R. Legalization of Marijuana

Should marijuana be removed from the criminal justice system and be regulated like alcohol and tobacco are? If this were to happen, marijuana would be America’s number one cash crop; thus, creating jobs and economic opportunities. Corrections and court costs would also decrease significantly due to people not going to jail/court for marijuana related charges. Also, there would be a lot of tax revenue from selling regulated marijuana. In 2012 Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize and regulate marijuana. There are many facts people should know about marijuana before they say it should be illegal. People say marijuana is a gateway drug, but in most cases marijuana users never use any other illicit drugs. For the majority of people who use marijuana it is a terminus, and they will not use any other drug. Another fact is that many marijuana users only smoke occasionally. Marijuana is not addictive and is not related to any dependence. “THC is virtually non-toxic to healthy cells or organs, and is incapable of causing a fatal overdose. Currently, doctors may legally prescribe Marinol, an FDA-approved pill that contains 100 percent THC. The Food and Drug Administration found THC to be safe and effective for the treatment of nausea, vomiting, and wasting diseases.” Marijuana has not been shown to cause mental illness, it can temporarily cause panic, anxiety, and paranoia, but that is it. Marijuana has also not been shown to increase a risk of cancer. Medicinal Marijuana is prescribed to patients with a wide range of diseases and health related problems and is very helpful with many symptoms. In driving studies, it is shown that marijuana causes no major car-handling impairment. In fact, effects of marijuana tend to make the user more cautious. In 2012 alone 749,825 people were arrested and charged with marijuana related law violations.

Overall, there are more harmful legal things in our society including alcohol, cigarettes, and other tobacco products. The legalization of marijuana would have positive effects all the way around in the US.

Info and facts found on: http://www.drugpolicy.org/