting, and stimulate appetite in people with cancer and AIDS" (Cancer.org). It may be a crucial part to helping find cures to severe illnesses. In many states, a huge discussion was the process to legalize gay marriage, and the next move after that is to legalize marijuana. Ike Brannon describes "Supporters of legalization don't need to change any more hearts and minds; they already have a majority of the population with them and adding 10 percent isn't going to improve their political lot" (16). In other words getting the remainder of the population of the United States to agree with marijuana legalization will not take a lot of effort. Basically, campaigners need to convince the members on Congress to legalize marijuana. The first step to legalizing each use of marijuana is to get a state to agree to legalize it for a medical use. If each state would be involved in making medical marijuana legal, it will only be a matter of time before every state will legalize recreational marijuana. Matthew J. Seamon explains the legal status of medical marijuana: Nevertheless, a number of states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A version of California's Proposition 215 was the first state law to decriminalize medical marijuana for patient use in 1996. Since then, 10 additional states have approved similar legislation, with more states working on it. Another state, Maryland, provides for a defense of medical necessity. (1039)
In my opinion many of the 50 states will have some sort of passed law for the use of marijuana by the year 2022. Medical marijuana will help many patients overcome anxiety from having an illness, and even help cure certain diseases. It will also bring a lot of money back to the government by having a non-profit medical marijuana center. Legalizing recreational marijuana would be a huge crop profit for the United States. It opens up jobs for